You may have just met someone who speaks Japanese, and would like to show respect to Japanese people by offering a polite greeting in their native language. It doesn't matter whether the Japanese are your colleagues, exchange students, neighbors, or friends – and it doesn't matter whether or not they can speak Indonesian or English. Here are some brief summaries that can help you make a good first impression.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Greetings
Step 1. Say "Hajimemashite"
This phrase means “Nice to meet you” or it means almost the same as “Let's be friends”. Pronounce this phrase as ha-ji-me-ma-shi-te. Saying "hajimemashite" to each other is usually the first step in introducing yourself in Japanese. "Hajimemashite" is a conjugation of the word "hajimeru" which means "to begin" or "to begin".
Step 2. Choose your greeting by time
You can replace this introductory greeting with "Hajimemashite" although it is rarely used. In Japanese, there are three basic ways to say hello: ohayou, konnichiwa, and konbanwa. Just as Indonesians say, “Good morning”, “Good afternoon”, and “Good afternoon/evening”, Japanese people use different greetings to tell the time.
- "Ohayou" (pronounced as o-ha-yo-u) means "good morning" and is often used before noon. To make it more polite, say "ohayou gozaimasu" (go-za-i-MAS).
- "Konnichiwa" (KO-ni-chi-wa) means "good afternoon" and is also the standard "hello" greeting. This phrase can be used from noon to 5 pm.
- "Konbanwa" (kon-BAN-wa) means "good afternoon" or "good evening" and is usually used from 5pm to midnight. If you want to combine several phrases, you can use the Japanese word for “Greetings”, which is aisatsu (A-i-sat-su).
Step 3. Introduce yourself
The most common and easy way to introduce yourself in Japanese is to use the phrase "Watashi no namae wa _ desu" (wa-TA-shi no na-MA-eh wa _ des). This sentence means “My name is _”. If you use your full name, say your surname first.
- For example: "Watashi no namae wa Miyazaki Hayao desu", meaning "My name is Hayao Miyazaki".
- Keep in mind that Japanese people rarely use “watashi” in conversation. When introducing yourself, you can omit the word "watashi wa" if you want to sound like a local. "Anata", which means "you", can also be omitted. So you can say "Joe desu" to let someone know that your name is Joe.
Step 4. Say "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu" to end your initial introduction
Say my yo-RO-shi o-ne-ga-i-shi-mas. This phrase literally means “Be nice to me”. While it may not be common to say something like this in Indonesian, it is a very important phrase to remember when introducing yourself to native Japanese speakers. This phrase is usually the last phrase that Japanese people use when they introduce themselves.
- For a more casual form, you can say "Yoroshiku". In most cases, however, you should use a more formal and polite form.
- If you casually introduce yourself to a young person in a similar social position, you can omit most of the extra words. Just say, "Joe desu. Yoroshiku" which means "I'm Joe. Nice to meet you".
Method 2 of 2: Starting a Conversation
Step 1. Tell me more about yourself
You can use the "Watashi wa _ desu" form of other things, such as age, nationality, or occupation. "Watashi wa Indonesia-jin desu," (wa-TA-shi wa In-do-ne-shi-ya-jin des) which means "I am Indonesian". “Watashi wa juugosai desu,” (wa-TA-shi wa ju-u-go-sai des) means “I am fifteen years old.”
Step 2. Start with a friendly greeting or small talk
Japanese for “How are you?” is "Ogenki desu ka?" (o-GEN-ki des ka). However, this question is actually asking a person's health. If you avoid any response, say "Otenki wa ii desu ne?" (o-TEN-ki wa i des ne) which means “The weather is nice, isn't it?”
Step 3. Give feedback
If you say "Ogenki desu ka", be prepared to respond to their answer. When you ask this question, chances are the other person will answer "Genki desu," (GEN-ki des) or "Maamaa desu" (MAH-MAH des). The first answer means "I'm fine", while the second answer means "I'm pretty good". Whatever the answer, they will ask "Anata wa?" (a-NA-ta wa) to you which means “What about you?” When they ask, you can answer "Genki desu, arigatou", (GEN-ki des, a-ri-GA-to) which means “I'm fine. Thank you".
You can also replace "arigatou " with "okagesama de" (o-KA-ge-sa-ma de) which means the same thing
Step 4. Know how to apologize
If at any time you don't know what to say (or don't know what the other person has just said), don't be afraid to apologize and say you don't know. You can do this in English, if you have to, and use apologetic body language. However, there is nothing wrong with learning how to apologize in Japanese. If needed, say " gomen nasai "（ごめんなさい）(go-men na-SA-i), which means “I'm sorry”.
Tips
Don't worry if you make mistakes in pronunciation. Japanese people usually think of foreigner's Japanese mistakes as sweet. In addition, their views of Indonesian are similar to those of Indonesian speakers of Japanese-cool, interesting, and even mystical-so don't be shy
Warning
- Never use titles (-san, -chan, -kun, etc.) behind your own name. This is considered as something selfish and disrespectful.
- If you have to choose between polite or casual language, use polite language-even if you're in a casual situation.
