こんにちは、私の名前はエラです
konnichiwa, watashi no namae wa era desu
こんにちは、私の名前はエラです (konnichiwa, watashi no namae wa era desu) is the Japanese way to say "hi, my name is ella".
This phrase is a polite greeting used when introducing yourself to another person for the first time.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase contains 私の (watashi no), which combines the pronoun watashi (I) with the possessive particle no (of/ 's) to mean "my".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The full phrase こんにちは、私の名前はエラです is polite. However, a more natural and slightly less formal way to introduce yourself is to omit the "my name is" portion and simply say こんにちは、エラです.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle は (wa, though written as ha) marks the topic of the sentence, which in this case is "my name". The sentence ends with the polite copula です (desu), which functions as "is", "am" or "are".
How do you pronounce it?
konnichiwa, watashi no namae wa era desu
When do people say it?
In Japanese culture, it is customary to bow slightly while saying a greeting when introducing yourself in person.
Did you know?
- When introducing yourself, it is common to end the interaction with the phrase よろしくお願いします ('yoroshiku onegaishimasu'). This has no direct English translation but literally asks the other person to treat you favorably.
- If you are introducing yourself in a business context, you typically say your company name before your own name, as the group identity is considered more important than the individual.
- In Japanese, the word こんにちは (konnichiwa) actually means 'today is' or 'as for today', as it is a shortened version of a longer greeting about the current day.
Examples in context
- こんにちは、私の名前はエラです。よろしくお願いします。Konnichiwa, watashi no namae wa Era desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Hi, my name is Ella. Nice to meet you.
Example conversation
Two students meeting for the first time at school.
- 陽葵 Himariこんにちは、私の名前はエラです。Konnichiwa, watashi no namae wa Era desu.Hi, my name is Ella.
- 蓮 Renこんにちは、エラさん。私は蓮です。Konnichiwa, Era-san. Watashi wa Ren desu.Hi, Ella. I am Ren.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さん、よろしくお願いします。Ren-san, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Ren, it is 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.Likewise, nice to meet you.
