What Is Your Name in Japanese? Self-Intro Guide

You want to know how to say "what is your name" when learning 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. 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:
？

Let's break this down:

You'll also hear a shorter version: ？, 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: ？ 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:
。

For example, if your name is Sarah, you'd say:
。

The word means "I" or "me," は is that same topic particle, and です 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. So you might just hear someone say サラです. Totally normal and natural.

In super formal business situations, you might use instead of desu. This is the humble form:
。(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:
。

Let's unpack each part:

はじめまして 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.

The closing phrase is:
。

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:

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

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.

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.

Common mistakes to avoid

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

Special situations and variations

Dating and casual social situations: Younger Japanese people might use super casual introductions. These use different first-person pronouns (ore for guys, atashi for girls) that are way less formal than watashi:
。
I'm Kenji. (Masculine, casual)
。
I'm Aya. (Feminine, casual)

Online or text introductions: You might see people write their introductions like:
！(The means "I am called" and is another way to state your name.)

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 particle marks topics and です makes things polite, you can build tons of sentences following the same structure.

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.

Anyway, if you want to level up your Japanese beyond basic introductions, Migaku's browser extension and app let 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.

From the scripts to real conversations...

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.

Introduce yourself bravely next time!