In Japan, people greet each other by bowing. A bow can ranges from a small nod of the head to a deep bend at the waist. A deeper, longer bow indicates respect and conversely a small nod with the head is casual and informal.
When meeting someone for the first time in a casual setting, it is common for people to say “Hajimemashite” ('Nice to meet you'). Meanwhile in formal settings, the most common greeting is “Yoroshiku onegaishimasu”.
Konnichiwa (こんにちわ)
Probably the most well-known Japanese greeting, konnichiwa roughly translates as “hello,” and can be used at any hour.
The greeting that the Japanese people use in their own language when meeting somebody for the first time is “hajimemashite.” This translates to either, “Nice to meet you,” in the English language. However, this phrase cannot be used on the daily basis of greeting.
Japanese are known to be shy, so once they become a couple, they flirt discreetly when in public. For example, you can see many couples walking hand-in-hand but not kissing much. Most Japanese feel embarrassed even just exchanging a small kiss on the cheek in public.
好きです (Suki desu) – I like you
That's because, as we mentioned earlier, the alternative aishiteiru is a more serious way to say I love you in Japanese. If you want to convey more affection, you can say, 大好き (daisuki) instead. Daisuki means I really like you.
Good morning, Good afternoon, or Good evening
These are formal ways of saying “hello”, which change depending on the time of day. Keep in mind that “good night” is only used to say “good bye”, so if you meet someone late in the day, remember to greet them with “good evening”, rather than “good night”.
Tsuma is how you refer to your wife in public, while “okusan” is a cute, respectful term used when addressing your wife at home.
Moshi moshi, or もしもし, is a common Japanese phrase that Japanese people use when picking up the phone. It's a casual greeting used for friends and family, like a “hello”, but in fact means something entirely different! In English, it literally means something more like, “to say to say”, or “I speak I speak”.
Best not greet a Japanese person by kissing or hugging them (unless you know them extremely well). While Westerners often kiss on the cheek by way of greeting, the Japanese are far more comfortable bowing or shaking hands. In addition, public displays of affection are not good manners.
While a single greeting satisfies many cultures for a group of people, Japanese culture dictates that you address everyone in a group individually. If you encounter a group of three people, for instance, it is proper to bow and speak a greeting three times, turning to face each person in turn.
When you meet someone for the first time, you can start off by saying はじめまして. This means “Nice to meet you.” You would normally follow it by giving your name, and then saying よろしくお願いします (Yoroshiku onegaishimau). This is also usually translated as “nice to meet you” but it has many, many uses in Japanese.
Every where in Japan people bow to show respect to all people. The lower they bow the more respect they have for the person specially if the person is a high official. People bow upon greeting and upon leaving.
The most common and simple way to introduce yourself in Japanese is the phrase "Watashi no namae wa ___ desu." (wah-TAH-shee no nah-MAH-eh wah ___ dess). It means "My name is ___." If you're using your full name, say your surname first.
Men are referred to by their name + chan / kun, and women are referred to by their given name only.
In Japanese, "~ san （～さん）" is a title of respect added to a name. It can be used with both male and female names, and with either surnames or given names.
Bijin (美人) is a Japanese term which literally means "a beautiful person" and is synonymous with bijo (美女, "beautiful woman"). Girls are usually called bishōjo (美少女), while men are known as bidanshi (美男子) and boys are bishōnen (美少年).
Howdy / Hey mate / Hey man / G'day / and Gidday mate all indicate that we know a person quite well. How are you? / What's up? / How's it going? are casual ways to say hello in English and indicate that we've known that person for some time.
The most respectful greetings are formal ones like "hello," or time-related greetings like "good morning" or "good evening."
Kokuhaku 告白
This is when you “confess” your feelings for someone with the hopes of dating them. When giving the confession, it's normal to say, “tsukiatte kudasai 付き合ってください”, which means, “Please go out with me” or “Can we date?”
Displays of Affection in Japan
Asian couples don't usually express affection towards each other in public. Public displays of affection between members of the opposite sex'such as kissing, hugging and holding hands — are considered rude. Even families rarely touch, hug or display physical affection in public.
Linguistic differences aside, there is a larger cultural difference that causes a mistranslation to occur. Japanese people simply do not regularly say “I love you.” Someone might say “Aishiteru” in a sappy romantic movie, but overall the lingering impression after one professes their love in Japanese is a profound ...