Phase 5 · 9 min

Introducing yourself

自己紹介 — the speech you will give a hundred times

Every new group, office, and dinner starts with a short self-introduction. Build yours once, then reuse it. Keep it to five sentences.

hajimemashite. iburaru to moushimasu

Nice to meet you. My name is Ibrar.

と申します is the humble 'I am called'. Casual: イブラルです.

pakisutan shusshin desu

I'm from Pakistan.

出身 = origin. Swap in any country.

dēta saienteisuto desu

I'm a data scientist.

toukyou ni sundeimasu

I live in Tokyo.

住んでいます = ongoing state (て + います).

nihongo o benkyou shiteimasu

I'm studying Japanese.

mada nihongo ga jouzu janai desu

My Japanese is not good yet.

Say this and everyone relaxes. They will praise you anyway: 上手ですね!

shumi wa ryouri to eiga desu

My hobbies are cooking and films.

と joins nouns: A と B.

douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu

Please look after me. (closing line)

Answering the questions that follow

onamae wa

Your name?

Rising tone, particle は left hanging. Very common.

oshigoto wa nan desuka

What is your job?

nihon wa dou desuka

How is Japan?

Answer: 楽しいです (fun) / 大好きです (I love it) / 暑いです (hot).

nihongo ga jouzu desune

Your Japanese is good!

Reply: いえいえ、まだまだです。 'No no, still a long way to go.'

اردو

From Urdu

と申します is the Urdu بندے کو … کہتے ہیں register: humble, formal. 出身 = آبائی وطن. 'まだまだです' is the same reflex as Urdu نہیں نہیں، ابھی سیکھ رہا ہوں: always deflect praise.

Check yourself

1 / 6

10 cards

Add them to spaced repetition

Cards in this lesson (10)

〜to moushimasu

my name is … (humble)

〜shusshin desu

I'm from …

〜ni sundeimasu

I live in …

nihongo o benkyou shiteimasu

I'm studying Japanese

jouzu

skilled / good at

madamada desu

still a long way to go (deflecting praise)

shumi

hobby

onamae wa

your name?

oshigoto wa nan desuka

what is your job?

doudesuka

how is it?

Next lesson

Numbers, time and money

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