Japanese Conversation · Level 6
89 words
Japanese word
もしもし
Pronunciation
Romajimoshimoshi
Meaning
- interjectionhello
Example
電話に出てもしもしと言います。den wa ni de te mo shi mo shi to i i ma su
I answer the phone and say hello.
More examples
相手の声が聞こえないときは、もしもしともう一度言います。ai te no koe ga ki ko e na i to ki wa mo shi mo shi to mō ichi do i i ma su
When I cannot hear the other person, I say hello again.
Core concept
Serves as a spoken greeting for starting a call or confirming that a telephone connection is working.
Definition in Japanese
電話に出たときや電話で相手を呼ぶときに使うあいさつの言葉。den wa ni de ta to ki ya den wa de ai te o yo bu to ki ni tsuka u a i sa tsu no koto ba
Word origin
もしもし (moshi moshi) is a repetition of もし (moshi), which is historically connected with 申す (mōsu, "to say humbly"), a form used to call out politely.
Usage tips
- Unlike English hello, もしもし (moshi moshi) is mainly associated with talking on the telephone and sounds unusual as a face-to-face greeting.