UNIT 10
Workplace and School Basic Conversations
Workplace and School Basic Conversations
Lesson 1: Greetings at Work and School
おはようございます — The Language of Every Workday
⏱️ About 25 minutes ／ 📊 Level: Beginner (N5) ／ 🗣️ Speaking + Reading
Before You Start
Japanese workplace and school culture places enormous value on proper greetings. Unlike casual English greetings that often vary, Japanese work and school greetings are highly standardised — the same phrases are used by everyone, every day. Using them correctly shows respect, professionalism, and that you understand the culture. This lesson gives you the six phrases you will use every single day at work or school in Japan.
What you will learn:
- Greet people arriving — おはようございます
- Acknowledge a colleague during the day — お疲れさまです
- Enter a room or interrupt politely — 失礼します
- Express commitment when starting or meeting — よろしくお願いします
- Leave before others — お先に失礼します
- Thank someone at end of day — お疲れさまでした
1. Key Phrases ／ きほんのフレーズ
おはようございます。
Ohayoo gozaimasu.
Good morning.
お疲れさまです。
Otsukaresama desu.
Hello at work. / Good work. / Thank you for your effort.
失礼します。
Shitsuree shimasu.
Excuse me. / Pardon the interruption.
よろしくお願いします。
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
I look forward to working with you. / Thank you in advance.
お先に失礼します。
Osaki ni shitsuree shimasu.
Excuse me for leaving before you.
お疲れさまでした。
Otsukaresama deshita.
Good work today. / Thank you for your hard work.
2. Phrase Notes ／ ポイント
① お疲れさまです vs お疲れさまでした — present vs past
お疲れさまです (present tense) = said during the workday when passing a colleague or acknowledging their effort in the moment. お疲れさまでした (past tense) = said at end of day to close out and thank someone for their full day’s work. This is one of the most-used phrases in any Japanese workplace.
お疲れさまです — passing a colleague in the hallway during the day
お疲れさまでした — leaving the office or ending a meeting
② 失礼します — the all-purpose polite interruption
失礼します = literally “I am being rude/impolite.” It is used in three main ways in a workplace or school: (1) entering a room or knocking, (2) interrupting someone who is busy, (3) leaving (in the middle of something). It is softer and more formal than すみません.
Entering a room: 失礼します。
Interrupting a meeting: 失礼します。少しよろしいですか。
Leaving early: お先に失礼します。
③ よろしくお願いします — the phrase with no direct English translation
This phrase covers a wide range: “I look forward to working with you,” “I’m counting on you,” “Thank you in advance,” and “Please take care of this.” It is said when meeting a new colleague, handing over a task, or starting any cooperation. In Japan you will hear this dozens of times a day.
⚠️ Common Mistake
Don’t say ご苦労さまです (gokuroo sama desu) to your boss or teacher. This phrase is used by superiors to subordinates — using it upward is considered rude. Always use お疲れさまです with anyone — it is safe and respectful in all directions.
Don’t say ご苦労さまです (gokuroo sama desu) to your boss or teacher. This phrase is used by superiors to subordinates — using it upward is considered rude. Always use お疲れさまです with anyone — it is safe and respectful in all directions.
3. When to Use Each Phrase ／ つかいかた
| Phrase | When to Use |
|---|---|
| おはようございます | Morning arrival; first greeting of the day — until about noon |
| お疲れさまです | Anytime during the day when passing or acknowledging a colleague |
| 失礼します | Entering a room, interrupting someone, or stepping away |
| よろしくお願いします | Meeting someone new, starting a task together, or asking for a favour |
| お先に失礼します | When leaving the office or class before others are finished |
| お疲れさまでした | End of day; replying when someone says お先に失礼します |
4. Conversation Practice ／ かいわ
💬 Conversation 1 — Morning at the Office
💬 Conversation 2 — Leaving Before Others
💬 Conversation 3 — Entering a Room
💬 Conversation 4 — Morning at School
5. Vocabulary ／ たんご
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| お疲れさま | otsukaresama | acknowledgement of effort / “good work” |
| 失礼 | shitsuree | rudeness / impoliteness (humble expression) |
| よろしく | yoroshiku | please / kindly / I’m counting on you |
| お先に | osaki ni | before you / ahead of you |
| 上司 | jooshi | supervisor / boss |
| 社員 | shain | company employee |
| 先生 | sensee | teacher |
| 学生 | gakusee | student |
6. Check Your Understanding ／ クイズ
Think about each question first. Answers and explanations are shown below.
Q1. What does 「おはようございます。」 mean?
A. Good evening. B. Good afternoon. C. Good morning. D. Good night.
Answer: C
おはようございます = “Good morning.” Used until around noon. The casual version おはよう is used with close friends and family — always use the full polite form at work or school.
おはようございます = “Good morning.” Used until around noon. The casual version おはよう is used with close friends and family — always use the full polite form at work or school.
Q2. When do you say 「お先に失礼します。」?
A. When arriving at work. B. When entering a room. C. When leaving before others are finished. D. When greeting someone in the morning.
