What Is Your Name in Japanese? Self-Intro Guide

What Is Your Name in Japanese? How to Introduce Yourself Like a Pro

So you want to know how to say "what is your name" in Japanese and introduce yourself properly? Good call. Whether you're planning a trip to Japan, making Japanese friends online, or just starting your language learning journey, nailing the self-introduction is pretty much essential.

Here's the thing: Japanese introductions follow a specific pattern that's different from English. You can't just translate word-for-word and expect it to sound natural. The good news? Once you learn the basic structure, you'll be able to introduce yourself in tons of different situations.

Let me walk you through everything you need to know, from the most basic phrases to more advanced variations depending on who you're talking to.

The Basic Question: How Do You Ask Someone's Name?

The most common way to ask "what is your name" in Japanese is:

お名前は何ですか？ (Onamae wa nan desu ka?)

Let's break this down:

You'll also hear a shorter version: 名前は？ (Namae wa?), which is way more casual. Use this with friends or people your age, but definitely stick with onamae when talking to someone older or in a professional setting.

In really formal situations, like business meetings, you might hear: お名前を伺ってもよろしいでしょうか？ (Onamae wo ukagatte mo yoroshii deshou ka?) This translates to something like "May I ask your name?" and sounds super polite.

How to Say Your Name in Japanese

When someone asks your name, or when you're introducing yourself, the standard phrase is:

私はyour nameです。 (Watashi wa name desu.)

For example, if your name is Sarah, you'd say: 私はサラです。 (Watashi wa Sara desu.)

The word watashi means "I" or "me," wa is that same topic particle, and desu is the polite copula (basically "am/is/are"). So literally, you're saying "As for me, I am Sarah."

Pretty straightforward, right? But here's where it gets interesting. In casual conversations, Japanese people often drop the watashi entirely and just say nameです (desu). So you might just hear someone say サラです (Sara desu). Totally normal and natural.

In super formal business situations, you might use 申します (moushimasu) instead of desu. This is the humble form: 私は田中と申します (Watashi wa Tanaka to moushimasu). You'll hear this at job interviews, formal ceremonies, or when meeting important clients.

The Complete Japanese Self-Introduction Script

Okay, so asking and stating names is cool, but a proper Japanese introduction involves more than just your name. Let me give you the full beginner-friendly script that works in most situations.

はじめまして。私はnameです。よろしくお願いします。

(Hajimemashite. Watashi wa name desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.)

Let's unpack each part:

はじめまして (Hajimemashite) literally means "we are meeting for the first time." You only use this when meeting someone new. Think of it like "Nice to meet you," but you say it at the beginning instead of the end.

Then comes your name introduction, which we already covered.

よろしくお願いします (Yoroshiku onegaishimasu) is the closing phrase. This one's tricky to translate directly. It roughly means "please treat me kindly" or "I look forward to working with you." Native speakers use this phrase constantly in introductions, and honestly, it just sounds incomplete without it.

So a complete example: はじめまして。私はマイクです。よろしくお願いします。 (Hajimemashite. Watashi wa Mike desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.)

Pretty cool! This three-part structure works in probably 80% of introduction situations.

Adding More Information: Nationality, Job, and Hobbies

Once you've got the basic introduction down, you can expand it with more details about yourself. This is where introductions get more personal and interesting.

Nationality:

私はアメリカ人です。 (Watashi wa Amerika-jin desu.) - I am American.

私はカナダから来ました。 (Watashi wa Kanada kara kimashita.) - I came from Canada.

The suffix 人 (jin) means "person," so you attach it to country names. イギリス人 (Igirisu-jin) for British, オーストラリア人 (Osutoraria-jin) for Australian, etc.

Occupation:

私は学生です。 (Watashi wa gakusei desu.) - I am a student.

私は教師です。 (Watashi wa kyoushi desu.) - I am a teacher.

私はエンジニアです。 (Watashi wa enjinia desu.) - I am an engineer.

Hobbies:

趣味は読書です。 (Shumi wa dokusho desu.) - My hobby is reading.

音楽が好きです。 (Ongaku ga suki desu.) - I like music.

週末はハイキングをします。 (Shuumatsu wa haikingu wo shimasu.) - I go hiking on weekends.

Here's a fuller example:

はじめまして。私はエミリーです。アメリカから来ました。大学生です。趣味は日本語の勉強です。よろしくお願いします。

(Hajimemashite. Watashi wa Emily desu. Amerika kara kimashita. Daigakusei desu. Shumi wa Nihongo no benkyou desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.)

Translation: "Nice to meet you. I'm Emily. I came from America. I'm a university student. My hobby is studying Japanese. Please treat me kindly."

Formal vs Casual: When to Use Which Version

Japanese has different politeness levels, and knowing when to use which can save you from some awkward moments. The language has this built-in hierarchy based on age, social status, and relationship.

