JLPT N5 Lesson 2: First Conversations — Greetings and Self-Introduction

Overview

In this lesson, we move from the writing systems of Hiragana and Katakana into the functional building blocks of the Japanese language. Learning how to introduce yourself and navigate basic social interactions is the cornerstone of the JLPT N5 level. You will learn how to structure simple sentences using the copula and particles, which are essential for all future communication.

By mastering these greetings and self-introduction patterns, you are not just learning vocabulary; you are learning the "social glue" of Japanese culture. This lesson connects directly to your future ability to form complex sentences and will serve as the foundation for every conversation you have in Japan, from meeting a host family to introducing yourself in a business setting.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you can:

• Use appropriate time-based greetings (Ohayou, Konnichiwa, Konbanwa).
• Introduce your name and origin using the "desu" copula and "to iimasu" structure.
• Construct basic sentences using the topic particle "wa" and the possessive particle "no".
• Form polite questions using the question marker "ka".

New Vocabulary

Japanese	Reading	Romaji	English	Part of Speech
おはようございます	おはようございます	Ohayou gozaimasu	Good morning	Greeting
こんにちは	こんにちは	Konnichiwa	Good afternoon/Hello	Greeting
こんばんは	こんばんは	Konbanwa	Good evening	Greeting
はじめまして	はじめまして	Hajimemashite	Nice to meet you	Phrase
〜といいます	〜といいます	~ to iimasu	I am called ~	Verb
〜から来ました	〜からきました	~ kara kimashita	I came from ~	Verb phrase
よろしくお願いします	よろしくおねがいします	Yoroshiku onegaishimasu	Please treat me well	Phrase
私	わたし	Watashi	I / Me	Pronoun
名前	なまえ	Namae	Name	Noun
学生	がくせい	Gakusei	Student	Noun
日本	にほん	Nihon	Japan	Noun
アメリカ	アメリカ	Amerika	America	Noun
先生	せんせい	Sensei	Teacher	Noun
誰	だれ	Dare	Who	Pronoun
何	なに	Nani	What	Pronoun

Grammar Points

The Copula "Desu" (です)

Structure: [Noun] + です

The word "desu" is a polite copula, similar to "is," "am," or "are" in English. It is placed at the end of a sentence to make it polite. Unlike English, the verb/copula always comes at the end of the Japanese sentence.

Japanese	Reading	Romaji	English
私は田中です	わたしはたなかです	Watashi wa Tanaka desu	I am Tanaka.
私は学生です	わたしはがくせいです	Watashi wa gakusei desu	I am a student.
これは本です	これはほんです	Kore wa hon desu	This is a book.
彼は先生です	かれはせんせいです	Kare wa sensei desu	He is a teacher.

Common mistake: ❌ 私は学生 → ✓ 私は学生です — In formal or polite Japanese, you must include "desu" to complete the sentence.

The Topic Particle "Wa" (は) and Question Marker "Ka" (か)

Structure: [Topic] + は + [Comment] + です + か

The particle "wa" (written as は) marks the topic of the sentence. The particle "ka" (か) is placed at the end of a sentence to turn it into a question, functioning like a question mark.

Japanese	Reading	Romaji	English
あなたは学生ですか	あなたはがくせいですか	Anata wa gakusei desu ka	Are you a student?
名前は何ですか	なまえはなんですか	Namae wa nan desu ka	What is your name?
日本人ですか	にほんじんですか	Nihonjin desu ka	Are you Japanese?
誰ですか	だれですか	Dare desu ka	Who is it?

Common mistake: ❌ あなたは学生？ → ✓ あなたは学生ですか — While intonation can indicate a question, adding "ka" is the standard way to mark a question in writing and formal speech.

Dialogues

Dialogue 1: Meeting at School

[Tanaka and Sarah meet for the first time.]

Tanaka: はじめまして。田中です。 (Hajimemashite. Tanaka desu.) / Nice to meet you. I am Tanaka.

Sarah: はじめまして。サラです。よろしくお願いします。 (Hajimemashite. Sara desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.) / Nice to meet you. I am Sarah. Please treat me well.

Tanaka: サラさんは学生ですか。 (Sara-san wa gakusei desu ka.) / Are you a student, Sarah?

Sarah: はい、学生です。田中さんは先生ですか。 (Hai, gakusei desu. Tanaka-san wa sensei desu ka.) / Yes, I am a student. Are you a teacher, Tanaka?

Tanaka: いいえ、学生です。 (Iie, gakusei desu.) / No, I am a student.

Dialogue 2: Where are you from?

[Two colleagues talking in an office.]

Ken: こんにちは。私はケンといいます。 (Konnichiwa. Watashi wa Ken to iimasu.) / Hello. I am called Ken.

Maria: こんにちは。マリアです。 (Konnichiwa. Maria desu.) / Hello. I am Maria.

Ken: マリアさんはどこから来ましたか。 (Maria-san wa doko kara kimashita ka.) / Where did you come from, Maria?

Maria: アメリカから来ました。ケンさんは？ (Amerika kara kimashita. Ken-san wa?) / I came from America. How about you, Ken?

Ken: 日本から来ました。 (Nihon kara kimashita.) / I came from Japan.

Grammar Drills

Exercise 1: Fill in the blank

1. 私はサラ____。(desu)
2. あなたは学生____か。(question marker)
3. 私はアメリカ____来ました。(from)
4. 私の名前____田中です。(topic particle)
5. はじめ____。(nice to meet you)

Answer Key:

1. です 2. です 3. から 4. は 5. まして

Translation Practice

English → Japanese

1. I am a student.
2. Are you from Japan?
3. My name is Sarah.
4. Nice to meet you.
5. I came from America.

Japanese → English 6. 私は田中です。 7. 学生ですか。 8. こんにちは。 9. 私は日本から来ました。 10. よろしくお願いします。

Answer Key:

1. 私は学生です。 2. 日本から来ましたか。 3. 私の名前はサラです。 4. はじめまして。 5. アメリカから来ました。 6. I am Tanaka. 7. Are you a student? 8. Hello. 9. I came from Japan. 10. Please treat me well.

Cultural Note

In Japan, the phrase "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu" is essential. It does not have a direct English equivalent, but it essentially means "I am placing myself in your care" or "I look forward to our relationship." It is used when meeting someone new, starting a project, or even when asking for a favor.

Additionally, Japanese people often omit the subject ("I" or "You") when it is clear from context. You will notice that in natural conversation, people rarely say "Watashi wa" (I am) repeatedly, as it sounds redundant. Learning when to drop the subject is a key step toward sounding like a native speaker.

Self-Check

1. Why do we use "desu" at the end of a sentence?
2. How do you turn a statement into a question in Japanese?
3. What is the difference between "Hajimemashite" and "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu"?
4. Translate: "I am a teacher from Japan."
5. Reflect: Why is it important to use polite language when meeting someone for the first time in Japan?