How to Introduce Yourself in Japanese

Your first sentence in almost any Japanese introduction is はじめまして (hajimemashite) — “Nice to meet you (for the first time).” It sets a polite tone before you say your name. The word hajimemashite appears in textbooks and real introductions alike; memorize it as a single chunk.

Name + です

After the greeting, state your name and close with です (desu), the copula for “I am …” Our guide to desu explains how it equates two ideas without a verb like “to be” in English.

Pattern:

はじめまして。わたしはサクラです。
Hajimemashite. Watashi wa Sakura desu. — “Nice to meet you. I am Sakura.”

わたし (watashi) means “I.” It is neutral and safe in most situations. See watashi for nuance against boku or ore in casual male speech — avoid those until you know the room.

Where you are from

Add nationality or hometown with the same desu ending:

アメリカから来ました。
Amerika kara kimashita. — “I came from America.”

Or shorter:

インド人です。
Indo-jin desu. — “I am Indian.”

Occupation and study

Students often say:

大学生です。日本語を勉強しています。
Daigakusei desu. Nihongo o benkyou shiteimasu. — “I am a university student. I am studying Japanese.”

Workers might replace the first line with エンジニアです (engineer desu) or their job title in katakana.

The bow and the follow-up

A slight nod replaces a handshake in many settings. After names are exchanged, say よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegaishimasu) — “Please treat me well,” a set phrase for “looking forward to being around you.”

If someone asks お名前は？ (onamae wa?), echo their politeness level. Answering with full 〜と申します (to moushimasu, “I am called …”) is extra formal — fine for interviews, heavy for language-exchange cafés.

Mini dialogue

A: はじめまして。マイクです。
B: はじめまして。ゆきです。よろしくお願いします。
A: こちらこそ、よろしくお願いします。

Read it once slowly, then swap in your own name. The grammar is small; the habit of speaking is what counts.

Common mistakes

Do not skip はじめまして and jump straight to your name — it sounds abrupt. Do not use あなた (anata, “you”) when asking a new acquaintance’s name; お名前は？ is standard.

Record yourself on voice memo, listen back, and fix one sound at a time. Introductions are short, but you will use them hundreds of times.