“Konnichiwa” (こんにちは, 今日は) is a Japanese greeting that means “hello”, “good afternoon”, or “good day”. It is a rather formal phrase typically used from around 10:00 or 11:00 o’clock in the morning until 5:00 or 6:00 o’clock in the evening. “Konnichiwa” (こんにちは) is a polite greeting that can be used in formal situations to say hello to people with higher status or who are older. It is also the best greeting when meeting someone for the first time. However, it is rarely used to say hello to friends; it is too formal and might be rude when used with close friends. When we pronounce it a bit longer, like Kon-ni-chi-waah, it warms a greeting, making them closer and more friendly. When someone greets you with “Konnichiwa” the basic and most appropriate formal reply is “Konnichiwa” (こんにちは) since in Japanese it is common to respond with exactly the same phrase. After that, you can ask a follow-up question for example “Ogenki desu ka?” (お元気ですか) which means “How are you?”. While “Konnichiwa” is ge...