Beginner Japanese · Lesson 3
Introducing Yourself in Japanese
Introduce yourself in a few short Japanese lines using one clear identity pattern.
A first-meeting bridge
Add one line after はじめまして
You already know はじめまして. It marks a first meeting. Now follow it with one short line about yourself—starting with your name.
Start with your name
Put a name directly before です. You do not need a longer phrase to give your name in this first introduction.
Words for saying who you are
These words let you make a name or role line. The Kanji receive word-level reading support; the sentence reading comes separately in the examples.
New word
私
I; me
Use the full form when the sentence structure needs to be visible.
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名前
name
A useful word to recognize, even though a first introduction can state a name more simply.
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学生
student
New word
会社員
company employee
See the full structure
Say one role in a complete sentence
Start with 私 so every part is visible. Later, you will see why a real introduction does not need to repeat 私は in every line.
Full identity sentence
Reading: わたしはがくせいです。
Build a sentence
Build one polite identity statement
A は B です
A is the topic—what the sentence is about. B gives an identity, category, or simple piece of information about that topic.
In this pattern, は is written with the Hiragana character は but pronounced わ. Here, です completes the polite statement.
Identity statement
Reading: わたしはかいしゃいんです。
Read the two small parts carefully
は marks the topic
In 私は学生です, 私 is what the sentence is about. The particle は marks that topic. It is not a promise that Japanese topics always work like English grammatical subjects.
です completes this polite statement
Here, です finishes a polite noun sentence. Its English translation may contain am, is, or are, but do not treat it as one universal English word.
Check your recall
Build the identity pattern
Try each prompt before opening the answer.
You are a student. Build the full Japanese sentence with the explicit first-person topic.
Reveal the identity sentence
私は学生です。I am a student.
はHow is this written topic particle pronounced here?
Reveal the particle reading
わThis is the pronunciation of the topic particle in this sentence.
Country and nationality words
Japan and Sri Lanka give this lesson two bounded country examples. Add the nationality suffix to either one in the next section.
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日本
Japan
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スリランカ
Sri Lanka
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～人
person from; nationality suffix
Attach this suffix to a country name to make a nationality word.
One useful suffix
Add ～人（～じん） for nationality
Attach ～人 to the country name: 日本 + 人 → 日本人, and スリランカ + 人 → スリランカ人. In these nationality words, 人 is read じん.
Nationality statement
Reading: わたしはスリランカじんです。
A later lesson uses 人 differently when counting people, with the reading にん. Keep that later counter separate from nationalityじん.
Check your recall
Change the nationality
Try each prompt before opening the answer.
日本 + ～人Combine this country with the nationality suffix.
Reveal the nationality word
日本人（にほんじん）a Japanese person; Japanese nationality
Complete the full sentence: I am Sri Lankan.
Reveal the identity sentence
私はスリランカ人です。I am Sri Lankan.
Language and people words to recognize
Keep these five New words light for now. They are labels you will recognize in later lessons: two languages, a teacher, and one’s own father and mother. You do not need to build sentences with them yet.
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日本語
Japanese language
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英語
English language
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先生
teacher
Commonly used for or when addressing a teacher respectfully.
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父
my father; one's own father
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母
my mother; one's own mother
A common polite close
Learn the longer expression as one social chunk. Its job here matters more than a word-by-word breakdown.
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よろしくお願いします
Reading: よろしくおねがいします
a polite self-introduction closing
Keep this as one polite closing expression for a first introduction.
Keep the opening and closing distinct
はじめまして often marks the start of a first meeting.よろしくお願いします is commonly used near the end of a short introduction. In this situation, the longer expression can carry a feeling similar to “nice to meet you” or “I look forward to getting along with you,” but it does not have one fixed English translation for every use.
Two expressions coming back
The familiar first-meeting expression opens the introduction. The shorter request expression is related in form to the longer closing above, but they are not interchangeable.
Review
はじめまして
nice to meet you
This familiar expression opens a first meeting.
Review
お願いします
Reading: おねがいします
please; I ask this of you
Related in form, but not interchangeable with the longer closing expression.
Put the parts together
Move from visible structure to a short introduction
Full structural model
Reading: はじめまして。わたしはがくせいです。よろしくおねがいします。
The full sentence shows every part of the pattern. In a self-introduction, once it is clear that you are talking about yourself, Japanese often leaves 私はunstated instead of repeating it in every line. This is a choice supported by the context, not a rule to delete 私は after the first sentence.
One possible short introduction
はじめまして。
ミラです。
スリランカ人です。
学生です。
よろしくお願いします。
Substitute your own name, role, or the nationality words from this lesson. You do not need to include every line every time.
Check your recall
Build a short introduction
Say your answer before opening the model. Change the bracketed part to fit you when you can.
Give your name in one short line.
Reveal the name pattern
［名前］です。Put your name directly before the polite ending.
Build one possible three-part first introduction: opening, one identity line, and closing.
Reveal one possible model
はじめまして。学生です。よろしくお願いします。The identity line can change to your name, role, or nationality.
Keep one pattern at the center
- A は B です makes a polite identity statement here.
- In nationality words, ～人 is read ～じん.
- よろしくお願いします is a common polite close in a first introduction.