FOREIGN LANGUAGE 2 - JAPANESE

CHAPTER 7 – INTRODUCING YOURSELF AND MEETING FRIEND

FOR THE FIRST TIME
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the chapter, the learner should be able to:

 To integrate translations in sentence construction

 Apply basic words and greetings in sentence construction and basic conversation

INTRODUCTION

Knowing how to introduce yourself in Japanese will help you make a good first impression if you're
meeting a Japanese for the first time. It's also one way to make an impression on your boss,
coworkers, teachers, or classmates on your first day of work or school in Japan.

WHAT IS “SELF-INTRODUCTION” IN JAPANESE?

Before you get into learning how to introduce yourself in Japanese, let’s first learn what “self-
introduction” is in Japanese.

To give an introduction of oneself is じこしょうかい (Jikoshoukai) in Japanese where じこ (Jiko) means

self while しょうかい shoukai means introduction.

HOW TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF IN JAPANESE?

Japanese people usually start their introduction with greetings and a question that is similar to the
English question “How are you”. When introducing yourself in Japanese, you can do these first.

After doing these, you can say your name, where you live and then followed by other information
you wish to share about yourself such as your school if you are a student, occupation if you’re
working and hobbies.

METHODS IN INTRODUCING YOURSELF

METHOD 1: INITIAL GREETINGS

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.

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 "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.
 "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." It means "My name is ___." If you're using
your full name, say your surname first.
 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. 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.
 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."

METHOD 2: BEGINNING A CONVERSATION

1. Explain more about yourself. You can use the "Watashi wa ___ desu" form to share other
qualities, like age, nationality, or profession. "Watashi wa Amerikajin desu," (wah-TAH-shee
wah a-mer-i-cah-shin dress) means "I am American." "Watashi wa juugosai desu," (wah-
TAH-shee wah ju-u-go-sigh dress) means "I am fifteen years old."
2. Start with a polite icebreaker. The Japanese equivalent of "How are you?" is "Ogenki
desu ka?" (oh-GEN-kee dess kah). However, this is an actual inquiry into the person's
health. If you'd rather avoid a response, say "Otenki wa ii desu ne?" (oh-TEN-kee wah EE
dess neh), which means "The weather's nice, isn't it?"
3. Respond. If you said "Ogenki desu ka," be ready to respond to their reply. When you ask
this question, the person will most likely respond either "Genki desu," (GEN-kee dess) or
"Maamaa desu" (MAH-MAH dess). The former means "I'm fine," and the latter means "I'm
so-so." Either way: they will then ask you "Anata wa?" (ah-NAH-tah wah), which means
"And you?" When they say this, you can respond "Genki desu, arigatou," (GEN-kee dess,
ah-ree-GAH-to), which means "I'm fine, thank you."
 You could also replace "arigatou" with "okagesama de" (oh-KAH-geh-sah-mah deh)
which means basically the same thing.
4. Know how to apologize. If there's ever a time when you don't know what to say (or don't
know what the person just said) don't be afraid to apologize and say so. You can do this in

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English, if you must, and use apologetic body language, but it wouldn't hurt to learn how to
say sorry in Japanese. If need be, say "gomen nasai"（ごめんなさい） (goh-mehn nah-SAH-ee),
which means "I'm sorry."

あいさつ AISATSU OR GREETINGS

The Japanese are taught the importance of the あいさつ Aisatsu or greetings from childhood. It is very
important that you start your self-introduction with the correct and proper greeting. Remember to
do your greeting with a simple bow. Bowing is a sign of respect and politeness in Japanese culture.

SAYING YOUR NAME IN JAPANESE

In Japanese, there are three standard ways to say your name. Depending on the situation and
occasion, you can choose from the three options listed below. Remember that in Japan, people
say their surname before their given name.

わたしは (WATASHI WA) /ともうします (TOMOU SHIMASU)/です (DESU)

STANDARD

The standard form of saying your name in Japanese uses the following sentence patterns:

 Watashi wa ________________ desu. (I am ______________.)

 Watashi no namae wa ______________ desu. (My name is ______________.)

In the first example, わたしは (Watashi wa) means “I am”. です(desu) at the end of a sentence signifies
politeness.

In the second example, な ま え (namae) means “name” in Japanese. わ た し の (watashino) is the

Japanese counterpart of “My” so this makes わたしのなまえわ(watashi no namae wa) means “My name
is”.

FORMAL

When formally introducing yourself in Japanese, you should use the following sentence pattern:

 ____________ tomou shimasu. (I am called __________.)

The word と も う し ま す (Tomou shimasu) means “I am called”. This phrase is more formal and
expresses humility when introducing oneself. It is usually used when you are introducing yourself
to someone of higher rank/status.

INFORMAL

To say your name in a casual way, you can simply state your name and add です (desu).

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 ___________ desu. (I’m __________.)

This way is often used when you are introducing yourself to someone of the same age or status
such as friends of your friend or in an informal occasion or meeting.

SAYING WHERE YOU’RE FROM IN JAPANESE

There are numerous ways to express where you are from. Some of them are dependent on how
polite or casual you want to be.

からきました (KARA KIMASHITA)

Kara Kimashita used when telling someone where you’re from. This phrase is made of 2 words
which are Kara meaning “from” and Kimashita form the word Kimashi meaning “to come”. Kara
Kimashita literally means “I come from”.

To use this phrase, you’ll use the following sentence pattern:

 _____________ kara kimashita. (I am from _________.)

(Kara Kimashita) means I am from. This standard way is the most often used in self-introductions
in Japan. It is considered a simple and polite way of telling others where you are from.

