Teacher Aiza How to Introduce Yourself in Japanese
 

How to Introduce Yourself in Japanese

30min
1,000 P
How to Introduce Yourself in Japanese

Description

1.Say "Hajimemashite." This translates to "Nice to meet you," or to something similar to "Let's begin a friendship." Pronounce it (ha-she Exchanging a "Hajimemashite" is usually the first step to introducing yourself in Japanese. "Hajimemashite" is a conjugation of "hajimeru," which is a verb meaning "to begin".
2.
Choose your greeting according to the time. It is acceptable, though less common, to substitute these greetings for a "Hajimemashite." In Japanese, there are three basic ways to say hello: ohayou, konnichiwa, and konbanwa. Much like English-speakers say, "Good morning," "Good day," and "Good evening," the Japanese use different greetings to distinguish each time of day.
  • "Ohayou" (pronounced just like "Ohio") means "good morning" and is used pretty much anytime before noon. To make it more polite, say "ohayou gozaimasu" (go-zah-ee-MAHS).
  • "Konnichiwa" (KO-nee-chee-wah) means "good afternoon" and is also a standard hello. It can be used between noon and about 5 PM.[2]
  • "Konbanwa" (kon-BAHN-wah) means "good evening," and is used between 5 PM and midnight. If you want to mix things up, you can say the Japanese equivalent of "Greetings," which is aisatsu (AH-ee-saht-soo).
  • 3.Introduce yourself. The most common and simple way to introduce yourself in Japanese is the phrase "Watashi no namae wa ___ desu." (wah-TAH-shee no nah-MAH-eh wah ___ dess). It means "My name is ___." If you're using your full name, say your surname first.[3]
    • For example: "Watashi no namae wa Miyazaki Hayao desu," means "My name is Hayao Miyazaki."
    • Bear in mind that Japanese people rarely use "watashi" in conversation. When introducing yourself, you can omit the "watashi wa" if you're comfortable trying to sound like a local. "Anata," which means "you," is similarly avoided.[4] Thus, you can simply say "Joe desu," to tell someone that your name is Joe.
    • 4.Say "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu," to end your initial introduction. Pronounce it (yor-OH-she-koo oh-nay-guy-ee-shee-mass). This translates roughly to "Please be nice to me." It may not be common to say something like this in English, but it is a very important phrase to remember when introducing yourself to native Japanese speakers. This is usually the last phrase that Japanese people use when they introduce themselves.[5]
      • For a more casual form, you can just say "Yoroshiku." In almost all cases, however, you should err on the side of the more formal, more polite form.
      • If you're introducing yourself casually to a young person of similar social standing, you can omit almost all of the extra words. Simply say, "Joe desu. Yoroshiku," to mean "I'm Joe. Nice to meet you."[6]
 

Cafetalk's cancellation policy

Before request is confirmed (fixed)

  • Cancellation possible at any time without charge.

After request is confirmed (fixed)

  • More than 24 hours before lesson start time.→ Cancellation is possible at any time.
  • Less than 24 hours before lesson start time.→ The tutor may take a cancellation fee.
  • No-Show→ The tutor may take a cancellation fee.
    (Please check with the tutor for details.)

Lessons by this tutor

All Lessons All Lessons
Tagalog
English
Japanese
Lifestyle
Career Advancement
Small Business Consulting
General Business
High School
Computer Basics

Got a question? Click to Chat