Answer: C
お先に失礼します = “Excuse me for leaving before you.” Say this to everyone in the office when you leave. The natural response from those staying is お疲れさまでした.
お先に失礼します = “Excuse me for leaving before you.” Say this to everyone in the office when you leave. The natural response from those staying is お疲れさまでした.
Q3. What is the difference between お疲れさまです and お疲れさまでした?
A. They mean the same. B. です = during the day; でした = end of day. C. です = end of day; でした = morning. D. です = to superiors; でした = to subordinates.
Answer: B
お疲れさまです (present) = used anytime during the day. お疲れさまでした (past) = used at end of day to close out. Both are safe to use in all directions — to superiors, colleagues, and subordinates.
お疲れさまです (present) = used anytime during the day. お疲れさまでした (past) = used at end of day to close out. Both are safe to use in all directions — to superiors, colleagues, and subordinates.
Q4. What does 「失礼します。」 mean in a workplace context?
A. I am sorry. B. Good morning. C. Excuse me / Pardon the interruption. D. Please help me.
Answer: C
失礼します = “Excuse me / Pardon the interruption.” Used when entering rooms, interrupting, or stepping away. More formal and respectful than すみません in professional contexts.
失礼します = “Excuse me / Pardon the interruption.” Used when entering rooms, interrupting, or stepping away. More formal and respectful than すみません in professional contexts.
Q5. When do you use 「よろしくお願いします。」?
A. Only when meeting someone for the first time. B. Only at the end of a meeting. C. When handing a task to someone. D. All of the above and more — it is used in many situations.
Answer: D
よろしくお願いします covers many situations: meeting someone new, starting a project, asking a favour, handing over a task, ending an email. It is one of the most versatile and frequently used phrases in Japanese professional life.
よろしくお願いします covers many situations: meeting someone new, starting a project, asking a favour, handing over a task, ending an email. It is one of the most versatile and frequently used phrases in Japanese professional life.
Q6. Your boss says 「お先に失礼します。」 What do you reply?
A. おはようございます。 B. よろしくお願いします。 C. お疲れさまでした。 D. 失礼します。
Answer: C
The standard reply to お先に失礼します is お疲れさまでした. This exchange is performed every single day in Japanese offices and schools when someone leaves.
The standard reply to お先に失礼します is お疲れさまでした. This exchange is performed every single day in Japanese offices and schools when someone leaves.
7. Match the Meaning ／ れんしゅう
おはようございます。 → ______
お疲れさまです。 → ______
失礼します。 → ______
よろしくお願いします。 → ______
お先に失礼します。 → ______
お疲れさまでした。 → ______
Choices: A. Good morning. B. Good work today. C. Excuse me for leaving before you. D. I look forward to working with you. E. Excuse me / Pardon the interruption. F. Good work. / Hello at work.
Answers: おはようございます = A ／ お疲れさまです = F ／ 失礼します = E ／ よろしくお願いします = D ／ お先に失礼します = C ／ お疲れさまでした = B
🚀 Mini Mission
Today’s mission: Use all six greetings in a full workday role-play.
With your teacher, simulate a complete workday from arrival to departure:
おはようございます。／ よろしくお願いします。／ 失礼します。／ お疲れさまです。／ お先に失礼します。／ お疲れさまでした。
📘 Review ／ まとめ
In this lesson you learned the six essential greetings for any Japanese workplace or school.
おはようございます。(Morning greeting)
お疲れさまです。(During the day)
失礼します。(Entering / interrupting)
よろしくお願いします。(Commitment / thanks)
お先に失礼します。(Leaving first)
お疲れさまでした。(End of day)
お疲れさまです。(During the day)
失礼します。(Entering / interrupting)
よろしくお願いします。(Commitment / thanks)
お先に失礼します。(Leaving first)
お疲れさまでした。(End of day)
💡 These six phrases form the backbone of Japanese professional communication. Memorise them completely — they will be used every single day at any workplace or school in Japan.
FAQ
Q. Should I bow when I say these greetings?
Yes — a slight nod or bow accompanies most of these greetings in Japan. The depth of the bow reflects hierarchy: a shallow nod to a colleague, a deeper bow to a supervisor. At minimum, make eye contact and nod when saying おはようございます. At Japanese companies, a bow of about 15 degrees is standard for most situations.
Q. What if I arrive late and people have already started? Should I still say おはようございます?
Yes, if it’s still morning (before roughly noon), say おはようございます as you arrive, possibly preceded by 申し訳ありません (I’m very sorry) or 遅れました (I was late). After noon, switch to お疲れさまです.
Q. Is よろしくお願いします used in writing too?
Absolutely — it closes almost every professional email in Japan. A standard email ending is よろしくお願いいたします (the more formal いたします form). You will see this at the end of virtually every business email you receive while working in Japan.
💼 Practice with a real teacher
Want to Practice with a Teacher?
Workplace greetings are the foundation of professional life in Japan. Try a free trial lesson and practise all six phrases until they feel completely natural.
Online or in-person — both available on request.