からまいりました(KARA MAIRIMASHITA)

This Japanese phrase consists of 2 words: Kara and Mairimashita. As mentioned earlier Kara
means “from”. Mairimashita is from the word (mairimasu) whose dictionary form is (mairu) meaning
“to come”. Mairu is the formal word for “to come”.

To use this phrase, you’ll use the following sentence pattern:

 _____________ kara mairimashita. (I am from ___________.)

Kara Mairimashita is a more polite way of saying “I am from”. This way is often used when you are
doing your self-introduction to someone of a higher rank/status. It is a more polite and humble way
of telling people what country or place you are from.

からです(KARA DESU)

If you’d like to say where you’re from in a casual way, you can simply say your country, city, or
hometown’s name and add Kara Desu.

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(country, city, or hometown’s name) Kara Desu.

 ____________ kara desu. (I am from __________)

からです(kara desu) is an informal way of saying “I am from”. It is often used when you are introducing
yourself to someone of the same age, status, or rank in society.

SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF IN JAPANESE

The most common reason for being in Japan is stated in the self-introduction. It's also a way to
share some information about yourself. Incorporating such personal information makes your self-
introduction more approachable and interesting.

Examples:

 Watashi wa Enjiniaringu gakusei desu. (I am an Engineering student.)

 Watashi wa sensei desu. (I am a teacher.)

ENDING YOUR SELF-INTRODUCTION

The phrase どうぞよろしくおねがいします (Douzo Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu) formally ends your Japanese
self-introduction. It can be translated as “nice to meet you or pleased to meet you” however its
literal translation means “please be good to me/please take care of me”.

This ending phrase is very important because signifies that you are putting yourself in the care of
the person to whom you have introduced yourself. The Japanese would often respond with a
repeat of this phrase. Thus, this phrase signifies the start of a good relationship.

IS IT RUDE TO SHAKE HANDS?

Shaking hands when meeting someone is unusual or rather unusual among Japanese. They
usually greet each other by bowing.

As more foreigners visit or live in Japan, the Japanese are making exceptions in terms of how to
greet someone. Shaking hands is acceptable and not considered rude, particularly in a business
setting.

THINGS TO REMEMBER!

1. Keep your self-introduction short but very informative.

2. Be polite with your gestures and the tone of your voice.

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3. Say the words slowly and clearly. If your Japanese pronunciation is not that good yet, it’s
okay, as long as you say the words clearly so others will understand you.
4. When in doubt, always use the longer phrases for in Japanese, the longer the sentence or
the phrases used, the more polite you are.
5. If it is a choice between bowing and a handshake, always take a cue from the person you
are introducing yourself to. If they bow, you should also bow yourself, and if they extend
their hand, take it as a cue for a handshake.
6. Be confident, be friendly and be sincere in your self-introduction.

MEETING JAPANESE FRIEND FOR THE FIRST TIME

When meeting a Japanese friend for the first time, the greetings that we will normally say are:

1. はじめまして (hajime mashite)

2. わたしはジョンです (watashi wa ______ desu)
3. どうぞ よろしく おねがいします (douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu)

The meanings for the above 3 sentences are:

1. How do you do? (This sentence is used only if you are meeting this person for the first time)
2. My name is ___________. (Assuming your name is Kath)
3. I am pleased to meet you. (Literally the meaning for this sentence is "Please form good
relations with me" or "Please take good care of me")

And most likely, your Japanese friend will reply you with:

1. こちらこそ (kochira koso)

2. どうぞ よろしく おねがいします (douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu)
3. わたしはたなかです (watashi wa tanaka desu)

The meanings are:

1. The pleasure is all mine.

2. I am pleased to meet you. (Literally the meaning for this sentence is "Please form good
relations with me" or "Please take good care of me")
3. My name is ___________ . (Assuming your Japanese friend's name is Tanaka)

Don't be afraid to speak out even though this might be your first time and your pronunciation may
sound funny. Your Japanese friend understands this and may even admire your courage to speak
his/her language.

EXAMPLE SELF-INTRODUCTION

Hajimemashite. (Nice to meet You)

Watashi wa Lopez, Kathleen Mae desu. (I am Kathleen Mae Lopez)
Watashi wa “Kath” / “Khae” to iimasu. (I am called “Kath” / “Khae”) or
Kath to yonde kudasai. (Please call me Kath)

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Watashi wa (ni juu nana) 27-sai desu. (I am 27 years old)

Watashi wa Firipin shusshin desu. (I am from Philippines)
Watashi wa Cabagan ni sunde imasu. (I live in Cabagan)
Watashi wa Philippine Women Daigaku ni kayotte imasu. (I go to Philippine Women University)
Watashi wa Kankō kanri no masutā gaku o manande imasu. (I study Masters in Tourism
Management)
Watashi wa Sensei desu.
Yoroshiku onegai shimasu. (Please be nice/kind to me)

MODULE 7 ASSESSMENT

QUIZ #7
SELF-INTRODUCTION

Instructions:

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 Prepare a Japanese script for your self-introduction.

 Use the Standard patterns in your script.
 Include the following in your script
 Nice to meet you / Greetings
 Name
 End of Initial Introduction
 Explain more about yourself (Nickname, Address, Age, Occupation (Student),
Where you are studying, your Course, your Hobbies “If there is”)
 Thank you

ACTIVITY #7

Direction: Using your script, introduce yourself in Japanese / Nihongo Language.

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