How to Say Nice to Meet You in Japanese: はじめまして

Imagine it's your first day in a Japanese language class. You sit beside someone you've never met, and they introduce themselves. You want to greet them politely and tell them your name, but what should you say?

How to say nice to meet you in Japanese

Say はじめまして (hajimemashite) when meeting someone for the first time. It's the Japanese greeting commonly translated as "Nice to meet you."

To introduce yourself, say はじめまして, then your name followed by です (desu), and finish with よろしくおねがいします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu). The sections below show each part.

You can use it when meeting a new classmate, colleague, teacher, or someone you're being introduced to.

It's a polite, friendly way to begin a first introduction.

What does はじめまして mean?

はじめまして comes from 初めて (hajimete), which means "for the first time." When you say it, you're marking this moment as your first meeting.

That's why the closest English equivalents are "Nice to meet you" or "How do you do?" rather than a general "hello."

You'll also see the phrase written with kanji:

Both spellings are correct and are read the same way. Beginner materials usually use hiragana, and you'll see both forms in messages and emails.

はじめまして itself doesn't change with formality. You can say it to a classmate, a teacher, or a new manager. The part of an introduction that becomes more or less formal is the closing phrase, which you'll learn below.

How to pronounce はじめまして

はじめまして has six kana: は・じ・め・ま・し・て (ha-ji-me-ma-shi-te).

Give each beat roughly the same length. English speakers often stress one syllable, as in "ha-ji-ME-ma-shi-te," but Japanese doesn't use strong stress like that.

In natural speech, the "i" in し (shi) is often very soft or whispered, so the phrase can sound close to "hajimemash'te." You don't need to force this. Saying every beat clearly is perfectly understandable.

Use はじめまして when meeting someone new

Imagine your teacher introduces you to another student.

You've never spoken to this person before.

You can begin with:

The greeting tells the other person that this is your first meeting.

You don't need to add anything complicated to make it work.

However, there's an important distinction between はじめまして (hajimemashite) and an ordinary greeting.

Imagine you see the same classmate the following day.

You could say:

You wouldn't normally repeat はじめまして because you've already met.

Think of the difference this way:

はじめまして (hajimemashite) opens a first introduction.

こんにちは (konnichiwa) is an everyday greeting that you can use when seeing someone again.

Both are friendly, but they serve different purposes.

How to introduce yourself in Japanese: はじめまして + your name + です

Now imagine the person you've just met is waiting for you to introduce yourself.

You can combine はじめまして with your name.

For example, if your name is Emma:

The useful pattern is:

はじめまして + your name + です

Here, です (desu) helps form a polite statement.

You don't need to translate every English word separately.

For example, if your name is Ken:

Notice that neither sentence includes a separate Japanese word for "I."

That's normal.

When you're introducing yourself, the listener already understands that you're talking about yourself.

You can learn more about this in Why Japanese Drops "I" and "You".

For now, simply replace エマ (Ema) or ケン (Ken) with your own name.

Finish your introduction with よろしくおねがいします

There's another expression you'll often hear during first introductions:

よろしくおねがいします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu)

This phrase is difficult to translate into one exact English expression.

Depending on the situation, it can communicate something like "I look forward to getting to know you" or "I look forward to working with you."

During a first introduction, it expresses goodwill toward the person you've just met.

A simple introduction can therefore sound like this:

Notice the order.

First, you greet the person.

Then, you introduce yourself.

Finally, you close the introduction politely.

You don't need to memorize a complicated speech.

These three short parts are enough for a useful beginner introduction.

Is よろしくおねがいします the same as はじめまして?

Not exactly.

はじめまして (hajimemashite) specifically introduces a first meeting.

よろしくおねがいします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu) expresses goodwill or asks for a favorable relationship, cooperation, or assistance, depending on the context.

That's why you might hear よろしくおねがいします in situations that have nothing to do with meeting someone for the first time.

For example, it can appear when starting a project with colleagues.

But はじめまして wouldn't normally be appropriate if you've already met everyone.

For your first Japanese introductions, remember that the two expressions often work together without meaning exactly the same thing.

Formal and casual versions of よろしくおねがいします

よろしくおねがいします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu) is the safe, polite choice for most first meetings. Depending on the situation, you can make it warmer, more formal, or more casual.

• どうぞよろしくおねがいします (douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu) adds どうぞ (douzo) for a slightly warmer, more polite closing.
• よろしくおねがいいたします (yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) is more formal. You'll often hear it at work and read it in business emails.
• よろしく (yoroshiku) on its own is casual. Use it with friends, people your own age in relaxed settings, or someone younger than you.

Here's the warmer polite version:

And here's a casual introduction between classmates of the same age:

If you're not sure which one fits, use the full よろしくおねがいします. It's never wrong in a first introduction.

