Learn Japanese fast! Formal introductions may not be fun, but they are a fact of life. Depending on who you’re talking to, the way you present yourself can be drastically different. One of the most critical skills you will learn when you speak Japanese is the ability to confidently use formal and informal speech. A big part of that is knowing how to act in various social situations. This Japanese for Beginners article is about how to introduce yourself formally in Japanese and when to do it. By the end of this article, you will be a pro at using mooshimasu to present your name formally. This dynamic Japanese article also contains a review of relevant information you learned in previous lessons. For example, you will find a complete review of the Japanese word arimasu and an easy-to-use practice chart.
Vocabulary: In this article, you will learn the following words and phrases:
kangoshi – “nurse”
yoyaku – “reservation, appointment”
mooshimasu (humble form) – “to be called, say” (form -masu)
hajimete – “for the first time”
Hokensho– “insurance card”
byooin– “hospital”
sakki – “long time”
Grammar: In this article, you will learn the following words and phrases:
Vocabulary and useful phrases
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Rorii to Mooshimasu
“I’m Lori.”
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___ to mooshimasu is a formal way of introducing your name. For is a particle that marks an appointment. mooshimasu is a humble expression that means “to say”.
For example:
- Hajimemashita. Watashi wa Mizuki Kazuo to Mooshimasu. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Kazuo Mizuki.”
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hajimete
“for the first time”
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Notice the usage in the following sentences.
For example:
- Tookyo wa hajimete desu ka. “Is this your first time visiting Tokyo?”
- Hajimete, soba or tabemashita. “I ate buckwheat noodles for the first time.”
- Hajimete, Nagano, or Ikimashita. “I went to Nagano for the first time.”
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Grammar review
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In this article, we will review the use of arimasu and the past form of masu form of a verb. We covered both grammar points in Newbie Series Season 4 article 25.
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Yoyaku wa arimasu ka.
“Do you have a reservation?”
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yoyaku – “booking”
wow – theme bookmark
arimasu – “exist, have”
than – question marker
arimasu is he masu verb form aru, which indicates the existence of a non-animated object. In an affirmative sentence, the particle Georgia mark the object. However, in a negative or yes-no question, we can mark the object with Georgia Prayed wow.
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“There is a ___” / “There is a ___”
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- Byooin ga arimasu. “There is a hospital”.
- Chikaku ni toire ga arimasu ka. “Are there restaurants near here?”
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“I have ___” / “Someone has ___”
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The pattern of prayer “[person] wow [noun] ga arimasu“correspond with”[person] has [noun]” in French.
For example:
- Watashi wa yotei ga arimasu. “I have plans.”
- (Rorii-san wa ) hoken-shoo ga arimasu ka. “Do you have an insurance card, Lori?”
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Sakki, denwa or shimashita.
“I made a phone call some time ago.”
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sakki – “long time”
denwa – “telephone”
oh – object marker
shimashita – past tense of the verb shimasu (“to do”)
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Masu form of a verb
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- Negative form: Change –masu for-More in Example: Shi masu becomes Shi More in
- past form: Change –masu for-mashita Example: Shi masu becomes Shi mashita
- negative past form: Change –masu for-deshita masen Example: Shi masu becomes Shi deshita masen
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practice
Fill in the blanks.
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“English” / not past affirmative / no negative past / not affirmative / past negative
“to go” / ikimasu / ikimasen / ___ / ___
“to eat” / tabemasu /___/ tabemashita / ___
“look at” / mimasu /___/___/ mimasendeshita
“come” /___/___/ Kimashita / ___
“___” /___/ shimasen / ___ / ___