よろしくお願いします
yoroshiku onegai shimasu
please be kind to me in Japanese is よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu).
This phrase is a standard greeting used when introducing oneself, starting a new job or concluding a request. While it can mean please be kind to me, in a professional context it is more naturally translated as I look forward to our relationship or I am in your hands.
What does it mean word for word?
The word yoroshiku is an adverbial form derived from yoroshii (good/fine), which essentially means suitably or favorably.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can adjust the level of formality by changing the verb: changing shimasu to the humble itashimasu in よろしくお願いいたします makes the phrase significantly more formal and suitable for business or addressing superiors. Conversely, dropping onegai shimasu to leave only よろしく creates a casual version. To add a sense of familiarity and closeness in an informal way, you can use 優しくしてね.
How do you pronounce it?
yoroshiku onegai shimasu
Did you know?
- While the phrase is often used during introductions, it is also common to say よろしくお願いします before a sporting match or a competition to show sportsmanship toward an opponent.
- While よろしくお願いします is often used for new beginnings, it is also said when handing a child to a babysitter or a patient to a doctor. In these cases, it functions as a trust-based request for the other person to take care of someone precious.
- Japanese culture uses this phrase to create a 'social debt' where the speaker acknowledges their dependence on the other person, which helps maintain harmony or wa.
Examples in context
- 新しく入りました。よろしくお願いします。Atarashiku hairimashita. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.I am new here. Please be kind to me.
- 今日からお世話になります。よろしくお願いします。Kyou kara osewa ni narimasu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.I will be in your care starting today. Please be kind to me.
Example conversation
A female student introduces herself to a male classmate on the first day of school.
- 陽葵 Himariはじめまして、陽葵です。よろしくお願いします。Hajimemashite, Himari desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Nice to meet you, I am Himari. Please be kind to me.
- 蓮 Ren蓮です。こちらこそよろしくお願いします。Ren desu. Kochira koso yoroshiku onegaishimasu.I am Ren. Nice to meet you too.
- 陽葵 Himari仲良くしてくださいね。Nakayoku shite kudasai ne.Let's get along well.
- 蓮 Renうん、もちろんだよ。Un, mochiron da yo.Yeah, of course.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry よろしくお願いします, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
