Perhaps you have met a person who speaks Japanese and now want to show your respect to the Empire of the Rising Sun by completing the formalities in their native language. It doesn't matter if it's a colleague, a student participating in an intercultural project, a neighbor or a mutual friend, it doesn't even matter if you speak Italian or not. This article describes some basic rules that should help you make a good first impression.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Initial Greetings
Step 1. Say the word "Hajimemashite"
Its meaning is similar to "nice to meet you" or "I hope we will be friends". Say this word, because an exchange of "Hajimemashite" is usually the first step to introducing yourself in Japanese. It is a conjugation of the verb "hajimeru" which means "to begin".
Step 2. Choose the greeting based on the time
It is acceptable, although less common, to replace "Hajimemashite" with one of the following salutations. In the Japanese language there are three ways to say hello: ohayou, konnichiwa and konbanwa. Just as the Italians say "good morning", "good afternoon" and "good evening", the Japanese also have different formulas based on the time of day.
- "Ohayou" (pronounced like the US state name "Ohio") means "good morning" and is used almost any time before noon. To be even more polite you can say: "ohayou gozaimasu" (which sounds like go-zah-ii-MAHS).
- "Konnichiwa" (KO-nii-cii-wah) means "good afternoon" and also represents the standard greeting; it is used from noon until about 17:00.
- "Konbanwa" (kon-BAHN-wah) stands for "good evening" and is pronounced after 5pm until midnight. If you want to vary things a bit, you can use the equivalent of "greetings", ie aisatsu (AH-ii-saht-su).
Step 3. Introduce yourself
The most common and easiest way to introduce yourself in Japanese is to say the sentence: "Watashi no namae wa _ desu" (wah-TAH-scii no nah-MAH-eh wah _ dess). The meaning corresponds to: "My name is_". If you mean both first and last name, say the last name first.
- For example: "Watashi no namae wa Miyazaki Hayao desu" means "My name is Hayao Miyazaki".
- Remember that Japanese people rarely use the term "watashi" in conversation. When you introduce yourself, you can omit "watashi wa" if you feel like trying to speak like the locals. Likewise, the word "Anata", which translates as "you", is also avoided. You can then simply say: "Giovanni desu" to inform a person that your name is Giovanni.
Step 4. Say the phrase "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu" to end the opening introduction
The pronunciation is: yor-OH-sci-ku oh-nay-guy-ii-scii-mass. This formula can be roughly translated as: "please be nice to me". Saying such a sentence is certainly not common in Italian, but it is a very important step to remember when introducing yourself to a native Japanese speaker. This is usually the last sentence people use to introduce themselves.
- If you want to use a less formal phrase, you can just say "Yoroshiku". In most cases, however, you should always choose the more formal and polite option.
- If you are introducing yourself in a friendly manner to a young person who has the same social status as you, you can omit most of the extra words. For example, you can say: "Giovanni desu. Yoroshiku" which means: "My name is Giovanni, nice to meet you".
Part 2 of 2: Starting a Conversation
Step 1. Tell something more about yourself
You can use the expression "Watashi wa _ desu" to convey other characteristics, such as age, nationality or profession. "Watashi wa Amerikajin desu," (wah-TAH-scii wah a-mer-i-cah-scin dess) means "I am American". "Watashi wa juugosai desu" (wah-TAH-scii wah ju-u-go-sai dess) means "I am fifteen".
Step 2. Start with a polite icebreaker phrase
The Japanese equivalent of "How are you?" is "Ogenki desu ka?" (oh-gen-kii dess kah). However, it is also considered a phrase that intrudes on the private sphere of the person, as it addresses the topic of health. If you prefer to avoid this situation, you can opt for "Otenki wa ii desu ne?" (oh-TEN-kii wah II dess neh) which can be translated as "the weather is beautiful, isn't it?".
Step 3. Reply
If you have uttered the phrase "Ogenki desu ka" you must be ready to reply to the reply of your interlocutor. Typically, the other person may respond "Genki desu" (GEN-kii dess) or "Maamaa desu" (MAH-MAH dess). The first sentence corresponds to "I'm fine" and the second "I'm so-so". In any case, the interlocutor will give you the same attention by replying "Anata wa?" (ah-NAH-tah wah) which translates to "And you?". At this point, you can say "Genki desu, arigatou," (GEN-kii dess, ah-rii-GAH-to) which means "I'm fine, thank you".
You can also replace "arigatou" with "okagesama de" (oh-KAH-geh-sah-mah deh) which is basically a synonym
Step 4. Learn to apologize
If you find yourself in a situation where you don't know what to say (or don't understand what the other person just said), don't be afraid to apologize and raise your problem. You can do this in Italian if you have to, but try to use body language that conveys your thinking. In any case, it is always helpful to know how to apologize in Japanese. If you need to, say the words "gomen nasai" （ご め ん な さ い） (goh-mehn nah-SAH-ii) which translates to "I'm sorry".
Advice
Don't worry if you make a spelling mistake; Japanese find it cute when foreigners mess with their language and generally appreciate when someone makes an effort to express themselves in the national language; for all these reasons do not feel embarrassed
Warnings
- If you find yourself on an occasion where you can be respectful or informal, opt for the former attitude, even if you have the feeling that it is an informal situation.
- Never say an honorific title (-san, -chan, -kun, and so on) after your own name, as it is considered rude and selfish.
