How do you introduce yourself in Japanese?

A country renowned for its politeness, Japan and the Japanese attach great importance to the act of presenting oneself to others.

While the Japanese language is full of honorifics and complicated language used according to social rank, the basics are fairly simple and will serve you well in almost any encounter.

To do this, you simply say, in order, the following three sentences:

1. Hajimemashite!

(Pronunciation: ha-jee-may-mashtay)

Meaning: Nice to meet you!

This is your first point of contact. With this simple word, your speaking partner knows that you're about to present yourself to them.

2. [name; first name] desu

(Pronunciation: dess)

Meaning: My name is ...

For purists and fans of polite formulas, it is possible to replace "desu" by the more polite phrase "to moushimasu". You'll definitely earn some bonus brownie points for this!

3. Dozo yoroshiku onegaishimasu

(Pronunciation: doh-zoh yorosh-ku o-neh-guy-shimass)

Meaning: This phrase literal means "Please take care of me", but can be translated as "Pleased to meet you" in this situation.

There is no direct equivalent for this phrase in English, which is one of the attractions of the Japanese language.

Feel free to use it every time you want to establish a good relationship with others, or request a service.

The Japanese will have a hard time saying no!