When is it appropriate to say ご[機嫌]{きげん}よう?


[Denshi
Jisho](http://jisho.org/words?jap=%E3%81%94%E6%A9%9F%E5%AB%8C%E3%82%88%E3%81%86&eng=&dict=edict)
seems to imply that ご[機嫌]{きげん}よう is for really formal situations. I've only
heard it spoken by older women, so I was just curious what the appropriate
usage for this word is. Would it be awkward for it to appear in everyday
speech?




> Would it be awkward for it to appear in everyday speech?

It depends what you mean by everyday speech. There is a concept in Japanese,
known as
[品位](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%93%81%E4%BD%8D_%28%E4%BA%BA%E5%93%81%29).
Which is translated as dignity on Wikipedia, and basically is the ideas of
having good character, respect for others, sense of good moral values, etc.
Some people feel that using ご機嫌よう exemplifies those characteristics, and as
such at some schools in Japan, it is mandatory to use the word. This is
especially true at private schools for women only, where good manners and
politeness are emphasized. Also, members of the imperial family (皇族) in Japan
would probably use it because of this.

However, after saying this, I should mention it is primarily used by women
(especially older) (this is my own personal opinion btw), and some people
_may_ find it haughty or snobbish. However, this varies greatly depending on
the person, so you may find that people around you using it and it is not a
problem. According to [this site](http://sooda.jp/qa/253036), _most_ of the
people answered that they do not use it in everyday conversation.

Side note:

Did you know that the word can be used for both greeting and parting with
someone?




> Would it be awkward for it to appear in everyday speech?

It depends what you mean by everyday speech. There is a concept in Japanese,
known as
[品位](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%93%81%E4%BD%8D_%28%E4%BA%BA%E5%93%81%29).
Which is translated as dignity on Wikipedia, and basically is the ideas of
having good character, respect for others, sense of good moral values, etc.
Some people feel that using ご機嫌よう exemplifies those characteristics, and as
such at some schools in Japan, it is mandatory to use the word. This is
especially true at private schools for women only, where good manners and
politeness are emphasized. Also, members of the imperial family (皇族) in Japan
would probably use it because of this.

However, after saying this, I should mention it is primarily used by women
(especially older) (this is my own personal opinion btw), and some people
_may_ find it haughty or snobbish. However, this varies greatly depending on
the person, so you may find that people around you using it and it is not a
problem. According to [this site](http://sooda.jp/qa/253036), _most_ of the
people answered that they do not use it in everyday conversation.

Side note:

Did you know that the word can be used for both greeting and parting with
someone?

