How to Introduce Yourself in Japanese

Say "Hajimemashite." This phrase means "Nice to meet you" or is equivalent to saying "Let’s be friends." It is pronounced as (ha-jee-meh-mah-shee-teh). Exchanging "Hajimemashite" is typically the first step in introducing yourself in Japanese. "Hajimemashite" combines "hajimeru," a verb meaning "to begin."

Choose greetings based on the time of day. While less common but still acceptable, the following greetings can replace "Hajimemashite". In Japanese, there are three basic ways to say hello: ohayou, konnichiwa, and konbanwa. Similar to how English speakers use "Good morning," "Good afternoon," and "Good evening," Japanese speakers use different greetings to distinguish times of the day.

• "Ohayou" ("Oh-ha-yoh") means "good morning" and is typically used before noon. For a more polite greeting, say "ohayou gozaimasu" (go-zai-mas).
• "Konnichiwa" (Kon-ni-chi-wa) means "good afternoon" and is a standard greeting. This phrase can be used from noon until around 5 PM.
• "Konbanwa" (Kon-ban-wa) means "good evening" and is used from 5 PM until midnight. For a more general greeting, you can say aisatsu (ai-sa-tsu), which is equivalent to "Hello."

Introduce yourself. The most common and straightforward way to introduce yourself in Japanese is with the phrase "Watashi no namae wa ___ desu." (wa-ta-shi no na-ma-e wa ___ des). This means "My name is ___." If you’re using your full name, state your surname first.

• For example: "Watashi no namae wa Lê Hoa desu," meaning "My name is Lê Hoa."
• Remember that Japanese people rarely say "watashi" in conversation. When introducing yourself, you can drop "watashi wa" to sound more natural and native-like. "Anata" (you) is also often omitted. Thus, you can simply say "Hoa desu" to tell someone your name is Hoa.

End your initial introduction with "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu." Pronounced (yo-ro-shi-ku o-ne-gai-shi-ma-su), this phrase means "Please treat me well." While this expression might not have a direct equivalent in English, it’s a crucial phrase used in Japanese self-introductions.

• For a more casual version, you can simply say "Yoroshiku." However, in most situations, it’s better to use the more formal and polite version.
• If introducing yourself casually to someone younger or of the same social standing, you can omit most formalities. Just say "Hoa desu. Yoroshiku," meaning "I’m Hoa. Nice to meet you."

Share more about yourself. You can use the structure "Watashi wa ___ desu" to share additional details, such as your age, nationality, or profession. "Watashi wa Amerikajin desu" (wa-ta-shi wa a-me-ri-ka-jin des) means "I am American." "Watashi wa juugosai desu" (wa-ta-shi wa juu-go-sai des) means "I am 15 years old."

Start with polite conversation. A common Japanese phrase meaning "How are you?" is "Ogenki desu ka?" (oh-gen-ki des ka). However, this is a serious inquiry about someone’s health. If you want to avoid such a direct question, you can ask "Otenki wa ii desu ne?" (oh-ten-ki wa ee des ne), which translates to "The weather is nice, isn’t it?"

Respond appropriately. If you ask "Ogenki desu ka," be prepared to reply to their answer. When you ask this, the other person will likely respond with "Genki desu," (gen-ki des) or "Maamaa desu" (ma-ma des). The first means "I’m well," and the second means "I’m okay." Regardless of their response, they will likely ask you "Anata wa?" (a-na-ta wa), meaning "And you?" If so, you can reply with "Genki desu, arigatou," (gen-ki des, a-ri-ga-toh), which means "I’m fine. Thank you."

• You can also replace "arigatou" with "okagesama de" (o-ka-ge-sa-ma de), which carries a similar meaning.

Know how to apologize. If you don’t know what to say (or don’t understand what the other person has said), don’t hesitate to apologize. You can say sorry in English if needed, and use body language to convey your apology, but it’s helpful to learn how to apologize in Japanese. If necessary, say "gomen nasai" (ごめんなさい) (go-men-na-sai), which means "I’m sorry."