こんにちは、ベラです
konnichiwa, bera desu
The English phrase "hello, my name is bella" is translated into Japanese as こんにちは、ベラです (konnichiwa, bera desu).
This phrase is a standard, polite way to introduce oneself to another person for the first time. While an English speaker might say "my name is," a Japanese speaker often omits the explicit words for "my name" (namae) to sound more natural, as seen in this phrase.
What does it mean word for word?
こんにちは (konnichiwa) is a greeting meaning "Hello" or "Good day." ベラ (bera) is the name Bella, written in Katakana because it is a foreign name. です (desu) is a particle that functions as the copula "to be" (am/is/are), used here to state "is Bella."
How does it change in a sentence?
Foreign names like ベラ are written using Katakana, the Japanese script specifically used for loanwords and non-Japanese names. The particle です serves as the verb "to be" and concludes the statement.
How do you pronounce it?
konnichiwa, bera desu
Did you know?
- The character は in こんにちは is normally pronounced as 'ha', but it is pronounced as 'wa' here because it historically functioned as a topic marker particle.
- The phrase こんにちは is actually a fragment of a longer historical sentence that used to ask 'how are you' or 'what is the state of today'.
- In a formal introduction, a Japanese speaker would rarely start with こんにちは and instead use はじめまして (hajimemashite), which literally means 'it is the first time'.
Examples in context
- こんにちは、ベラです。Konnichiwa, Bera desu.Hello, my name is Bella.
- はじめまして。こんにちは、ベラです。Hajimemashite. Konnichiwa, Bera desu.Nice to meet you. Hello, my name is Bella.
- こんにちは、ベラです。よろしくお願いします。Konnichiwa, Bera desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Hello, my name is Bella. Pleased to meet you.
Example conversation
Bella and Ren meet for the first time at a language exchange meetup.
- 陽葵 Himariこんにちは、ベラです。名前は何ですか？Konnichiwa, Bera desu. Namae wa nan desu ka?Hello, my name is Bella. What is your name?
- 蓮 Renこんにちは。僕は蓮です。Konnichiwa. Boku wa Ren desu.Hello. I am Ren.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さんですね。よろしくお願いします！Ren-san desu ne. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!You're Ren. Nice to meet you!
- 蓮 Renこちらこそ、よろしくお願いします。Kochira koso, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Nice to meet you too.
