How to Introduce Yourself in Japanese

So you've just met someone who speaks Japanese, and you want to show respect to Ye Olde Nippon by making formalities in their mother tongue. It doesn't matter if it's a co-worker, exchange student, neighbor, or mutual friend – and it also doesn't matter whether or not they speak any English. Here are some quick rules of thumb that should help you make a good first impression.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Initial Greetings

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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".^{[1]XResearch source}
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.^{[2]XResearch source}
- "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.^{[3]XResearch source}
- "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).
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3
Introduce yourself. The most common and simple way to introduce yourself in Japanese is the phrase "Watashi no namae wa ___ desu." (wah-TAH-shee no nah-MAH-eh wah ___ dess). It means "My name is ___." If you're using your full name, say your surname first.^{[4]XResearch source}
- 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.^{[5]XResearch source}
- 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."^{[6]XResearch source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Beginning a Conversation

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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."^{[7]XResearch source}
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?"^{[8]XResearch source}
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."^{[9]XResearch source}
- You could also replace "arigatou" with "okagesama de" (oh-KAH-geh-sah-mah deh) which means basically the same thing.
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 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."^{[10]XResearch source}

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Can I also say, "Watashi wa (your name) to iimasu"?
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You can, but there is a more polite version of "to iimasu" which is "to moushimasu." I would use that instead.
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How do I say "friend"?
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友達 "to-mo-da-chi" means "friend."
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How do I say, "Excuse me, please?"
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"Sumimasen" すみません. This means excuse me, pardon me, and I'm sorry, but it can also be used as thank you. It's very common to use when asking for directions to a random person on the street.
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Don't worry if you flub up on pronunciation. Japanese people usually find it cute when foreigners mess up at their language. Plus, they think of English in the same way that many English-speakers think of Japanese—cool, intriguing, and even mystic—so don't be embarrassed!
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As they say, practice makes perfect, so make sure you're constantly practicing these phrases until you're absolutely positive you have them in your head. Practice, practice, practice!

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Warnings

If you ever have a choice between polite and casual, go with polite – even in what seem like casual situations.
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Never put an honorific title (-san, -chan, -kun, etc.) after your own name. This is viewed as egotistical and rude.
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