Chapter 1: Greetings and Introductions – 初めまして

1 ｜ Story Scenario
You have just arrived at Tokyo International Airport. After collecting your luggage, you step into the arrival gate hall. Standing there is Yumi さん, your host from the language exchange program. She holds a small sign with your name. Your heart races—this is your first time in Japan, and you’re about to meet her face-to-face.

In the following dialogue, you will learn how to greet someone politely, introduce yourself, and respond to basic questions in Japanese.

2 ｜ Dialogue with Romaji & Translation

Speaker	Japanese	Romaji	English
Yumi	こんにちは、ナサンさん。はじめまして。よろしくお願いします。	Konnichiwa, Nasan-san. Hajimemashite. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.	Hello, Mr. Nathan. Nice to meet you. Please treat me well.
You	こんにちは、ユミさん。私はナサンです。はじめまして。よろしくお願いします。	Konnichiwa, Yumi-san. Watashi wa Nathan desu. Hajimemashite. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.	Hello, Ms. Yumi. I am Nathan. Nice to meet you. Please treat me well.
Yumi	お国はどちらですか？	Okuni wa dochira desu ka?	Which country are you from?
You	アメリカです。	Amerika desu.	I’m from the United States.
Yumi	アメリカからようこそ！	Amerika kara yōkoso!	Welcome from the U.S.!
You	ありがとうございます！	Arigatō gozaimasu!	Thank you very much!

3 ｜ Key Phrases & Vocabulary

Japanese	Romaji	English
こんにちは	konnichiwa	Hello (late morning–evening)
はじめまして	hajimemashite	Nice to meet you (first meeting)
よろしくお願いします	yoroshiku onegaishimasu	Please treat me well / Pleased to meet you
私	watashi	I (formal, gender-neutral)
～さん	-san	Mr./Ms./Mrs. (polite suffix)
です	desu	copula “is/am/are”
か	ka	question particle
お国	okuni	(your) country
どちら	dochira	where (polite)
から	kara	from
ありがとうございます	arigatō gozaimasu	thank you (formal)

Five Pure Vowels:

Vowel	Sound	Example
A	like “ah” in “car”	あ (a)
I	like “ee” in “see”	い (i)
U	like “oo” in “food”	う (u)
E	like “e” in “bed”	え (e)
O	like “o” in “go”	お (o)

8 ｜ Practice Exercises

A. Fill-in-the-Blank Self-Introduction
Complete the following sentences:

1. 私は ________ です。 (Your name)

2. お国は ________ ですか？ (Your country)

3. こんにちは / はじめまして / よろしくお願いします から始めてください。

B. Matching
Match Japanese phrases to their English meanings:

1. はじめまして a. Hello

2. お国はどちらですか？ b. Thank you very much

3. ありがとうございます c. Which country are you from?

C. Create Your Own Dialogue
Imagine you meet a new Japanese friend at school. Write a short dialogue (4–6 lines) using:

• こんにちは

• はじめまして

• 私は～です

• Question with か

9 ｜ Quick Quiz

1. What is the polite way to say “Nice to meet you”?

   • a) ありがとう

   • b) はじめまして

   • c) こんにちは

2. How do you turn the sentence “あなたは学生です。” into a question?

   • Answer: ____________________________________

3. Translate into Japanese: “I am from Canada.”

   • Answer: ____________________________________

4. Which writing system is used for the word アメリカ?

   • a) Hiragana

   • b) Katakana

   • c) Kanji

5. True or False: In Japanese, each syllable is pronounced for roughly the same length of time.

   • Answer: __________

10 ｜ Additional Notes

• Politeness Levels
  In this chapter we use the polite (です/ます) form throughout. As you advance, you will learn casual speech (する, だ).

• Role-Play Suggestion
  Pair up with a partner: one plays “visitor,” the other “host.” Practice the arrival-gate scene and swap roles.

• Cultural Tip
  Bowing accompanies these greetings. A slight bow (15°) is casual; deeper bows (30°+) mark more formality or gratitude.

Congratulations! You’ve now mastered the core greetings and self-introduction structures for a first encounter in Japanese. Keep practicing the dialogue, review your flashcards daily, and you’ll make a great first impression on your next trip to Japan!