はじめまして
hajimemashite
はじめまして (hajimemashite) is the Japanese phrase for "nice to meet you".
はじめまして is a polite greeting used specifically when meeting someone for the very first time. Because it is tied to the concept of a first encounter, you cannot use this phrase when meeting someone for a second time.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is derived from the verb hajimeru (to begin), and literally implies "it is the beginning" of a relationship.
How do you pronounce it?
hajimemashite
When do people say it?
In Japanese culture, it is customary to bow when introducing yourself or saying はじめまして. If someone says はじめまして to you, you can respond with こちらこそ、はじめまして to mean "It is I who is pleased to meet you."
Did you know?
- If you meet someone for a second time, using はじめまして is considered a significant social blunder because it implies you have forgotten them entirely.
- In business settings, the depth and duration of the bow accompanying はじめまして vary based on the social rank of the person being greeted.
- Japanese has no single word that translates to 'nice' in the context of はじめまして, as the phrase focuses on the 'beginning' of the encounter rather than the emotion of the speaker.
Examples in context
- はじめまして。Nice to meet you.This sentence shows the standalone greeting はじめまして.Tatoeba #9699149 by Sim5634, translation #499617 by Shishir
- こちらこそ、はじめまして。Nice to meet you too.This sentence shows how to respond with はじめまして using こちらこそ.Tatoeba #11021618 by small_snow, translation #3620826 by Ricardo14
- 「はじめまして」「こちらこそ、はじめまして」"Nice to meet you." "Nice to meet you, too."This sentence shows the exchange between はじめまして and its response.Tatoeba #10672154 by small_snow, translation #7496059 by Ricardo14
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A student exchange meeting at a university.
- 陽葵 Himariはじめまして、陽葵です。Hajimemashite, Himari desu.Nice to meet you, I am Himari.
- 蓮 Renはじめまして、蓮です。よろしくお願いします。Hajimemashite, Ren desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Nice to meet you, I am Ren. Pleased to meet you.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さん、よろしくお願いします。Ren-san, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Ren, pleased to meet you too.
- 蓮 Renこちらこそ、よろしくお願いします。Kochira koso, yoroshiku onegaishimasu.The pleasure is mine, pleased to meet you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
