Quick Reference

Meaning & Definition

The moment you say hajimemashite, you signal something specific: this is the very first time you are meeting this person. Unlike a simple greeting, it carries the weight of a new beginning — and it always points forward to the relationship you are about to build.

Hajimemashite is a set phrase used exclusively at the very first meeting between two people. It derives from the verb hajimeru (to begin), conjugated in the formal te-form, giving the literal sense of “as we are beginning (our acquaintance).” Because it marks a one-time threshold — the first encounter — you cannot use it again with the same person at a second meeting. In contrast to konnichiwa (hello, usable any time), hajimemashite is reserved for that singular opening moment. It is almost never spoken alone; it flows immediately into a self-introduction and is typically followed by yoroshiku onegaishimasu or its polite form dōzo yoroshiku onegaiitashimasu, which asks for the other person’s continued goodwill. The phrase works in both casual and formal contexts, though in highly formal settings the full sequence — hajimemashite, name, affiliation, yoroshiku onegaiitashimasu — is expected.

How to Use It

The single most important rule: use hajimemashite only once per relationship. Meeting a colleague for the second time and saying it again is a noticeable mistake that implies you have forgotten them entirely. After the first meeting, switch to osewa ni natte imasu (in business) or simply use the person’s name with a greeting. In practice, the phrase is almost always part of a three-part sequence: hajimemashite → [your name] + to mōshimasu / desu → yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Dropping the final yoroshiku sounds abrupt. In business card exchange (meishi koukan), you bow slightly as you say hajimemashite and receive the card with both hands — the phrase and the physical gesture are culturally inseparable.

Kanji Breakdown

While the hiragana spelling はじめまして is standard in everyday use, the phrase can be written in kanji as 初めまして. The character 初 means “first” or “beginning” and appears in related words such as 初日 (shonichi, first day) and 初心者 (shoshinsha, beginner). Recognizing 初 helps learners connect hajimemashite to a broader family of “first-time” vocabulary.

Example Sentences

Cultural Context

In Japanese social culture, the first meeting carries formal weight that may surprise learners from cultures where introductions are brief. The hajimemashite sequence — greeting, name, role or affiliation, and yoroshiku — functions almost like a ritual handshake: each part is expected, and skipping a step can read as rushed or rude. Japanese people often rehearse self-introductions (jiko shōkai) before joining a new workplace, school year, or club, because the first impression set in that moment tends to define how colleagues and peers relate to you going forward.

In professional settings, hajimemashite is woven into the meishi koukan (business card exchange) ceremony. Cards are presented and received with both hands, a slight bow accompanies the hajimemashite, and the recipient is expected to read the card carefully rather than immediately pocket it. Saying the phrase while performing this exchange signals respect for the relationship as something that is only now beginning — the card itself being a physical record of that first moment.

Online, hajimemashite has found a second life as a standard opener in social media profiles, YouTube channel introductions, and first posts on community forums. Content creators in Japan frequently begin debut videos with はじめまして as a way to mark the channel’s own “first meeting” with viewers, borrowing the phrase’s cultural sense of a meaningful beginning rather than just a casual hello.

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