Moshi Moshi: What It Means and Why Japanese Say It on the Phone (もしもし)

Moshi moshi meaning: もしもし (moshi moshi)

Moshi moshi (もしもし (moshi moshi, “hello (e.g. on phone)”)) is what Japanese speakers say to start a phone call, or to check the other person is still there. It comes from 申す (もうす, mōsu, “to say”), a humble word, so it began as something like "I say, I say".

It's written with two hiragana, も and し, said twice. Use it on the phone with friends and family. Don't use it as a hello face to face, or when you answer a call at work.

Why do Japanese say moshi moshi twice?

もしもし was a call-out long before telephones. Dictionaries give it as a sound change of もうしもうし ("I say, I say", from 申す), a way to get someone's attention. One Japanese dictionary quotes it from 1591, spelled "moximoxi".

The telephone made it the standard phone greeting. Service began in Japan on 16 December 1890, between Tokyo and Yokohama, and operators connected calls by hand. The story is that a rough おい (oi, “hey!”) was used at first, and the polite 申し申し took its place. Doubling it is said to help on noisy lines.

Sources differ on who said おい and who first said もしもし, so treat the details as tradition, not record.

The fox and ghost legend

The story goes that foxes can't say it, and ghosts (幽霊 (ゆうれい, yūrei, “ghost”)) can't say もし twice, so saying it proves you're human.

That's a legend. The sources that tell it give no evidence, and most give the telephone account above as the real origin.

When to say moshi moshi (and when not to)

もしもし has two jobs:

• To open a phone call. The dictionary lists it as "hello (e.g. on phone)". It suits calls with people you know well.
• To check the line. If the sound drops out or the other person goes quiet, もしもし asks "are you still there?"

The dictionary has a second sense, "excuse me!", to call out to someone. In person it's only a call-out, for example to a friend who is lost in thought.

It's not for business. A business-manners trainer quoted by ITmedia lists もしもし as a word not to use on work calls. Companies answer with はい (hai, “yes”) and their name, often followed by a thank-you for the call, and callers open with お世話になっております (おせわになっております, osewaninatteorimasu, “thank you very much for everything”). For more on はい, see Yes in Japanese.

Moshi moshi or konnichiwa?

もしもし is for phone calls. こんにちは (konnichiwa, “hello”) is the daytime greeting in person. See Hello in Japanese, and Goodbye in Japanese for ending the call.

If a friend rings you, もしもし is a normal way to answer. If you're the caller, it's polite to say your name early.

Questions about moshi moshi

What does "I suki you" mean?

"I suki you" is a mix of English and Japanese, usually taken to mean "I like you". The Japanese word is 好き (すき, suki, “liking”), which can mean "like" or "love". 大好き (だいすき, daisuki, “liking very much”) is stronger. It isn't a normal Japanese sentence. See I Love You in Japanese.

Why do Japanese say moshi moshi twice?

Japanese say moshi moshi twice because it's a doubled call-out, and the repeat is said to have helped it be heard on noisy early phone lines.

Is it konnichiwa or moshi moshi?

Say もしもし on the phone and こんにちは in person.

What do you respond to moshi moshi?

With friends and family, say もしもし back and carry on. At work, answer with はい and your company name instead.

How do I say "I'm sorry" in Japan?

Two everyday ways are ごめんなさい (gomennasai, “I'm sorry”) and すみません (sumimasen, “excuse me”). すみません also means "excuse me" and "thank you". ごめん is a shorter form that people tend to use with friends. For more, see Sorry in Japanese.

What's a cute way to say "hi" in Japanese?

Friends often say やっほー (yahhō, “yoo-hoo”), a playful "yoo-hoo". やあ (yā, “yo!”) is a light "hi".

What does moshi moshi mean literally?

Literally, moshi moshi is about "I say, I say". It's a sound change of もうしもうし, from 申す, the humble verb for "to say".

Why don't we call it nippon?

Because English "Japan" didn't come from the Japanese reading. It came through Malay and Portuguese traders, from a Chinese pronunciation of 日本 (にほん, nihon, “Japan”). Japanese speakers use both にほん and にっぽん, and in 2009 the government said both are widely accepted.

What is the 5 minute rule in Japan?

Most likely 五分前行動 (ごふんまえこうどう, gofunmaekōdō, “arriving five minutes early”), the practice of always being early, to ensure punctuality. In a Mynavi survey, 76.5% of workers did not think arriving five or more minutes early breaks business manners.

Is it moshi moshi or konnichiwa?

On the phone, もしもし. In person, こんにちは.

Is it racist to say konnichiwa?

No, saying こんにちは as an ordinary greeting is not racist. The problem is assuming someone speaks Japanese because of how they look. In 2018 the US Interior Secretary greeted a Japanese American congresswoman this way at a hearing, and other lawmakers criticised it as offensive.

Sources

• Readings and meanings: JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0).
• もしもし as a call-out, and its 1591 spelling: Kotobank, もしもし.
• The telephone story, in-person use and doubling: Tofugu; Busuu; Japan Truly; Japanese Bank; 雑学ネタ帳.
• The 1890 start of telephone service: 電話創業の日; NTT for the manual exchange, news release.
• Business calls: ITmedia; Lingopie.
• Nippon, Nihon and "Japan": Wikipedia; Gigazine.
• The five-minute survey: Mynavi News. The 2018 incident: Fox News.
• Reviewed independently; the points about answering the phone, もしもし in person, business greetings, cute greetings and the five-minute custom are waiting for a native speaker's check, as is the age of もしもし as a call-out.