Casual introductions (with friends, classmates, people your age):

Drop the watashi, skip hajimemashite, and shorten yoroshiku onegaishimasu to just よろしく (yoroshiku).

Example: マイクだよ。よろしく！ (Mike da yo. Yoroshiku!)

The だよ (da yo) is a casual version of desu with a friendly particle added.

Polite introductions (default for most situations):

Use the full script I mentioned earlier with desu and the complete yoroshiku onegaishimasu. This works for meeting neighbors, colleagues, acquaintances, or anyone you want to show respect to.

Formal introductions (business, ceremonies, meeting elders):

Use moushimasu instead of desu, add your full name (family name first in Japanese style), and maybe include your company or organization.

田中太郎と申します。ABC株式会社の営業部に勤めております。

(Tanaka Tarou to moushimasu. ABC kabushiki gaisha no eigyoubu ni tsutomete orimasu.)

"My name is Taro Tanaka. I work in the sales department at ABC Corporation."

When in doubt, go with the polite middle ground. Japanese people are generally forgiving with foreigners learning the language, but showing you understand basic politeness levels goes a long way.

Understanding Japanese Names and Kanji

Quick side note about Japanese names themselves. If you're asking a Japanese person their name, you'll notice they often write it in kanji characters. Each kanji has meaning, and many Japanese names are chosen for their beautiful meanings.

For example, the name 美咲 (Misaki) uses kanji meaning "beauty" and "blossom." The name 大輝 (Daiki) means "great" and "radiance."

When Japanese people ask "what does my name mean in Japanese," they're usually curious about how to write their foreign name. Here's the deal: foreign names get written in katakana, the script used for loan words and foreign terms. So "Sarah" becomes サラ, "John" becomes ジョン, "Michael" becomes マイケル.

Some people who study Japanese for a long time or have deep connections to Japan choose kanji for their names based on sound. Like, a person named Karen might choose 花蓮 (ka-ren) meaning "flower lotus." But this is totally optional and actually pretty rare.

Where is the first name in Japanese? In Japan, family names come first, then given names. So Tanaka Yuki means Yuki is the first name (given name) and Tanaka is the family name. When Japanese people introduce themselves in English contexts, they often flip this to match Western order, but in Japanese, it's always family name first.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

After watching tons of beginners try Japanese introductions, here are the most common slip-ups:

Using arigatou in introductions. I've heard people say "arigatou" when meeting someone, thinking it's a general greeting. Nope. Arigatou means "thank you." Use hajimemashite instead.

Forgetting the particle wa. English speakers often say "Watashi Sarah desu" without the wa particle. You need that wa in there: "Watashi wa Sarah desu."

Pronouncing desu wrong. The "u" is almost silent. It sounds more like "dess" than "des-oo." Listen to native speakers and you'll hear this.

Being too casual too fast. Better to start polite and let the other person guide you to more casual speech than to assume familiarity right away.

Skipping yoroshiku onegaishimasu. This phrase feels weird to English speakers because we don't have an equivalent, but Japanese people expect it. Don't skip it.

Special Situations and Variations

Meeting someone multiple times:

Don't use hajimemashite again. Instead, use greetings like:

こんにちは (Konnichiwa) - Hello (daytime)

お久しぶりです (Ohisashiburi desu) - Long time no see

Dating and casual social situations:

Younger Japanese people might use super casual introductions:

俺、ケンジ。 (Ore, Kenji.) - I'm Kenji. (masculine, casual)

私、アヤ。 (Atashi, Aya.) - I'm Aya. (feminine, casual)

These use different first-person pronouns (ore for guys, atashi for girls) that are way less formal than watashi.

Online or text introductions:

You might see people write their introductions like:

初めまして！〇〇と言います！ (Hajimemashite! name to iimasu!)

The と言います (to iimasu) means "I am called" and is another way to state your name.

What about Luffy's iconic line in Japanese?

Since someone asked: Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece says 海賊王に俺はなる！ (Kaizoku-ou ni ore wa naru!) - "I will become the Pirate King!" While this isn't an introduction phrase you'd use in real life (unless you're at an anime convention maybe?), it shows how ore is used by young male characters to sound tough and determined. Luffy also introduces himself as 俺はモンキー・D・ルフィ！海賊王になる男だ！ (Ore wa Monkey D. Luffy! Kaizoku-ou ni naru otoko da!) - "I'm Monkey D. Luffy! The man who will become Pirate King!" Pretty different vibe from your standard polite introduction.

Cultural Context: Bowing and Body Language

Japanese introductions come with physical gestures too. When you say hajimemashite and yoroshiku onegaishimasu, you typically bow.

