good morning
おはようございます
This is the standard, polite way to greet someone in the morning. The phrase literally stems from the honorific form of "it is early," capturing the gentle acknowledgment that the person has arrived or started their day at an early hour. While "ohayou" is used among friends and family, "ohayou gozaimasu" is the essential form for colleagues, strangers, and superiors. It is appropriate to use from the very beginning of the day until roughly the late morning or noon, depending on the workplace culture.
In conversation
Office arrival
おはようございます！
Good morning!
おはようございます。今日も頑張りましょう。
Good morning. Let's do our best today.
Used between colleagues in a professional setting.
Neighbor encounter
おはようございます。いい天気ですね。
Good morning. It's a nice day, isn't it?
本当にそうですね。
It really is.
A polite and common way to start a conversation with someone in the neighborhood.
Examples
おはようございます。
おはようございます
Good morning.
先生、おはようございます。
せんせい、おはようございます
Good morning, teacher.
朝、会社で同僚に「おはようございます」と挨拶する。
あさ、かいしゃでどうりょうに「おはようございます」とあいさつする。
In the morning, I greet my colleague at work with a 'good morning'.
