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I just talked with a Japanese speaker, and in ending the conversation I used
"Konbanwa" - as in good night. I was just wondering if that was appropriate
for ending a conversation as saying "good night" would be in English.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-19T07:30:54.053
41011
2016-11-20T01:11:34.967
18730
question
word-choice
Is it appropriate to say "Konbanwa" when ending a conversation?
It would be awkward as Konbanwa is used when you make first contact with
someone, not when ending a conversation.

In Japanese, when you first greet/visit someone you usually use the following
three phrases depending on the time of day:

```

    Morning -> Ohayo gozaimasu
    Afternoon -> Konnichiwa
    Evening/Night -> Konbanwa
    
```

Just note that they are **only** used when you first greet/visit someone,
which means they are not exactly the same as "Good morning/afternoon/night
(evening), as you can say those phrases when meeting and parting.

When parting, there are various sayings depending on the situation:

```

    Sayonara -> A bit formal. Usually used when you won't see someone for a while
    Mata-ne -> Less formal, probably someone you see often
    Ja-ne -> Casual, used with friends
    Bai-bai -> Not used by adult males. Usually small children or young girls used this.
    
```
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2016-11-19T08:18:43.650
41012
2016-11-20T01:00:52.863
2016-11-20T01:00:52.863
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answer
No, it isn't.

`今晩は{こんばんは}` is only used as a greeting when meeting someone, as the first
thing you'd say. Although it literally means `This evening`, it's not the
equivalent of `Good night` but rather of `Hello` / `Hi`.

To wish someone a good night you'd usually use `お休みなさい{おやすみなさい}` which
literally is an invitation to rest, so closer to saying `Have a good night` in
English. Note though, that this is more used before going to sleep.

When parting with someone, `また` appended with the next time you plan to see
them again (e.g. `また[明日]{あした}` for `See you tomorrow` or `また[来週]{らいしゅう}` for
`See you next week`) or casually just `またね` is simple and appropriate in an
informal setting. In a more formal setting, `[失礼]{しつれい}します` or any of its
variation is a great and polite way to say goodbye. These can be used any time
of the day (or night for that matter).
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-19T16:13:34.337
41023
2016-11-19T16:13:34.337
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answer
I think it's not, when chatting/texting with my japanese friend. I always use
`こんばんは` when I text her first (at night) to start the conversation and we
usually end it by saying `おやすみ` (at night that near sleep time)。
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-20T01:11:34.967
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2016-11-20T01:11:34.967
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answer