English–Japanese

“hi” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajiyā

Example

やあ、元気ですか？yā gen ki de su ka

Hi, how are you?

Illustration for やあ (hi)

How to say “hi” in Japanese

“Hi” in Japanese is やあ (yā).

The interjection やあ (yā, "hi") warmly opens a casual exchange with someone familiar.

Full entry for やあ: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with やあ

やあ、また会えてうれしいです。yā ma ta a e te u re shi i de su

Hi, I am happy to see you again.

Tips for using やあ

  • The greeting やあ (yā) can also call attention to someone, so it may be heard before a conversation rather than only at the moment of meeting.

“hi” in other languages