よろしくお願いします
yoroshiku onegaishimasu
In Japanese, "looking forward to working with you" is expressed as よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegaishimasu).
This phrase is used when starting a professional relationship to show eagerness and to request positive cooperation. It also serves as a standard closing in emails, functioning similarly to "Best regards".
What does it mean word for word?
The adverb よろしく literally means "well" or "suitably", which implies a request for things to go well.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can add どうぞ to the beginning of the phrase, as in どうぞよろしくお願いします, to emphasize your politeness and the sincerity of your request.
How do you pronounce it?
yoroshiku onegaishimasu
When do people say it?
When someone says よろしくお願いします to you, the standard response is to start with こちらこそ (meaning "likewise" or "it is I who…") followed by the phrase.
Did you know?
- The phrase is so versatile that it is used as a parting greeting when leaving a store or clinic, effectively meaning 'take care of me' or 'thank you for your service'.
- While it is a standard professional greeting, よろしくお願いします is also the go-to phrase when asking a complete stranger for a favor or a small piece of information. It functions as a linguistic 'social glue' to soften any request you make.
- In very casual settings among friends, the phrase is often shortened to just よろしく, dropping the polite verb entirely.
Examples in context
- どうぞよろしくお願いします。I'm looking forward to working with you.The sentence uses よろしくお願いします to express a polite request to work together.Tatoeba #10918370 by small_snow, translation #1894512 by CK
- 明けましておめでとうございます。今年もよろしくお願いします。Happy New Year. I'm looking forward to working with you again this year.The sentence uses よろしくお願いします to express looking forward to working together in the new year.Tatoeba #2951454 by tommy_san, translation #10576755 by CK
- よろしくお願いします。I'm really looking forward to working with you.The sentence uses よろしくお願いします to express a strong feeling of looking forward to working together.Tatoeba #806267 by pllim, translation #2575336 by CK
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are meeting for the first time to start a new project at work.
- 蓮 Ren今日からプロジェクトを始めますね。Kyou kara purojekuto o hajimemasu ne.We are starting the project today, aren't we?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、頑張りましょう。Hai, ganbarimashou.Yes, let's do our best.
- 蓮 Renよろしくお願いします。Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.I'm looking forward to working with you.
- 結衣 Yuiこちらこそ、よろしくお願いします。Kochira koso, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.I am looking forward to working with you, too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry よろしくお願いします, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
