Dictionary / Japanese / Good evening
How to Say "Good evening" in Japanese
こんばんは
konbanwa
Literally: As for this evening
こんばん
this evening
は
as for
Polite or casual
こんばんは is polite enough for anyone once it gets dark, from shop staff to neighbours. Like こんにちは, it is for people outside your household: families rarely say it to each other. When you part late at night, the goodbye is おやすみなさい (oyasuminasai).
Correct
こんばんは
What people say wrong
こんばんわ
Sounds right, but it is spelled wrong.
The mistake to avoid. The last sound is wa, so many learners write こんばんわ. The correct spelling ends in は (ha), the topic particle, which is said wa. こんばんは is the start of an old greeting that began 今晩は, "as for this evening". You may see こんばんわ in casual messages, but the standard spelling is こんばんは.
In context
こんばんは、山田さん。
Konbanwa, Yamada-san.
Good evening, Yamada-san.
みなさん、こんばんは。
Minasan, konbanwa.
Good evening, everyone.
こんばんは。今日は寒いですね。
Konbanwa. Kyō wa samui desu ne.
Good evening. It is cold today, isn't it?