![]() (Note: Japanese people don't use middle names.) This is rather like Japanese addresses, which go from broad (one of 47 prefectures) to specific (house number), also the reverse of the English order. The exception is for foreigners, whose names can go in either order. Japanese Name Orderįull names in Japanese are always said with the family name (surname) first, personal name (given name) second. On the other hand, you should never use a suffix with your own name. No suffix at all is a very intimate way to address someone, and is usually not appropriate. So if someone is san to you when you're talking to them face to face, they're san all the time. This is the same way you would always refer to the person, even when they're not around: with the suffix that represents your relationship to them. Instead of saying "you", in Japanese you simply say the person's name with the appropriate name suffix. Often simply used in place of the persons name when addressing them directly, or when it's obvious which teacher you're referring to. Literally "one who has gone before", used with teachers, professors, doctors, and masters of any trade. Also sometimes used with pets and other cute animals. Occasionally used with both males and females of lower rank.Ī diminuative, used with young children and with close female friends. Often with male students, and with male friends (children and young adults). General purpose, gender neutral, equivalent to Mr./Mrs./Ms. They also depend on the speaker and listener's relative ranks. Name suffixes are another example of Japanese honorifics, but unlike "o", they are never optional. When actually using someone's name, you would generally include a name suffix as well. Note that you would never refer to your own name as o-namae, it would be just namae. This is often used after giving one's name to prompt the other person to give theirs. "O-namae wa?" is short for the question: おなまえは なんですか。īut the short form is generally used instead. Asking for NamesĪsking for someone's name is a simple task. In reality, there's some variation, but this much is fine for now. So, in summary, here is a (perhaps overly) typical exchange: Put these three parts together and you should be able to understand the standard translation, a request for the other person to treat them well.Īfter the first person finishes, the other person will then give their name and "yoroshiku". This expression is often used as part of a request. "Shimasu" is a verb meaning "to do", so "o-negai shimasu" means to wish for something. The prefix "o" is an honorific, shows respect towards the listener. It comes from the polite adjective "yoroshii", meaning good. "Yoroshiku" means "well", understandably enough. You'll learn the other Japanese word translated as "please" (kudasai) when we get to command verbs. It carries politeness, but is not a command. ![]() "Douzo" means "please", in the sense of "please sit down". To understand this one better, let's break it down. The closest English equivalent of all of these is "Nice to meet you". An even more informal version would be "yoroshiku" or "yoroshiku, ne". どうぞ よろしく おねがいします。Īll of these mean roughly the same thing, though omitting "o-negai shimasu" makes it less formal. This one is optional for now, but I've included it here for completeness.Īfter giving their name, the speaker ends with one of the following expressions. " to moushimasu" is much more polite as it uses a humble verb, and is typically used when introducing yourself to someone of a higher rank. Introductions definitely count as such a context. The "watashi wa" portion of sentences with "I" as the subject can be stiff sounding and usually omitted if obvious from context. ![]() Read more about the topic marker "wa" and the copula "desu" Pronunciation note: The 'su' in "desu" and "masu" is always devoiced, so they sound like de-s and ma-s respectively. Next, one person gives their name, using one of two patterns. ![]() The closest English equivalent is "How do you do?". The expression is derived from the verb "hajimeru", meaning "to do (something) for the first time". ![]() Pronunciation note: the 'shi' in "hajimemashite" has an unvoiced vowel, so it sounds like ha-ji-me-ma-*sh*-te. When meeting someone for the first time, the standard introduction has two parts. No grammar knowledge is required, but you should at least know the basics of Japanese pronunciation before you start. In this section you'll learn how to introduce yourself, ask for someone's name, and use Japanese name suffixes. But rather than just giving you a list, I'll explain what each means and the differences between variants. As is customary in any foreign language course, we'll do lots of common expressions early on. ![]()
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