Language/Japanese/Vocabulary/Introducing-Yourself-and-Others

Japanese Vocabulary → Greetings and Introductions → Introducing Yourself and Others

Greetings and introductions are essential parts of social interaction in Japan. Knowing how to introduce yourself and others in Japanese is the first step to building relationships and making friends. In this lesson, you will learn how to introduce yourself and others, and ask and answer basic personal questions.

Introducing Yourself

When you meet new people in Japan, you will need to introduce yourself. Here is a basic self-introduction format in Japanese:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
私は (Watashi wa)	Wa-ta-shi wa	I am
<your name>	<your name>	<your name>
です (desu)	desu	(polite copula)

Note: The copula "desu" is often used at the end of a sentence in polite contexts.

Here is an example:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
私は	Wa-ta-shi wa	I am
田中です	Ta-na-ka desu.	(My name is) Tanaka.

You can also use some basic self-introduction phrases to add more information about yourself, such as:

• こんにちは、私は (Konnichiwa, watashi wa) - Hello, I am
• 生まれは＜place＞で、育ちは＜place＞です (Umare wa <place> de, sodachi wa <place> desu) - I was born in <place> and raised in <place>.
• 職業は＜occupation＞です (Shokugyou wa <occupation> desu) - My occupation is <occupation>.
• 趣味は＜hobby＞です (Shumi wa <hobby> desu) - My hobby is <hobby>.

For example:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
私は	Wa-ta-shi wa	I am
山田です	Ya-ma-da desu.	(My name is) Yamada.
こんにちは、私は大学生です	Konnichiwa, watashi wa daigakusei desu.	Hello, I am a college student.
生まれはアメリカで、育ちは日本です	Umare wa Amerika de, sodachi wa Nihon desu.	I was born in America and raised in Japan.
趣味は音楽鑑賞です	Shumi wa ongaku kanshou desu.	My hobby is listening to music.

Remember to use polite language when introducing yourself to people you meet for the first time, especially in formal or business settings.

Introducing Others

In addition to introducing yourself, you may also need to introduce others. Here is a basic introduction format in Japanese:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
こちらは (Kochira wa)	Ko-chi-ra wa	This is
<name>	<name>	<name>
さん (san)	san	(honorific suffix)

Note: The honorific suffix "san" is used after a person's name as a sign of respect.

Here is an example:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
こちらは	Ko-chi-ra wa	This is
田中 さん (Tanaka-san)	Ta-na-ka san	Mr./Ms. Tanaka

You can also use some basic introduction phrases to add more information about the person you are introducing, such as:

• こちらは＜name＞さんです (Kochira wa <name>-san desu) - This is Mr./Ms. <name>.
• ＜name＞さんです。職業は＜occupation＞です ( <name>-san desu. Shokugyou wa <occupation> desu.) - This is Mr./Ms. <name>. The occupation is <occupation>.
• ＜name＞さんです。趣味は＜hobby＞です ( <name>-san desu. Shumi wa <hobby> desu.) - This is Mr./Ms. <name>. The hobby is <hobby>.

For example:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
こちらは	Ko-chi-ra wa	This is
田中さんです	Tanaka-san desu	This is Mr./Ms. Tanaka.
職業は教師です	Shokugyou wa kyoushi desu	The occupation is a teacher.

Asking and Answering Personal Questions

When you meet new people, you may want to ask and answer some basic personal questions. Here are some common phrases:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
お名前は何ですか (Onamae wa nan desu ka?)	O-na-ma-e wa nan des u ka?	What is your name?
どこから来ましたか (Doko kara kimashita ka?)	Do-ko ka-ra ki-ma-shi-ta ka?	Where are you from?
お仕事は何ですか (Oshigoto wa nan desu ka?)	O-shi-go-to wa nan desu ka?	What do you do?
趣味は何ですか (Shumi wa nan desu ka?)	Shu-mi wa nan desu ka?	What is your hobby?
お元気ですか (Ogenki desu ka?)	O-gen-ki des u ka?	How are you?
はい、元気です (Hai, genki desu.)	Hai, genki desu.	Yes, I am fine.
いいえ、元気ではありません (Iie, genki dewa arimasen.)	Ii-e, gen-ki de-wa a-ri-ma-sen.	No, I am not fine.

Note: In Japanese, it is common to use the last name plus the honorific suffix "san" instead of the first name when addressing someone you are not familiar with.

Here are some example dialogues:

A: お名前は何ですか？ (Onamae wa nan desu ka?)
B: 田中です。 (Tanaka desu.)

Table of Contents - Japanese Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Hiragana Basics

• Hiragana Reading and Writing Practice
• Introduction to Japanese Sentence Structure
• Particle は and が
• Verb Conjugation
• Noun and Adjective Modification
• Question Words and Phrases

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Greetings
• Introducing Yourself and Others
• Describing People
• Counting Numbers and Time
• Basic Food and Drink Terminology
• Daily Activities and Hobbies
• Basic Directions and Transportation

  ---

Geography and History

• Introduction to Japanese Geography
• Brief History of Japan
• Traditional Arts and Customs
• Popular Culture and Entertainment

  ---

Adjectives and Adverbs

• Adjective Conjugation
• Adjective Types and Usage
• Adverb Types and Usage
• Comparison and Superlative
• Adjective and Adverbial Modification

  ---

Family and Social Relations

• Family Members and Titles
• Social Etiquette and Expressions
• Basic Workplace and Business Terminology
• Shopping and Consumer Culture

  ---

Religion and Philosophy

• Shinto and Buddhism
• Zen and Samurai Culture
• Contemporary Spiritual Movements

  ---

Particles and Conjunctions

• Particles に and で
• Particles へ and を
• Particles も and しか
• Conjunctions and Compound Sentences
• Conditional and Hypothetical Sentences

  ---

Travel and Tourism

• Basic Travel and Tourism Vocabulary
• Famous Tourist Attractions and Landmarks
• Japanese Hospitality and Service Culture

  ---

Education and Science

• Educational System and Vocabulary
• Traditional and Modern Science and Technology
• Natural Disasters and Risk Prevention

  ---

Prepositions and Interjections

• Prepositions and Postpositions
• Emphasis and Intensification
• Exclamation and Impression Expressions

  ---

Arts and Media

• Film and Theater Terminology
• Music and Dance Terminology
• Art and Literature Terminology

  ---

Politics and Society

• Basic Political Vocabulary
• Social Issues and Controversies
• Japanese Business and Work Culture

Related Lessons

• Counting Numbers and Time
• How to say Good Bye?
• Shellfish
• Sewing
• How to Write a Good CV
• Feelings and Emotions
• Astronomy
• Months of the Year
• Art and Literature Terminology
• Count from 1 to 10