Japanese phrazes

おはようございます

Introduction. First meeting.

1) おはようございます

Ohayo godzaimasu
Good morning

おはよう  ~ Ohayo ~ short version

It’s an archaic way to say “It’s early”

2) こんにちは

Konnichiwa
Good day

Isn’t used with same family members.

Means literally “Today … ?”

Writing with the kanji I know already こん日は

3) こんばんは

Konbanwa

Good evening

Isn’t used with same family members.

Means literally “Today’s evening … ?”

4) はじめまして

Hajimemashite

Is used when persons meet each other the first time and make an introduction. Something like “Nice to meet you”

はじめ ~ hajime~ means “the first time”

I do not know yet what means “まして ~ mashite”

5) どうぞよろしく おぬがい します

Do:zo yoroshiku onegai shimasu

Is used when persons meet each other the first time and make an introduction. Is used after はじめまして (see p.4) and means something like “Please regard me and our future relationships favorably”. It’s hard for me to explain properly this expression in details as I do not find a match in English.

It’s often used the shorten version: どうぞよろしく [Do:zo yoroshiku]

6) Surname です [desu], for example コノバロバ です [Konovalova desu or as Japanese do not have "va" and "lo" Konobaroba desu].

Desu means “to be” or in this case “am”. There is no “I” in sentence as the “I” is understood from the context.

So, when you meet someone new you would say (pls note that the Japanese dot is a small circle, I do not have possibility to insert it now) :

こんにちは.  はじめまして,  コノバロバ です. どうぞよろしく おぬがい します.

Konnichiwa. Hajimemashite, Konovalova desu. Do:zo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

Good day. It’s the first time we meet, I’m Konovalova. Please regard me and our future relationships favorably.

7) There are several ways to introduce yourselves:

a) the simplest way is to say:

わたしは… どす.

Watashi wa … desu.

I am … .

わたし [Watashi] means “I”, は [wa] is a particle that connects topic and comment of a sentence.

b) わたしは … ともうします.

Watashi wa … to mo:shimasu.

I am called … .

と [to] is a particle *funny thing! in my book written by Russian author this particle is for a case that I can translate as “joint case”, but I couldn’t find its analog in English resourses* that means that something goes with something; もうします [mo:shimasu] means “called, named”.

c) わたしのなまえは … です.

Watashi no namae wa … desu.

My name is … .

の [no] is a particle that used with the genitive case;  わたし [watashi] + の [no] means “my”. なまえ [namae] means “name”.

Please, thank you, you are welcome.

1) これを　ください.

Kore o kudasai.

Please give me this (in a shop)

これ (kore [near you, far from your companion] – this), can be replaced with それ(sore [near your companion, far from you]- that ) or あれ(are [far from both]- that). There are some other uses of these pronouns also.

But also you can name something that you want and add おぬがい します (onegai shimasu).

For example, この さいふ おねがいします (kono saifu onegai shimasu – this wallet please)

この (kono [near you, far from your companion] – this), can be replaced with その(sono [near your companion, far from you]- that ) or あの(are [far from both]- that).

Pronouns of this type with -re at the end are used separately, with -no at the end are used with nouns.

どれ (dore) and どの (dono) are questionable pronouns.

2) どうぞ.

Do:zo.

Can’t pick up a word. You say it when you give something to somebody.

3) どうも ありがとう ございまそ

Do:mo arigato: gozaimasu.

Thank you very much.

Can be shortened to:

どうも (do:mo)

ありがとう (arigato:)

4) どう いたしまして

Do: itashimashite

You are welcome! (Not at all!)