Nice to Meet You in Japanese: はじめまして and First Meeting Phrases

Key takeaways

• The standard way to say “nice to meet you” in Japanese is はじめまして (hajimemashite), used when meeting someone for the first time.
• はじめまして is almost always followed by よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu), which expresses goodwill and a request for a good relationship going forward.
• In formal and business contexts, a self-introduction follows the greeting before よろしくお願いします.
• There is no single-phrase equivalent to “nice to meet you” for after you have already met someone.
• Bowing at the right depth accompanies these phrases; the physical context is as important as the verbal expression.

This guide covers はじめまして and よろしくお願いします in full, the standard self-introduction sequence, formal and casual variants, responses, and phrases for follow-up conversation. For over 15+ years and across 150+ languages, italki has helped millions of learners master first-impression Japanese by connecting them with native Japanese tutors who run full mock introductions in realistic business and social contexts.

Nice to meet you in Japanese: はじめまして

Japanese	Romaji	English
はじめまして	hajimemashite	Nice to meet you (first meeting)
よろしくお願いします	yoroshiku onegai shimasu	Please treat me well / I look forward to our relationship
よろしく	yoroshiku	Nice to meet you (casual)

The word はじめまして literally means “this is the beginning,” reflecting the idea that you are meeting for the first time. This is why it is never used after the first meeting, no matter how long ago that was. Practice saying these three expressions aloud with the correct pitch accent. A Japanese private tutor models the pronunciation and catches any stress mistakes before they become ingrained habits.

The standard introduction sequence

1. はじめまして (hajimemashite)
2. [Name] と申します or [Name] です
3. どうぞよろしくお願いします (douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu)

A complete first-meeting sequence takes perhaps three seconds but carries disproportionate social weight. Getting this three-second exchange right determines how native speakers perceive your understanding of Japanese etiquette. The slight bow that accompanies the greeting is equally important as the words themselves. Understanding Japanese verb politeness levels helps you navigate which form of “to be” to use when introducing yourself in formal versus casual contexts, making how are you in Japanese follow-up exchanges feel natural rather than scripted. Practice the full sequence with a private Japanese tutor until the timing, bowing depth, and word order all feel automatic.

Formality levels

Context	Japanese	Romaji
Very formal (business)	どうぞよろしくお願いいたします	douzo yoroshiku onegai itashimasu
Standard	よろしくお願いします	yoroshiku onegai shimasu
Casual (peers)	よろしく	yoroshiku
Very casual	よろしくね	yoroshiku ne

Knowing your context determines which level to use. Business environments demand the full humble form (いたします). Casual social settings allow the short よろしく. Using the most formal version when the context is casual can make you sound stiff and uncomfortable, so calibrating to the situation matters as much as knowing the phrase itself. Japanese tutoring on italki runs through different context scenarios with you so you develop intuition about which register fits.

Responding to はじめまして

Japanese	Romaji	English
こちらこそ、よろしくお願いします	kochira koso, yoroshiku onegai shimasu	Nice to meet you too
こちらこそ	kochira koso	Same to you (short form)

When someone greets you with はじめまして, responding with the same phrase shows mutual respect. こちらこそ (literally “this side”) is a formula that emphasizes “me too” or “I feel the same way.” Find the best Japanese tutors on italki to practice both sides of this exchange so when someone greets you in real conversation, your response comes automatically rather than requiring thought.

Additional first-meeting phrases

Japanese	Romaji	English
お名前は何ですか？	onamae wa nan desu ka?	What is your name?
~と申します	~ to moushimasu	My name is ~ (formal)
どこ出身ですか？	doko shusshin desu ka?	Where are you from?
お仕事は何ですか？	oshigoto wa nan desu ka?	What do you do for work?
趣味は何ですか？	shumi wa nan desu ka?	What are your hobbies?

These follow-up questions structure the first few minutes of a new acquaintance. Learning them as a sequence rather than as isolated questions helps you anticipate what someone will ask and prepare responses that feel less scripted. For fuller context on how to form questions in Japanese and the question-particle system, this guide on Japanese verb tenses explains how tense and politeness layer onto question formation.

Business card exchange (名刺 meishi)

Japanese	Romaji	English
名刺をどうぞ	meishi wo douzo	Please take my card
ありがとうございます	arigatou gozaimasu	Thank you (receiving a card)
頂戴します	choudai shimasu	I shall gratefully receive this (very polite)

Business card exchange in Japan is a ritualized moment. Receive a card with both hands. Do not immediately put it away or write on it. Take a moment to examine it and acknowledge the person’s title and company. This ritual carries genuine meaning in Japanese professional culture. Book a session on italki with a Japanese teacher who walks you through the full card exchange ritual so you understand the timing and depth of bowing that accompany each step.

Building beyond the first meeting

Once you have passed the はじめまして moment, you need a different set of expressions. When you meet the same person again after an initial introduction, use good afternoon in Japanese to greet them according to the time of day. When someone leaves your company, wish them safe travels in Japanese as a a sign of respect for their departure. Learning first meetings in isolation is useful for one moment; learning them as part of the larger system of Japanese greetings lets you handle the full arc from the first meeting through an ongoing relationship. With 30,000+ expert tutors trusted by over 10 million learners worldwide, italki connects you with Japanese tutors who can run full mock introductions with you until the bowing, the pacing, and the phrase responses become automatic.Book a trial lesson and ask your teacher to run you through a first-meeting introduction roleplay in the register you need, whether that is business, university, or casual social.

FAQ

Can I use はじめまして again if I have met someone but they may have forgotten me?

No. Instead, use お久しぶりです (ohisashiburi desu: long time no see) or: 以前お会いしましたね (izen o-ai shimashita ne: we have met before, haven’t we?). Is よろしくお願いします only for first meetings? No. It is also used at the start of a new project, when making a request, or when asking for a favor. It stands alone as a request for goodwill or assistance in many contexts beyond first meetings. What is the difference between お願いします and お願いいたします? お願いいたします is the more formal and polite version. いたします is the humble form (謙譲語 kenjougo) of します. Use it in business or formal first-meeting contexts.