Page 71 - Basic Japanese

Genki desu. Makoto-san wa?

Yes, I’m fine. How about you, Makoto?

M.

Okage-sama de. Genki desu.
I’m fine, too.

A.
Tanaka-sensei, kochira wa Makoto-san desu.

Profesor Tanaka, this is Makoto.

M.
Hajimemashite. Itō Makoto desu. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
Hello! I’m Makoto Ito. Very pleased to meet you.

T.

Tanaka desu. Kochira koso yoroshiku.

I am (Ms.) Tanaka. Nice to meet you, too.

Hajimemashite

Many of you might have wondered why the Japanese

say hajimemashite when they see someone for the first
time. Hajimemashite sounds like the hajime that is used

at a karate dojo, doesn’t it? Hajimemashite is a derived

form of the verb hajimeru, which means ‘begins.’ It is
the first phrase when you “begin” conversation with
someone new. It is difficult to translate into English,

but its function is to clarify that this is the first time for
one to talk to the person and also to convey one’s

willingness to get to know the person. Don’t try to