Greetings / Introductions / Names

Question 1

こんにちは / 今日は

Answer 1

“Konnichiwa”; Hello

We write “hello” as こんにちは (konnichiwa).

The last letter is は (ha) and not わ (wa), because the phrase to greet someone used to be longer and have は (ha) as the subject particle. The longer greeting was shortened, but the spelling of “wa” as the subject particle は (ha) remained. As you may remember, we always write the subject particle as は (ha) but pronounce it as “wa”.

Note: Not many Japanese use the Kanji version of Konnichiwa. They just write out the Hiragana version.

Question 2

わたしは…です。 / 私は…です。

Answer 2

“Watashi wa…desu”; I am…

When we identify something or someone (e.g. “She is a student.”) we put “wa” after the subject and add “desu” at the end of the sentence to be polite.

When the subject of a sentence is clear we often omit it.
Ex: Once you have introduced yourself, you do not have to use “watashi wa” if you continue to talk about yourself.
Ex2: When responding to a question, we often omit the subject if it is clear who or what we are talking about.

Question 3

はじめまして / 初めまして

Answer 3

“Hajimemashite”; Nice to meet you

Used when we start introducing ourselves.
It literally means “We are meeting for the first time.”
(After saying it, we bow slightly)

Question 4

どうぞよろしく / どうぞ宜しく

Answer 4

“Douzo yoroshiku”; Pleased to meet you (casual)

Used when we finish introducing ourselves.
It literally means “be good to me.”
After saying it, we bow slightly again

Question 5

おはよう

Answer 5

“Ohayou”; Good morning. (informal)

Used with close relationships (family or friends).

Question 6

おはようございます

Answer 6

“Ohayou gozaimasu”; Good morning. (formal)

Used with distant relationships; anyone who is older than you or of higher status (e.g. teachers, bosses or elders).

Question 7

こんばんは / 今晩は

Answer 7

“Konbanwa”; Good evening

Question 8

さようなら

Answer 8

“Sayounara”; Goodbye (before a long separation)

Used we are leaving for a very long time (e.g. if we are moving to a different country). We do not use it if we are going to see each other soon.

Question 9

じゃあ、また! / じゃあまた!

Answer 9

“Jaa, mata!”; See you later!

To casually say “bye” to a friend.
Cannot be used in formal contexts, to someone who is older than us or to someone with a higher status.

Question 10

わたし / 私

Answer 10

“Watashi”; I

In formal contexts, men and women both use “watashi” when referring to themselves.
Ex: at a company meeting; at work.

In informal contexts, it is usually only women who use “watashi”.

Question 11

ぼく / 僕

Answer 11

“Boku”; I (mildly masculine)

Used by males. It conveys that the speaker has a soft masculine personality.
“Boku” can be used in semi-formal and casual contexts.
Ex: meeting new friends; in the classroom.

Question 12

おれ / 俺

Answer 12

“Ore”; I (strongly masculine)

Used by males. It conveys a strong masculine personality. “Ore” is used only in casual contexts.
Ex: on a date; in a pub.

Question 13

name + くん

Answer 13

“kun” used at the end of male names.

When talking to our friends or someone younger than us.

Question 14

name + ちゃん

Answer 14

“chan” used at the end of female names.

When talking to our friends or someone younger than us.

Question 15

name + さん

Answer 15

“san” used at end of someone’s name.

When talking to someone the same age as us or older.

Question 16

おなまえは？/ お名前は？

Answer 16

“O-namae wa?”; What is your name?

In Japanese we rarely use the word “you” (anata), as it is considered rude. Instead, to address someone, we use their name + “san”. If you don’t know a person’s name, politely ask them “o-namae wa?” (What is your name?). It literally means “Your name is …?”

In Japanese, we say a person’s last name before their first name.

Question 17

よろしくおねがいします

宜しくお願いします。

Answer 17

“Yoroshiku onegai shimasu”; Pleased to meet you (formal; used at the end of a self-introduction, polite)

To be more polite we use “Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.” (Pleased to meet you.) instead of “Douzo yoroshiku.”