Try a first-day classroom conversation

Imagine Emma and Ken are meeting for the first time in Japanese class.

Emma introduces herself.

Ken responds with his own introduction.

1. Aはじめまして。エマですHajimemashite. Ema desu.Nice to meet you. I'm Emma.
2. Bはじめまして。ケンですHajimemashite. Ken desu.Nice to meet you. I'm Ken.

Both speakers use はじめまして because they're meeting for the first time.

Now they finish the introduction politely.

1. AよろしくおねがいしますYoroshiku onegai shimasu.I look forward to getting to know you.
2. BよろしくおねがいしますYoroshiku onegai shimasu.Likewise. I look forward to getting to know you.

Notice that Ken can respond with the same expressions Emma used.

You don't need a completely different phrase just because someone greeted you first.

This makes first introductions relatively easy to practise.

Once you've learned the basic exchange, you can concentrate on remembering the other person's name.

How to reply when someone says はじめまして

Understanding はじめまして is just as important as saying it.

Imagine someone approaches you and says:

You now know two things.

First, this person is beginning a first introduction.

Second, their name is Ken.

You can respond:

Then you can add:

Sometimes the other person says よろしくおねがいします before you do. In that case, you can reply with こちらこそ (kochira koso), which works like "likewise" or "the pleasure is mine."

That's a complete beginner exchange.

You don't need to understand every possible Japanese greeting before you can introduce yourself.

Start with this one situation and practise it until the response becomes familiar.

Can you use はじめまして online or at work?

Yes. Use はじめまして whenever it's your first contact with someone, including a first email or message, an online class, a video call, or your first day at a new job.

In business settings, people often replace です (desu) with ともうします (to moushimasu), a humble way of saying "my name is."

As a beginner, you don't need this formal version straight away. はじめまして, your name with です, and よろしくおねがいします is polite enough for most first meetings, at school or at work.

Common mistakes

• Using はじめまして every time you see someone. This is a first-meeting greeting, not a general replacement for "hello." Once you've met someone, use an appropriate everyday greeting such as こんにちは (konnichiwa).
• Thinking はじめまして and よろしくおねがいします mean exactly the same thing. They often appear together, but they serve different purposes. はじめまして opens a first introduction, while よろしくおねがいします expresses goodwill or cooperation.
• Forgetting to introduce yourself. Saying はじめまして alone is fine as an opening, but when you're expected to introduce yourself, follow it with your name. For example, はじめまして。エマです (Hajimemashite. Ema desu).
• Using よろしく with a teacher or a new colleague. The short form is casual. With anyone you'd speak to politely, use the full よろしくおねがいします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu).

Practise introducing yourself

Imagine you're attending your first Japanese class.

Someone sits beside you and introduces themselves.

Your task is to respond using three short parts.

First, say はじめまして (hajimemashite).

Next, say your own name followed by です (desu).

Finally, say よろしくおねがいします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu).

Here's the complete model:

Now replace Emma with your own name.

Say your introduction aloud three times.

On your first attempt, read the romaji.

On your second attempt, look only at the Japanese.

On your third attempt, try saying the introduction without looking at either.

Then imagine someone introduces themselves to you.

Respond with your own introduction.

The goal isn't to speak quickly. It's to remember the order and use the expressions naturally.

Frequently asked questions

What does hajimemashite mean literally? It comes from 初めて (hajimete), "for the first time," so it marks a first meeting. In English, it's closest to "Nice to meet you" or "How do you do?"

Is hajimemashite formal or casual? It's polite, but it works in almost any first meeting, from a classroom to an office. The phrase that changes with formality is よろしくおねがいします.

Can I say hajimemashite to someone I've met before? No. Once you've met, use an everyday greeting such as こんにちは (konnichiwa).

How do you reply to hajimemashite? Say はじめまして back, give your name with です, and finish with よろしくおねがいします. If they've already said よろしくおねがいします, reply with こちらこそ、よろしくおねがいします.

Keep this in mind

はじめまして (hajimemashite) is a polite way to say "Nice to meet you" when meeting someone for the first time. Add your name followed by です (desu), and finish with よろしくおねがいします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu) for a simple, useful introduction.

Continue learning

• Why Japanese Drops "I" and "You" — Understand why you can introduce yourself without saying わたし (watashi, "I").
• How to Pronounce Desu and Masu — Learn how the polite ending です (desu) sounds in everyday speech.
• Japanese Alphabets Explained — Understand why foreign names such as エマ (Ema) are written in katakana.
• What Does さん (San) Mean in Japanese Names? — Learn how to address the person you've just met.
• What Does Desu Mean in Japanese? — See why です (desu) makes your introduction polite.