こんにちは、エリーです
konnichiwa, erī desu
The English phrase "hello, my name is ellie" is translated into Japanese as こんにちは、エリーです (konnichiwa, erī desu).
This phrase is a friendly greeting used when introducing oneself to another person. It begins with こんにちは, which is the equivalent of "Hello" and is suitable for formal greetings during the day. To express a desire to build a good relationship, you can add yoroshiku onegaishimasu (meaning "please be kind to me" or "let's get along well") to the end of your introduction.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "Hello, [I am] Ellie" because the subject "I" is omitted. The component です is a polite copula used to link the name to the introduction.
Which one should you use?
While こんにちは、エリーです is a standard introduction, you can also say エリーです to more directly state your name once a conversation has already begun.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form こんにちは、エリーです is a polite and standard way to introduce yourself to strangers or in social settings, thanks to the use of です at the end. In more informal situations, the suffix chan can be used after a person's name.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word です functions as a polite copula, acting similarly to the English verb "to be" (is/am/are).
How do you pronounce it?
konnichiwa, erī desu
Did you know?
- The こんにちは in your greeting is actually a shortened version of an old phrase meaning 'Today is…'. Over centuries, the rest of the sentence was dropped, leaving only the word for 'today' and a particle.
- The word こんにちは is written with the hiragana character は (ha), but it is pronounced as 'wa'. This is because it functions as a topic marker particle rather than a standard syllable.
- If you are introduced to someone in a business setting, it is customary to bow while saying エリーです. The depth of your bow can signal your level of respect or the formality of the situation.
Examples in context
- こんにちは、エリーです。はじめまして。Konnichiwa, Eri desu. Hajimemashite.Hello, my name is Ellie. Nice to meet you.
- あ、こんにちは、エリーです。A, konnichiwa, Eri desu.Oh, hello, my name is Ellie.
Example conversation
Two students meet for the first time in a classroom.
- 蓮 Renこんにちは、僕は蓮です。Konnichiwa, boku wa Ren desu.Hello, I'm Ren.
- 美咲 Misakiこんにちは、エリーです。Konnichiwa, Eri-desu.Hello, my name is Ellie.
- 蓮 Renエリーさん、よろしくお願いします。Eri-san, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Nice to meet you, Ellie.
- 美咲 Misakiこちらこそ、よろしくお願いします。Kochira koso, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Nice to meet you too.
