NIHONGO DAISUKI ! 日本語 だいすき!
  • CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
    • REI - STARTING THE LESSON
    • THINGS STUDENTS SAY
    • THINGS TEACHERS SAY
    • CLASSROOM OBJECTS
    • KIMOCHI - FEELINGS
  • YEAR 9
    • AISATSU - GREETINGS
    • GREETINGS ANIME
    • JIKO SHOUKAI - SELF INTRODUCTION
    • NAMAE - NAMES
    • BANGOU - NUMBERS
    • NAN SAI? - HOW OLD ARE YOU?
    • KAZOKU - FAMILY
    • WHERE WE LIVE
    • SPORTS AND PASTIMES
    • LIKES AND DISLIKES
    • YURU KYARA - CHARACTER MASCOTS
    • PARTS OF THE BODY - FACES
    • THE BODY - KARADA
    • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
    • WHAT'S IT LIKE - DESCRIBING WORDS
    • TENKI - WEATHER
    • KAMOKU - SUBJECTS
    • SUBEJECT LIKES AND DISLIKES
    • GAKKOU - SCHOOL
    • HIRAGANA
  • YEAR 10
    • KUNI - COUNTRIES
    • KAZOKU - FAMILY >
      • FAMILY VOCABULARY
      • NAN NIN? - HOW MANY PEOPLE?
      • DARE GA IMASU KA -WHO IS THERE?
      • DESCRIBING APPEARANCE
      • SHUMI - HOBBIES
      • SHIGOTO - JOBS
    • TABEMONO - FOOD >
      • ORDERING IN A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT
    • HOUSING >
      • AROUND HOME - VOCABULARY
      • WHAT'S IT LIKE? - DOU DESU KA?
      • ARIMASU-THERE IS/THERE ARE
      • HITOTSU ARIMASU-THERE IS ONE
      • IN/ON/UNDER - PREPOSITIONS
      • SAYING WHAT THERE IS AND WHERE
      • ASKING AND SAYING WHERE SOMETHING IS
      • KORE/SORE/ARE - THIS/THAT
    • SEIKATSU - DAILY LIFE >
      • VERBS - INTRODUCTION
      • VERBS - DAILY ACTIVITIES
      • HOW OFTEN?
      • TOMORROW - FUTURE TIME WORDS
      • PAST ACTIVITIES
      • YESTERDAY - PAST TIME WORDS
      • JIKAN - TIME
      • YOUBI - DAYS OF THE WEEK
    • YEAR 10 GAKKOU >
      • KAMOKU - SUBJECTS
      • SCHOOL VOCABULARY
    • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
    • DOUBUTSU - ANIMALS >
      • STORIES AND SONGS >
        • Zou no hana - The Elephant's Nose
        • Kobutanukitsuneko
    • YEAR 10 KANJI
  • YEAR 11
    • Y11 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • THINGS AROUND TOWN
      • NANI GA ARU? - WHAT IS THERE?
      • MAE / YOKO / USHIRO - Locations
      • ADJECTIVES - REVIEW
      • DESCRIBING APPEARANCES
      • CHIISAKUTE, FURUI - Small and old - Joining adjectives
      • EKI GA ATTE, BENRI DESU - Forming compound sentences
      • IROIRONA MACHI - Descriptions of various towns
      • TARI-TARI - Do things like...
      • KARA - from, because, after >
        • KARA = FROM
        • KARA = BECAUSE/SO
        • KARA = AFTER
      • DOU YATTE IKU? - Giving Directions
      • NANI GA DEKIRU? - WHAT CAN WE DO THERE?
      • ASOBI NI KITE - COME AND VISIT
      • MACHI ONLINE READING LINKS
      • COUNTERS
      • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
      • AKAI NO GA HOSHII - I WANT THE RED ONE
      • IKURA - HOW MUCH?
      • SORE WO KUDASAI - THAT ONE PLEASE
      • NANI GA II - WHAT WOULD BE GOOD?
      • NI SHIMASU - EXPRESSING A DECISION
      • TO OMOU - I THINK
      • SHUMI - HOBBIES
      • GIVING & RECEIVING - AGERU KURERU MORAU
