あ、お疲れ様です。 — Oh, good work / Thank you for your efforts. (Cultural · Greeting, Universal, JLPT N5)

Gesture & etiquette

Make brief, natural eye contact and deliver the phrase with a light nod or minimal bow (5-10 degrees). Keep walking naturally — you do not need to stop or engage in extended conversation. The key is acknowledging the other person's presence and contribution with genuine warmth. Never walk past a colleague in silence in a Japanese workplace — it reads as coldness or conflict.

This brief greeting is used countless times daily in Japanese workplaces when passing colleagues in hallways, elevators, or shared spaces. It functions as a warm, mutual acknowledgment of shared effort. Unlike 'konnichiwa' (which is rarely used in offices), 'otsukaresama desu' is the universal workplace greeting from morning through end of day.