How to Say Nice to Meet You in Japanese (Hajimemashite Guide)

You've probably heard there's a specific phrase for greeting someone for the first time when learning Japanese, and yeah, there totally is. The main phrase you'll use is hajimemashite (), which basically means "nice to meet you" or more literally "we are meeting for the first time." In this post, I'll walk you through everything you need to know about greeting someone for the first time in Japanese. We're talking the standard phrases, formal variations, casual options, and the cultural context that makes it all make sense.

The standard greeting: Hajimemashite

Let's start with the basics. When you meet someone for the first time in Japanese, you'll typically say:

Hajimemashite (はじめまして) This word comes from the verb , which means "to begin." The mashite part is a polite ending. So literally, you're saying something like "we are beginning" or "this is our first time." It's understood to mean "nice to meet you" or "how do you do."

You'll use hajimemashite in most situations when meeting someone new. It works for casual social settings, professional environments, meeting your friend's parents, basically anywhere you'd say "nice to meet you" in English.

Adding yoroshiku onegaishimasu

Here's where it gets interesting. Most Japanese people don't just say hajimemashite and stop there. They follow it up with another phrase:
。

This phrase is honestly kind of hard to translate directly. The literal meaning is something like "please treat me favorably" or "I ask for your kind consideration." But in practice, it means "I look forward to working with you" or "please be kind to me" or "let's have a good relationship."

When you put them together, you get the complete introduction:
。
Nice to meet you. I'm (your name). I look forward to knowing you.

This is the standard template you'll hear in Japan all the time. Business meetings, school introductions, meeting new neighbors, you name it.

How formal do you need to be

The phrase hajimemashite with yoroshiku onegaishimasu sits at a comfortable level of politeness. It's respectful without being overly stiff. But Japanese has multiple levels, so let's break down your options.

How to respond when someone says this to you

So someone just said hajimemashite to you. What do you say back?

The standard response is:
。

This translates to "likewise, please treat me well" or "the pleasure is mine." means "this side also" or "likewise."

You can also just mirror what they said.

Both responses work perfectly fine. The kochira koso version is slightly more sophisticated, but either way you're good.

Complete introduction templates

Let me give you some full introduction examples you can actually use:

Professional setting
。
Nice to meet you. My name is Kenji Tanaka. I work at ABC Company. Please treat me kindly. (Note: 申します is the humble form of "to say/call," more formal than just です.)

Casual social setting

Nice to meet you. I'm Yuki. I'm a college student. Nice to meet you.

Student introduction

Nice to meet you. I'm Sarah. I came from America. I'm studying Japanese. Please treat me well.

Cultural context: Why first meetings matter

In Japan, first impressions carry serious weight. The phrase you use when meeting someone establishes the relationship dynamic from the start. This is why Japanese has so many variations for different contexts.

The concept of , meaning "inside-outside," plays a big role here. When you first meet someone, they're in the soto (Outside) group. The language you use reflects this distance. As you get closer over time, the language might become more casual, reflecting a shift toward the uchi (Inside) group.

Bowing accompanies these greetings too. When you say hajimemashite, you'll typically bow slightly. The depth of the bow depends on the formality of the situation and the relative status of the people involved. In a business setting with someone senior to you, you'd bow deeper. With a peer in a casual setting, a small nod works fine.

The phrase yoroshiku onegaishimasu also reflects the Japanese cultural value of , which involves modesty and restraint. By saying "please treat me favorably," you're positioning yourself humbly and expressing hope for a positive relationship. It's less direct than the English "nice to meet you," which simply states a fact about your feelings.

Common mistakes to avoid

A few things learners often mess up:

Using hajimemashite multiple times with the same person. This phrase is only for the very first time you meet someone. Once you've met, you move on to other greetings like konnichiwa or ohayou gozaimasu.

Forgetting yoroshiku onegaishimasu. While hajimemashite alone technically works, it sounds incomplete. Japanese speakers almost always follow it with yoroshiku onegaishimasu or at least yoroshiku. Saying just hajimemashite and stopping feels abrupt.

Wrong formality level. Using super casual yoroshiku with your new boss or overly formal kouei desu with a classmate your age will sound weird. Pay attention to the context and match your language accordingly.

Pronunciation issues. Make sure you're pronouncing each syllable clearly. Ha-ji-me-ma-shi-te, not "hajimemashte" or "hajimemaste." Japanese doesn't have consonant clusters like English does, so each vowel gets pronounced.

Putting it all together

Learning how to say "nice to meet you" in Japanese opens the door to actual conversations with Japanese speakers. The phrase hajimemashite combined with yoroshiku onegaishimasu gives you a solid foundation for introductions in almost any context.

Remember that the meeting phrase you choose sends a message about how you view the relationship. Formal situations call for formal language. Casual settings allow for casual speech. When in doubt, err on the side of being more polite. Japanese people appreciate the effort, and using respectful language shows you understand the cultural importance of proper greetings.

If you want to practice these phrases in real contexts, Migaku's browser extension and app let you watch Japanese shows and videos with instant word lookups, so you can see how people actually use these greetings in natural conversations. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out and start learning from actual Japanese content.

FAQs

The more you practice, the easier it becomes to leave a good impression in Japanese

The more you practice these phrases, the more natural they'll become. Start with the standard hajimemashite and yoroshiku onegaishimasu, then branch out into the variations as you get comfortable. Before long, you'll be greeting people in Japanese without even thinking about it. Another easy way is to watch videos extensively, and your brain will internalize the phrases as second instinct!

You get one chance to make a first impression...