University of Florida



Gengo Japanese #2 - How to make a First Impression in Japanese that Will Last a Lifetime

私はアシュリーです。どうぞよろしくお願いします。

Watashi wa Ashurī desu. Dōzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

"I'm Ashley. Nice to meet you."

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In this lesson, you will:

●  Learn how to introduce yourself by giving your name

●  Learn the different uses of the phrases sumimasen (すみません)

●  Learn expressions that use the phrase onegai shimasu (お願いします)

Introducing Yourself

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When introducing yourself, start with Watashi wa (わたしは、"I"), then give your name, and end the phrase with desu (で す). We first introduced this phrase in Basic Bootcamp Lesson #1.

|Japanese |Romaji |"English" |

|わたしは [ name ]です。 |Watashi wa [name] desu. |"I'm [name]." |

Examples:

|Japanese |Romaji |"English" |

|わたしはサラです。 |Watashi wa Sara desu.  |"I'm Sarah." |

|わたしはラウルです。 |Watashi wa Raul desu. |"I'm Raul." |

Note that there are different ways to refer to oneself in Japanese. In the dialogue, we saw the first two examples being used.

|Pronoun |Romaji |Explanation |

|わたし (私) |watashi |The standard word for "I." Both men and women can use this. |

|ぼく (僕) |boku |Used mainly by men and young boys. |

|おれ (俺) |ore |This is a rough, informal way to refer to oneself used mainly by |

| | |men and young boys. |

|わたくし |watakushi |This is a very polite way to refer to oneself. Both men and women |

| | |can use this. |

|あたし |atashi |This is an informal way to refer to oneself mainly used by women. |

Three Different Uses of すみません (sumimasen)

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In this dialogue, we used sumimasen (すみません) in three different ways. Let's take a look at the different meanings of sumimasen (すみません).

★ "Excuse me"

It can be used to get someone's attention if you need to say something or make your way through a crowd.

     アシュリー: あの、すみません。

     Ashurī: Ano, sumimasen.

     Ashley: "Um, excuse me..."

★ "I'm sorry"

It can be used to lightly apologize.

     豊田一郎: あ、すみません。どうぞ。

     Toyota Ichirō: A, sumimasen. Dōzo.

     Ichiro Toyota: "Oh, sorry. Go ahead."

★ "Thank you"

It can be used to thank someone for doing something for you.

     アシュリー: すみません。ありがとうございます。

     Ashurī: Sumimasen. Arigatō gozaimasu.

     Ashley: "Thanks. Thank you very much."

Phrases That Use onegai shimasu (お願いします)

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There are many different uses for onegai shimasu (お願いします). Here we'll look at three different phrases that use onegai shimasu (お願いします).

★ Yoroshiku onegai shimasu (よ ろしくお願いします)

First introduced in Basic Bootcamp #1

This phrase is often used when meeting someone for the first time. English does not have an equivalent, but literally, this phrase roughly translates to, "Please look favorably upon me." Using this phrase shows respect for the person you are meeting, and indicates that you are looking forward to a good relationship with them. Whether you are meeting one person or fifty, using this phrase will make a great impression.

★ Dōzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu (どうぞよろしくお願いします)

This phrase is the same as the one above, but the added dōzo (ど うぞ) makes it even more formal.

★ Mō ichido onegai shimasu (もう一度お願いします)

First introduced in Basic Bootcamp #3

Mō ichido (もういちど）means, "one more time," so this phrase literally means "one more time, please" and can be used when you are asking someone to repeat something.

Difficulty with Names

When you are a beginner in a foreign language, it can be difficult catching names in that foreign language, and this goes for Japanese as well. Many names sound similar, and you might not be able to tell where someone's last name ends and first name starts! If you have trouble catching someone's name, don't hesitate to ask them to repeat it. To ask someone to repeat their name, you can use the phrase mentioned in this lesson, Mō ichido onegai shimasu (もう一度お願いします), which literally means "One more time, please." Similarly, when you are introducing yourself and giving your name, make sure that you say it slowly and clearly so that you are understood. And remember, don't add the polite suffix -san (さん) to your own name!

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