The depth of your bow matters:

In business settings, people often exchange business cards (名刺, meishi) during introductions. There's a whole etiquette around this: present your card with both hands, receive others' cards with both hands, take a moment to read it, never write on someone's card in front of them, etc.

You don't need to master all this immediately, but being aware that introductions in Japan involve more than just words helps you understand the culture better.

Practice Phrases to Get You Started

Here are some ready-to-use introduction scripts you can practice:

Student introduction:

はじめまして。私はアレックスです。アメリカから来ました。日本語を勉強しています。まだ下手ですが、頑張ります。よろしくお願いします。

(Hajimemashite. Watashi wa Alex desu. Amerika kara kimashita. Nihongo wo benkyou shite imasu. Mada heta desu ga, ganbarimasu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.)

"Nice to meet you. I'm Alex. I came from America. I'm studying Japanese. I'm still not good, but I'll do my best. Please treat me kindly."

Professional introduction:

初めまして。スミスと申します。カナダのトロント出身です。マーケティングの仕事をしております。日本の文化に興味があります。どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。

(Hajimemashite. Smith to moushimasu. Kanada no Toronto shusshin desu. Marketing no shigoto wo shite orimasu. Nihon no bunka ni kyoumi ga arimasu. Douzo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.)

"How do you do. My name is Smith. I'm from Toronto, Canada. I work in marketing. I'm interested in Japanese culture. I look forward to working with you."

Casual introduction:

よっ、リサだよ。イギリスから来たんだ。アニメとか漫画が大好き。仲良くしてね！

(Yo, Lisa da yo. Igirisu kara kita n da. Anime toka manga ga daisuki. Nakayoku shite ne!)

"Hey, I'm Lisa. I came from England. I love anime and manga. Let's be friends!"

How to Write "What Is Your Name" in Japanese

If you need to write this phrase out, here are the different scripts:

Hiragana: おなまえはなんですか

Kanji/mixed: お名前は何ですか

Romaji: Onamae wa nan desu ka

Most Japanese text mixes kanji and hiragana together. The kanji 名前 (name) and 何 (what) are common enough that Japanese people learn them early. The お at the beginning is hiragana, making the word more polite.

When you're learning, romaji helps with pronunciation, but try to move to hiragana and kanji as quickly as you can. Reading actual Japanese script makes the language stick way better in your brain.

Moving Beyond Basic Introductions

Once you've mastered the standard self-introduction, you can start varying it based on context. In language exchange situations, you might emphasize that you're learning Japanese and ask for patience. In travel situations, you might mention where you're visiting from and what you want to see.

The beautiful thing about Japanese is that the basic patterns stay consistent. Once you know the は (wa) particle marks topics and です (desu) makes things polite, you can build tons of sentences following the same structure.

私は日本語の学生です。 (Watashi wa Nihongo no gakusei desu.) - I am a Japanese language student.

私は東京に住んでいます。 (Watashi wa Tokyo ni sunde imasu.) - I live in Tokyo.

私は寿司が好きです。 (Watashi wa sushi ga suki desu.) - I like sushi.

See the pattern? Watashi wa topic desu/verb. This structure carries you pretty far in Japanese conversations.

The more you practice these introductions, the more natural they'll feel. At first, you'll be mentally translating from English, but eventually, the Japanese phrases will just flow out when you meet someone new.

Real-World Application

I've seen language learners stress about getting introductions perfect before they ever try using them. Here's my advice: just go for it. Japanese people appreciate when foreigners make an effort to speak their language, even if your pronunciation is off or you mix up a particle.

The phrase "what is your name in Japanese" gets searched thousands of times because people want to connect. They're planning trips, joining online communities, starting language classes, or making international friends. Learning these introduction phrases opens doors.

You'll use onamae wa nan desu ka when meeting language exchange partners online. You'll use the full hajimemashite script when staying with a host family. You'll use casual versions when making friends at a hostel in Kyoto. These aren't just textbook phrases – they're practical tools for real communication.

And here's something cool: Japanese people often remember foreigners who introduce themselves properly in Japanese. It shows respect for their culture and language. You'll get warmer responses, more patient conversation partners, and genuine appreciation for your effort.

Keep Building Your Japanese Skills

Learning how to introduce yourself is genuinely just the beginning. After you can say your name and ask someone else's, you'll want to have actual conversations. You'll want to talk about your day, ask for directions, order food, discuss hobbies, and understand what people say back to you.

The jump from scripted introductions to real conversations is big, but totally doable. The key is consistent exposure to actual Japanese content – not just textbook dialogues, but real shows, articles, videos, and conversations that native speakers create for each other.

Anyway, if you want to level up your Japanese beyond basic introductions, Migaku's browser extension lets you learn from real Japanese content. You can watch shows, read articles, and look up words instantly without breaking your flow. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.