Japanese phrases for meeting someone new
はじめまして。アレックスです。よろしくお願いします
hajimemashite. Arekkusu desu. yoroshiku onegai shimasu
“Nice to meet you. I'm Alex. I hope we get along.”
When: First-time introductions
The moment
At an international meetup in Osaka, you introduce yourself to a Japanese participant.
A1 · Unit 4 · People
The lines
The self-introduction set
"Hajimemashite" (nice to meet you) + name + "desu" + "yoroshiku onegaishimasu" is the complete, expected formula.
はじめまして。アレックスです。よろしくお願いします
hajimemashite. Arekkusu desu. yoroshiku onegai shimasu
“Nice to meet you. I'm Alex. I hope we get along.”
When to use it: First-time introductions
What you’ll hear back: よろしくお願いします。ゆかです。 yoroshiku onegai shimasu. Yuka desu.
Asking where someone is from
"Shusshin wa doko desu ka?" (where are you from?) is the polite follow-up.
ご出身はどこですか
go-shusshin wa doko desu ka
“where are you from?”
When to use it: Small talk after names
What you’ll hear back: 大阪です。 Ōsaka desu. (Osaka.)
Words for this scene
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| はじめまして | hajimemashite | nice to meet you (first time) |
はじめまして、アレックスです。 Nice to meet you, I am Alex. Tip: Only for the very first meeting. | ||
| よろしくお願いします | yoroshiku onegaishimasu | please treat me well |
よろしくお願いします。 (Closes any introduction.) Tip: No English equivalent — just always say it. | ||
| ご出身はどこですか | go-shusshin wa doko desu ka | where are you from? |
ご出身はどこですか。東京です。 Where are you from? Tokyo. Tip: The polite version with go- prefix. | ||
Your objective
Introduce yourself with your name and where you’re from, then ask them one question about themselves.
- your name
- where you’re from
- a question about them
Lines that get it done
- はじめまして。アレックスです。よろしくお願いします
- ご出身はどこですか · go-shusshin wa doko desu ka · where are you from?
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. What word opens a first-time introduction?
- はじめまして
- こんばんは
- おやすみ
- ただいま
Show the answer
はじめまして
Hajimemashite marks a first meeting.
2. What closes a self-introduction?
- よろしくお願いします
- ごちそうさま
- いってきます
- おめでとう
Show the answer
よろしくお願いします
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu is the expected closer.
3. "ご出身はどこですか" asks about...
- Where you are from
- Your job
- Your age
- Your hobby
Show the answer
Where you are from
Shusshin = origin/hometown.