On My Japanese Team, We Greet Each Other by Saying "You Must Be Tired"
The first thing that threw me about watching engineers join a Japanese dev team is how the day opens. Not with "hi," not with "good morning" past about ten. The Slack channel fills with a single phrase, over and over, and if you translate it word for word it sounds faintly insulting: "you must be tired." The phrase is お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu). You will hear it and read it more than any other…
When software engineers join a Japanese development team, the first thing that strikes them is the unique way they greet each other. Instead of the usual "hi" or "good morning," they use a single phrase - "you must be tired." In Japanese, this is written as お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu). This greeting is so common that it appears in almost every aspect of work - from Slack messages to passing in the hallway.
At first, it can feel confusing and even slightly insulting, but it quickly becomes clear that it's more about acknowledging shared effort than actual tiredness. The literal translation of the phrase can be off-putting, but it's important to remember that it's not meant to comment on someone's physical condition. Instead, it's a way to show appreciation for the work that's been put in.
In English, we might use phrases like "hi" and "thanks" to achieve a similar effect, but Japanese culture folds these ideas into one phrase. To use it correctly, remember that it can be used at any point during the workday, both to start and end conversations, and to mark the completion of a task. There are a few variations of the phrase, but the present tense version is the safest and most commonly used.
By using お疲れ様です, you're showing that you're a part of the team and acknowledging the hard work that everyone puts in.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
