お名前とお年
onamae to otoshi
お名前とお年 (onamae to otoshi) is the Japanese way to say "your name and age".
This phrase is used as a request to find out both the name and the age of a person.
How do you pronounce it?
onamae to otoshi
Did you know?
- The concept of 'age' in Japanese is deeply tied to the 'kazoedoshi' system, where a person is traditionally considered one year old at birth and gains a year on New Year's Day, regardless of their actual birthday.
- In professional settings, Japanese people often identify themselves by their company and department before stating their お名前, as the group identity is often more important than the individual.
- In historical contexts, such as in samurai era literature, names were often not used at all in conversation, as calling someone by their 名前 could be seen as overly intimate or aggressive.
Example conversation
A receptionist is registering a new member at a gym.
- 陽葵 Himari受付ですので、お名前とお年をお願いします。Uketsuke desu node, onamae to otoshi o onegai shimasu.This is the reception, so your name and age, please.
- 蓮 Ren蓮です。二十歳です。Ren desu. Hatachi desu.I'm Ren. I am twenty years old.
- 陽葵 Himariありがとうございます、蓮さん。Arigato gozaimasu, Ren-san.Thank you, Ren.
- 蓮 Renよろしくお願いします。Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.Nice to meet you.