      • OISHISOU - LOOKS DELICIOUS
      • TABETAI - WANT TO EAT
      • TSUMORI - INTEND
      • DESCRIBING PEOPLE
      • MOU, MADA - ALREADY, NOT YET
      • SUGIRU - Too much
      • NAGARA - While doing
      • TE MO II - PERMISSION
      • NARIMASU -BECOME
      • CONNECTIVES - Joining words
      • SEQUENCE MARKERS AVERBS OF TIME
    • WATASHI-TACHI NO MACHI - OUR TOWN
    • KAIMONO - SHOPPING 1
    • KURISUMASU - CHRISTMAS
    • OTHER LANGUAGE NOTES
    • PRESENTATIONS - Oral language features
    • NCEA LEVEL 1 KANJI
    • FUNNY JAPANESE COMMERCIALS
  • YEAR 12
    • YEAR12 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • -NO HOU GA - COMPARISONS/ MORE - THAN
      • ICHIBAN - COMPARISONS/THE MOST
      • HODO NAI - COMPARISONS/ NOT AS
      • ONAJI GURAI - COMPARISONS/ SAME AS
      • DOUSHI - VERBS
      • KOTO GA DEKIRU - CAN DO
      • KOTO NI SURU - DECIDE TO DO
      • SURU MAE NI - BEFORE WE DO
      • -TA ATODE - AFTER WE'VE DONE
      • CHIISAI TOKI - WHEN I WAS LITTLE
      • VERB AIDA - WHILE VERBING
      • -TE MIRU - TRY SOMETHING AND SEE
      • KISETSU - SEASONS
      • USING と FOR IF/WHEN
      • NO - NOMINALISING ADJECTIVES
      • TENKI - WEATHER
      • AME GA FUTTE IMASU - IT'S RAINING
      • NO/KOTO - NOMINALISERS 2
      • RELATIVE CLAUSES
      • TE FORM + IKU/KURU
      • REPORTED SPEECH-SOU DESU
      • DOU YATTE - HOW TO
      • YARIKATA - HOW TO
      • KOTO GA ARIMASU KA - HAVE YOU EVER...
      • TABETE SHIMAIMASHITA - ENDED UP EATING
      • NANI KA/DARE KA - SOMETHING/ SOMEBODY
      • NANI MO/DARE MO - SOMETHING/ NOTHING
      • BEGIN DOING - SHIHAJIMERU
      • TAME NI - IN ORDER TO/FOR THE SAKE OF
      • SHIKA NAI - NOTHING BUT
    • NCEA LEVEL 2 KANJI
    • ONLINE READING LINKS
    • HOMESTAY UNIT VOCABULARY
  • YEAR 13
    • YEAR13 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • NODE - EXPLAINING CONSEQUENCES
      • ~SHI - EMPHASISING SUPPORTING INFORMATION
      • TARA - IF
      • ~NARA - IF
      • ~TARA II - SHOULD
      • ~SHITA HOU GA II - OUGHT TO
      • ~SHINAI HOU GA II - OUGHT NOT TO
      • ~KOTO NI NARU - IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT~
      • ~NAKEREBA NARANAI - I HAVE TO
      • ~NAKEREBA IKENAI - YOU HAVE TO
      • ~NAKUTE MO II - YOU DON'T HAVE TO
      • ~RARERU - THE POTENTIAL FORM
      • ~TE HOSHII - WANT SOMEONE TO DO
      • ~TE MORAU - GET SOMEONE TO DO
      • ~TE KURERU - SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING FOR US
      • ~KA DOU KA - EXPRESSING UNCERTAINTY
      • ~ TSUMORI WA NAI - HAVE NO INTENTION OF ~
      • ~HAZU DA - EXPECTATION/SHOULD BE
      • ~TRANSITIVE/INTRANSITIVE VERBS
    • NCEA LEVEL 3 KANJI
  • VERBS
    • ICHI(1)-DAN VERBS
    • GO(5)-DAN VERBS >
      • う-VERBS
      • く-VERBS
      • ぐ-VERBS
      • す-VERBS
      • つ-VERBS
      • ぬ-VERBS
      • ぶ-VERBS
      • む-VERBS
      • る-VERBS
    • IRREGULAR VERBS
    • VERB TENSES - HOW TO USE THEM
  • LINKS AND RESOURCES
    • VIDEO RESOURCES
    • LISTENING RESOURCES
    • ONLINE COURSES
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O-namae wa,
​nan desu ka.

