What is the difference between Konnichiwa and Konbanwa? Is it appropriate to use either one in everyday conversations?
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3To help get you started, "konnichi wa" can be used as a general greeting (often during daytime hours) whereas "konban wa" tends to be used during evening hours.– summeaCommented Apr 9, 2013 at 6:26
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4 Answers
They are both common greetings. The "ban" in "konbanwa" means "evening". The "nichi" in "konnichiwa" means "day".
We use "ohayou gozaimasu" before about 10:30 am, "konnichiwa" after about 10:30 am, and "konbanwa" in the evening.
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1i actually just got to work at 1:30 and everyone said ohayou gozaimasu lol. i am so confused with how they handle time cuz even at like 7-8:00, i hear people say konnichwa– davidCommented May 16, 2014 at 5:01
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1"ohayou gozaimasu" is often an "in-group" thing. In the theatre, people say it in the evening, whenever everyone is starting work. In amateur operatic circles (for example, which I happen to know about), it's sometimes used, but also sometimes elicits a puzzled expression, so I suppose not everyone knows that. Commented May 11, 2015 at 18:14
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1おはようございます can also be used the first time you see someone that day. Hence the reason everyone at work at 1:30 says it too you. There are also some people (My high school teacher back in the day) that said おはようございます as any sort of greeting and just never used こんいちは. Commented May 12, 2015 at 1:47
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1This is definitively wrong to talk about precise hours. Person working only night shifts who wake up the night will say ohayou gozaimasu to it's co worker during the night.– SamCommented May 12, 2015 at 21:41
Konnichiwa is MAINLY used as an Greeting as in "Hello" While Konbanwa is used to greet people in the evening.
Kon'nichiwa sometime used as saying Good afternoon or Hello. Konbanwa is good evening.
Konichiwa is the basic hello. ~10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Konnbanwa is good evening, an other greeting. ~7:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
ohayou gozaimasu is good mornning ~1:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
