Sayonara is a casual way to say goodbye, similar to phrases like "so long" or "see ya!" You might say sayonara to your traveling grandmother, or say sayonara to a terrible job at the end of a long summer. It's a Japanese word that has been a popular informal word in English since the late 1800s.
Many people translate “Sayonara” as “Goodbye”, but in reality, there are many different forms of goodbye in Japanese! Unlike the English, “Sayonara” really means “Goodbye forever” or “Goodbye, I don't know when I'll see you again”. Because of this, Japanese people will rarely use the word.
The direct equivalent to “Goodbye” in Japanese is “さようなら”, sometimes also written as “さよなら” with a short “o” in the beginning. But “Sayonara” is not commonly used in everyday situations, especially not with friends and family (also not really with colleagues).
Konnichiwa and Sayonara: How to Say Hello and Goodbye in Japanese.
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”.
Wakarimashita / wakatta
Wakarimashita (分かりました / わかりました) is one of the best ways to say okay in Japanese.
Say goodbye and at the same time wish them well with this awesome little phrase. It is quite informal and should not be used in formal situations.
Ara ara (あら あら) is a Japanese expression that is mainly used by older females and means “My my”, “Oh dear”, or “Oh me, oh my”.
Borrowed from Japanese さよなら (sayonara), a shorter form of more traditional さようなら (sayōnara, “goodbye”, literally “if that's the way it is”).
Sayonara comes from Japanese sayōnara, a shortening of sayōnaraba, which means literally “if it be so (that the time for parting has come).” Sayonara consists of sayō “thus” and naraba “if it be.” Sayonara entered English in the second half of the 19th century.
If you say, "Bye!" you mean "farewell" or "so long." In other words, bye is a shorter way to say, "Goodbye."
Konnichiwa – こんにちは
Meaning: Hello. Pronunciation: koh-nee-chee-wah. About: This is probably the most common way to say hello in Japanese.
1. “Hello” in Japanese. If you ever watched at least one anime series, you probably already know this: “hello” in Japanese is Konnichiwa.
When you buy something at a store, store clerk would say "DOMO ARIGATOU", meaning thank you "very much".
Ittekimasu and Itterasshai
The phrase “Ittekimasu”, is typically used by a Japanese when they are about to leave somewhere, such as from the home or office. The closest literal translation would be “I'll go and I'll come back”.
You can make it more formal by saying "gomen-nasai" ごめんなさい or more friendly with "gomen-ne" ごめんね.
Interjection. Opposite of expressing good wishes on leaving or parting company. hello.
Sayonara received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its writing and cinematography, in addition to the acting ability of its cast.
The simplest and most straightforward way of saying yes in Japanese is はい hai. In a more formal style, one may also use は！ ha!. If you are conversing with a close acquaintance, ええ ee is also suitable.
When used as an aizuchi, “hai” doesn't necessarily mean “yes.” It just means you're listening. It's a great aizuchi to use in formal situations, especially for phone calls or business exchanges. And don't worry, it sounds a lot more natural in Japanese than repeating “yes” over and over again in English.
Sometimes it's used as neutral filler speech to indicate you're listening. Sometimes it's used as a sign of acknowledgement. Sometimes it's used as a delineating device to indicate a change in topic. Sometimes it's used as a way of saying “here you go”.