Japanese · Greetings & Phrases
こんばんは
konbanwa
Good evening
Beginnerphrase
Definition
A greeting used in the evening hours. It is the standard polite way to greet someone after dark.
Example
こんばんは、今夜は涼しいですね。
Good evening, it is cool tonight, isn't it.
Etymology
'こんばんは' (konbanwa) consists of '今晩' (konban), meaning 'this evening', and 'は' (wa), a topic marker. It is a common phrase for greeting in the evening hours.
How & Where It’s Used
'こんばんは' is appropriate in both formal and informal settings, typically used after sunset. It's commonly used in spoken conversation.