Welcome! In this lesson, you'll learn how to introduce yourself and greet others in Japanese. Self-introductions are an essential part of Japanese culture. Whether you're meeting someone for the first time in a classroom, at work, or during travel, knowing how to introduce yourself politely and clearly will help you make a great first impression.
Dialog: Here is an introduction between an exchange student, Alice, and a Japanese student, Yamada.
Japanese:
アリス: はじめまして。わたしはアリスです。アメリカじん です。じゅうきゅうさいです。にねんせいです。しんりがくをせんこうしています。どうぞよろしくおねがいします。
やまだ: はじめまして。わたしははやまだです。 にほんじんです。にじゅういっさいです。さんねんせいです。ビジネスをせんこうしています。よろしくおねがいします。
アリス: やまださん、よろしくおねがいします。
Romaji:
Arisu: Hajimemashite. Watashi wa Arisu desu. Amerikajin desu. Jūkyūsai desu. Ninensei desu. Shinrigaku o senkō shiteimasu. Dōzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Yamada: Hajimemashite. Watashi wa Yamada desu. Nihonjin desu. Nijūissai desu. Sannensei desu. Bijinesu o senkō shiteimasu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Arisu: Yamada-san, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
English:
Alice: Nice to meet you. I'm Alice. I'm American. I'm 19 years old. I'm a second-year student. I'm majoring in psychology. It's a pleasure to meet you.
Yamada: Nice to meet you. I'm Yamada. I'm Japanese. I'm 21 years old. I'm a third-year student. I'm majoring in business. Nice to meet you.
Alice: Yamada, it's nice to meet you.
A basic self-introduction in Japanese typically includes:
はじめまして (hajimemashite) is a set phrase in Japanese used the first time you meet someone. It's often translated as "Nice to meet you," but its literal meaning is closer to “This is our first time (meeting).” The root of the word, はじめ (hajime), comes from the verb はじめる (hajimeru), meaning "to begin." So, はじめましてexpresses the beginning of a new relationship or interaction.
The phrase has its roots in classical Japanese court language and literature, where expressing the nature of first encounters was especially important in formal settings. Over time, it became a standard greeting in modern Japanese, reflecting the importance placed on etiquette and social harmony.
わたしは (watashi wa) is one of the most common ways to say "I am…" in Japanese. The word わたし (私) is a first-person pronoun that means "I" or "me," and is widely used in formal and polite situations, regardless of gender. It is often the first pronoun learners encounter and is considered standard in most contexts.
The は (pronounced "wa" here) is the topic particle. Rather than marking the subject as in English, it marks the topic of the sentence—the thing you're going to talk about. So when you sayわたしは, you're essentially saying, "As for me..." or "Speaking of myself..." This sets up the rest of your sentence to describe something about yourself, such as your name, nationality, job, or hobby.
In Japanese, the subject is often omitted when it's understood from context. So while you might begin with わたしは when introducing yourself, you won't use it in every sentence the way English speakers use "I." For example:
Even though わたし isn't repeated, it's still understood that you're talking about yourself. Also, in more casual speech, especially among men, other pronouns like ぼく or おれ may be used instead of わたし, and women in informal settings may drop the pronoun altogether or use it less frequently. In formal, professional, or public speaking situations, however, わたし remains the safest and most appropriate choice, making it ideal for learners.
～じん (~jin) is a common and essential suffix in Japanese used to indicate a person's nationality or ethnic identity. It is attached to the end of a country name to mean “a person from ___.” For example:
The suffix ～せい(~sei) is used in Japanese to describe a person's school year or educational level. It is attached to a number or school type to say what grade or year a student is in. The kanji 生means "life" or "student" in this context, and when combined with numbers, it refers to a year-level student.
For example examples:
せんこう (senkō) means "major" or "field of study" in Japanese. It refers to the academic subject that a college or university student is focusing on. The word comes from two kanji:
So, せんこう litearlly means "specialized pursit" - in other words, what you're focusing your education on.
When introducing your major, you want to use the form Xをせんこうです, where X is your major:
❗ Note: In these examples, we use です at the end. The natural form in Japanese is to use しています (shiteimasu) to indicate an ongoing action or state.
～さい (~sai) is a suffix used in Japanese to indicate a person's age. It is attached to a number to express how old someone is.
For example:
❗ Note: Pronunciation Exceptions
Some numbers have special readings when combined with さい:
| Number | Hiragana | Romaji | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | いっさい | issai | Not ichi-sai |
| 8 | はっさい | hassai | Not hachi-sai |
| 10 | じゅっさい | jussai | Not juu-sai |
| 20 | はたち | hatachi | Special term for 20 years old |
Note: Small つ - Sokuon
The small つ, written as っ, is called the sokuon (そくおん), and it indicates a glottal stop or pause—like a brief moment of silence before the next consonant. It effectively doubles the consonant that follows it. It sounds like a skip while speaking.
Compare and see if you can hear the difference:
Even though there's only one extra letter, the small つ changes the word completely!
よろしくおねがいします is a fundamental phrase in Japanese that is often translated as "Nice to meet you," "Please take care of me," or "I look forward to working with you." However, it doesn't have a direct English equivalent. The word よろしく means "favorably" or "well," and おねがいします comes from the verb ねがう (negau), meaning "to wish" or "to request." Together, the phrase expresses a humble request for kindness, cooperation, or goodwill in a new relationship or collaboration.