Question
I just started a part-time job at a small company in Nagoya, and I’d always assumed “moshi moshi” was simply how everyone in Japan answers the phone. So when a client called the office, I picked up and said it — and a coworker quietly told me afterward that I shouldn’t have. What does “moshi moshi” actually mean, and why shouldn’t I say it at work?
Answer by Professional Japanese Teacher
もしもし。
Moshi moshi.
Hello (on the phone).
Moshi moshi is the cheerful little word almost every casual phone call in Japan begins with, a spoken “hello, are you there?” down the line. It’s a phone signal, so you’d rarely say it face-to-face or when walking into a room. You’ll hear it when you ring a friend or family member, and it’s exactly what you say back. It comes from the old, humble verb 申す mousu, meaning “to say”; on Japan’s early telephones people doubled it up to get the listener’s attention, and moshi moshi stuck.
Here’s the part that tripped you up. Moshi moshi is friendly and casual, so on a business call it sounds a little too relaxed. When you answer the office phone, skip it and lead with your company name, or a simple “hai” followed by the name. That’s what your coworker was pointing you toward. Save moshi moshi for friends and family, where it’s warm, natural, and expected.