UNIT 1 Greetings & Basic Expressions
Lesson 1: Nice to Meet You はじめまして — Self-Introduction
⏱️ About 25 minutes ／ 📊 Level: Beginner (N5) ／ 🗣️ Speaking + Reading
Before You Start
When you meet someone for the first time in Japan, there is a natural set of phrases you can rely on every time. In this lesson, you’ll learn the building blocks of a self-introduction — your name, where you’re from, and the polite phrase that ties it all together.
What you’ll learn:
- Say “Nice to meet you” — はじめまして
- Say your name — わたしは〜です
- Say where you are from — 〜から来ました
- End politely — よろしくお願いします
- Put it all together in a simple self-introduction
1. Key Phrases ／ きほんのフレーズ
はじめまして。
Hajimemashite.
Nice to meet you.
わたしは 〇〇 です。
Watashi wa 〇〇 desu.
I am 〇〇.
〇〇から来ました。
〇〇 kara kimashita.
I came from 〇〇.
〇〇出身です。
〇〇 shusshin desu.
I am from 〇〇.
よろしくお願いします。
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
Nice to meet you. / I look forward to knowing you.
2. Basic Self-Introduction ／ じこしょうかい
はじめまして。
わたしは 〇〇 です。
〇〇 から来ました。
よろしくお願いします。
Nice to meet you. / I am 〇〇. / I came from 〇〇. / Nice to meet you.
EXAMPLE
はじめまして。 わたしは マリア です。 フィリピンから来ました。 よろしくお願いします。
3. Phrase Notes ／ ポイント
① はじめまして
Means “Nice to meet you.” Use it only when you meet someone for the first time.
② わたしは〇〇です
Used to say your name. In natural conversation, Japanese people often drop わたしは → just マリアです。 For beginners, both are okay.
③ 〇〇から来ました
Says where you are from. 〇〇出身です also works, but 〇〇から来ました is easier for beginners.
④ よろしくお願いします
Very important — no single perfect English translation. Think: “I look forward to knowing you / please treat me kindly.” Use it at the end of your introduction.
⚠️ Common Mistake Don’t use はじめまして with people you already know. It is only for a first meeting. For people you see again, use こんにちは (hello) instead.
4. Conversation Practice ／ かいわ
💬 Conversation 1 — First Meeting
Aはじめまして。Nice to meet you.
Bはじめまして。Nice to meet you.
Aよろしくお願いします。Nice to meet you.
Bよろしくお願いします。Nice to meet you.
💬 Conversation 2 — Name and Country
Aはじめまして。Nice to meet you.
Bはじめまして。Nice to meet you.
Aベトナムから来ました。I came from Vietnam.
Bインドから来ました。I came from India.
Aよろしくお願いします。Nice to meet you.
Bよろしくお願いします。Nice to meet you.
5. Vocabulary ／ たんご
| Japanese |
Romaji |
English |
| わたし |
watashi |
I / me |
| 名前 |
namae |
name |
| 国 |
kuni |
country |
| 日本 |
Nihon |
Japan |
| アメリカ |
Amerika |
America |
| インド |
Indo |
India |
| ベトナム |
Betonamu |
Vietnam |
| フィリピン |
Firipin |
Philippines |
| ブラジル |
Burajiru |
Brazil |
| 中国 |
Chuugoku |
China |
| 韓国 |
Kankoku |
Korea |
6. Check Your Understanding ／ クイズ
Think about each question first. The answer and explanation are shown below each one.
Q1. What does
はじめまして mean?
A. Thank you. B. Nice to meet you. C. Goodbye.
Answer: B はじめまして is used only when you meet someone for the first time. It is not a way to say thank you (ありがとう) or goodbye (さようなら).
Q2. How do you say
“I am Maria” in Japanese?
A. わたしはマリアです。 B. わたしをマリアです。 C. わたしにマリアです。
Answer: A To say your name, use は after わたし → わたしはマリアです。 The particle は marks the topic. を marks an object and に marks a direction, so they don’t fit here.
Q3. How do you say
“I came from India” in Japanese?
A. インドに来ました。 B. インドから来ました。 C. インドを来ました。
Answer: B The pattern is 〜から来ました, where から means “from.” に shows a destination and を marks an object, so neither works with 来ました here.
7. Make Your Own Introduction ／ れんしゅう
Fill in the blanks with your own information, then read it aloud three times. 🔊
はじめまして。
わたしは です。
から来ました。
よろしくお願いします。
🚀 Mini Mission
Today’s mission: Introduce yourself in Japanese.
Practice your introduction with:
✦ Your teacher ✦ A classmate or a friend
✦ Yourself in front of a mirror ✦ A voice recording on your phone
📘 Review ／ まとめ
In this lesson, you learned how to introduce yourself in Japanese. The most important pattern is:
はじめまして。 わたしは〇〇です。 〇〇から来ました。 よろしくお願いします。
💡 Remember: short and simple Japanese is okay. The most important thing is to speak clearly and politely.
FAQ
Q. Do I always have to say わたしは before my name?
No. Japanese people very often drop わたしは because it is already clear who is speaking. Both are correct and polite. Example: わたしは ジョン です。＝ ジョン です。
Q. Why does よろしくお願いします have no clear English meaning?
Because there is no single English phrase for it. It politely means “please be kind to me / I look forward to our relationship.” Don’t translate it — just always say it at the end of your self-introduction.
Q. Is it rude if my Japanese is short and simple?
Not at all. A short, clear, polite introduction is completely natural. What matters most is speaking clearly and ending with よろしくお願いします. Confidence makes a far better impression than long sentences.
🌸 Practice with a real teacher
Want to Practice with a Teacher?
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