If you're visiting the Land of the Rising Sun, knowing how to bow and say hello in Japanese can be helpful. Bowing (ojigi) is an important tradition in Japan. People commonly use it to greet each other, so handshaking isn't common, and they generally have short conversations before or after bowing.
Steps
Step 1. Learn to bow
This tradition is always used in Japan. You may even see people bowing over the phone. Remember that men and women bow differently - men usually keep their hands at their hips, while women bring their hands together on their thighs, fingers touching.
- Bow at 15 degrees. This is the most informal bow. It is used for casual encounters, for example if you are rushing to work and you see someone you know or if you meet a friend on the street (remember, as informal as it may be, it is considered very rude not to respond to someone else's bow. person).
- Bow at 30 degrees. The most common type of bow is done at a 30 degree angle to greet a customer or thank someone. You will often see it in Japanese work environments, and it is not used at formal events. You can use it to welcome a customer to your store or invite a friend to come into your home.
- 45 degree bow. This is the most formal bow. It indicates deep gratitude, a respectful greeting, a formal apology, a request for a favor, and so on.
Step 2. Learn verbal greetings
A conversation or meeting will usually begin with konnichiwa, which means "hello". In the evening, you should say konbanwa, which means "good evening", while in the morning, ohayo gozaimasu, which means "good morning" (you can just say ohayo if you are talking to someone younger than you).
If you are having an informal conversation, is it polite to follow up your greeting with a question like O genki desu ka? ("How are you?"). If it is done to you, answer Ii desu yo, arigato (“Well, thank you”) or Dame yo (“Male”)
Step 3. Pay attention to the titles that are appropriate for each person
Unlike Italian, the title follows the name of an individual.
- When you address an authority: Sama is an honorary title. San can be roughly translated as "sir", "young lady" or "lady". To reach out to your older colleagues in a school, company, sports club, or other group, use senpai. Follow up a teacher's name with sensei.
- When you are the authority: You can follow the name of someone younger than you with chan (if it's a girl) and with kun (if it's a boy). Kōhai is the inverse of senpai.
