Greetings and set phrases
Set phrases are learned whole, without analysis, and used the same day. They go by the clock —おはようございます, こんにちは, こんばんは— and many come in pairs: whoever leaves says いってきます and whoever stays, いってらっしゃい. Two warnings that save embarrassment: すみません works to call, to apologise and to thank someone for trouble, and さようなら is too heavy between people who meet daily.
Where this sits
- Comes after
- Level zero
Exercises from this rung
Generated by the app, from easiest to hardest
（朝）___ございます。
- おはよう
- さようなら
- こんばんは
- こんにちは
Why Japanese splits the greeting by the clock: おはようございます until mid-morning, こんにちは during the day and こんばんは once evening falls. Among friends, plain おはよう.
easier（帰ってきて）___。
- いってきます
- おかえりなさい
- さようなら
- ただいま
Why ただいま is said by whoever arrives; おかえりなさい by whoever was inside. Mixing them up is the classic mistake, fixed by remembering who moves: the one coming through the door says ただいま.
in between（寝る前に）___なさい。
- おやすみ
- おはよう
- こんばんは
- さようなら
Why こんばんは is the evening greeting, said on meeting; おやすみなさい is the goodbye of going to sleep. They are not interchangeable even though English calls both “good night”.
harder