Useful Japanese phrases

This greeting is used in the morning until around 10 AM or when it stops feeling like morning time. In the 'feeling' vein, co-workers will greet each other this way at the beginning of a shift, even the night shift. When one is familiar with the greetee you might just say Ohayou (prounounced a lot like "Ohio" but the o trails off. Learn more at Japanese long vowels). See also: Japanese Slang For Greeting Your Shiftless Friends See also: Ohayou gozaimasu*

This greeting is used during the day, until sundown. The term itself is idiomatic. The particle wa (は the subject marker) can be translated as "speaking about" and konnichi as "today" with a meaing abbreviated from "Speaking about today..." or "Today is... something." Konnichi wa ii Otenki desu for example. While that may sound like "Today is good weather" to us, English speakers, it sounds just fine to speakers of Japanese.

This greeting is used from sun down to sun up. The addition of the honorific sensei is for elders or men you aren't on familiar terms with (total strangers) as a more formal greeting. Typically (i.e. almost all the time) one would use just Konban wa with friends, family, and co-workers. See also: Sensei, Konban wa.*

Unless you are talking to your shiftless friends you would ask Ogenki desu ka? (note the honorific O). This term means literally "Are you healthy?" See also: Ogenki desu ka (idea)*, Go-kigen ikaga desu ka 御機嫌 (ごきげん) "Are you in good spirts" -- something you would ask your Lord. obsolete as far as I can tell. More research is necessary.

The Okage is a respectful reference to one who offers assistance or "backs you up", God, Buddha, a friend concerned for your health, etc. Sama is the extra polite suffix. The phrase itself is idiomatic for English phrases along the lines of "thank God", "thank my lucky stars", or "thank you for your support" and is therefor used in a greeting as such, "Thank you, Okage-sama (for being concerned about my welfare)". See also: O-kagesama de.*

Literally "I'm healthy". A more emphatic way of saying this is Genki da yo! which is a lot like saying "I'm Grrrrreat!". Be careful with the use of yo, reserve it's usage like you would baka, since it's a strong term and isn't appropriate in all places.

This means simply "For the first time" so think of it as "(please to meet you) for the first time." It's probably noted elsewhere on E2, but the vowel i between to voiced consonants is contracted. The pronunciation then sounds like this: /ha-JI-may-MA-shtay/. See also: Hajimemashite*

Literally "I offer my best regards (so that you will treat me and our relationship well)". Most of the meaning is implied. See also: Yoroshiku o-negai shimasu, Douzo yoroshiku.*

Use this phrase nine months out of the year, if you live in Florida. Also to cover: ame, hare, kumori, yuki, summer, winter, fall, spring, maybe tips for understanding the impossibly fast talking weather girls.

A general form for "Where exists the subject?". In this example hoteru, hotel. Other subjects/locations which might be appropriate after the bar: anata no apaato, eki, Keisatsu-sho.