What's your name?

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PRACTISE SAYING NAMES ON QUIZLET

 Asking someone their name / Saying our names : : Simple version

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O-namae wa?
おなまえは?
  • What is your name?

GIRLS OR BOYS:
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Watashi wa Riki desu.
わたし は りき です
  • I am Riki.​​
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Watashi wa Ayaka desu.
わたし は あやか です
  • I am Ayaka.

JUST FOR BOYS:
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Boku wa Riki desu.
ぼく は りき です
  • I am Riki.

 *The 'u' sound at the end of 'desu' is not pronounced.
 *Boys can use 'boku' instead of 'watashi' if they prefer.

 Asking someone their name / Saying our names : : Full sentence version

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O-namae wa nan desu ka?
おなまえは、なん ですか
  • What is your name?
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Boku no namae wa,
​Riki desu.

ぼく の なまえ は、りき です
  • My name is Riki
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Watashi no namae wa,
​Ayaka desu.​

わたし の なまえ は、あやか です
  • My name is Ayaka.

 Introducing someone else:

Use the word "kochira" when you introduce someone else. "Kochira" is a polite way of saying "this". Remember to add "san" after their name, to show respect.
  • (The exception is when we introduce someone from our own family - to show that we are humble about our family, we don't add "san" to our family members' names when introducing them.)

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Kochira wa Jane san desu.
こちらは、ジェインさん です。
  • This is Jane.
Kochira wa Bob san desu.
こちらは、ボッブさん です。
  • This is Bob.
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Kochira wa Mona Lisa desu.
こちらは、モナリサ です。
  • This is the Mona Lisa.

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Practise introducing yourself and others on Quizlet.

 Should we say 'namae' or 'o-namae'?

  • It's polite to say 'o-namae' when we are asking about someone else's name. The 'o' in 'o-namae' is honorific. (A way of showing respect to others.) 
  • We say just 'namae' when we talk about our own name, (We don't use honorifics for ourselves!)

Some interesting facts about Japanese names...

SURNAMES COME BEFORE 'FIRST' NAMES
  • In Nihon (Japan), the group is traditionally considered to be more important than the individual. This thinking is reflected in the fact that the family name (surname) always comes first, followed by the given name (what we would call the first name, except that it's not first in Japanese!)
  • John Smith is Sumisu Jon in Nihongo (Japanese).
  • How would you say your name in Nihongo (Japanese)?
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WE ALWAYS USE TITLES WITH PEOPLE'S NAMES
  • The general title for people of all ages is 'San'.
  • Sensei is the title for doctors and teachers.
  • Mr Smith is Sumisu San.
  • Mrs Evans (a teacher) is Ebanzu Sensei.
  • Titles are used with first names and surnames.
  • John is Jyon San.
  • Even babies and little children get a title! It's Chan.
  • If a little baby's name is Maki, we call them Maki Chan.
  • Hello Kitty is called Kitty Chan​ in Japan
MANY JAPANESE SURNAMES ARE DERIVED FROM THE LAND AND LANDSCAPE FEATURES
  • Suzuki
  • Kawamura
  • Nishikawa
  • Takahashi
  • Honda
  • Kawasaki
  • Ishibashi
  • 鈴木
  • 川村
  • 西川
  • 高橋
  • 本田
  • 川崎
  • 石橋
  • Bell Tree
  • River Village
  • West River
  • High Bridge
  • Main Field
  • River Slope
  • Stone Bridge (Reverse this and you get 'Bridgestone', the Japanese tyre company, whose founder was Shoujirou Ishibashi!)

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CLIP ART USED THROUGHOUT THIS SITE IS FROM IRASUTOYA.COM. CLICK THE LOGO TO SEE MORE AMAZING CLIP ART FROM ILLUSTRATOR, TAKASHI MIFUNE.
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Copyright © 2021
  • CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
    • REI - STARTING THE LESSON
    • THINGS STUDENTS SAY
    • THINGS TEACHERS SAY
    • CLASSROOM OBJECTS
    • KIMOCHI - FEELINGS
  • YEAR 9
    • AISATSU - GREETINGS
    • GREETINGS ANIME
    • JIKO SHOUKAI - SELF INTRODUCTION
    • NAMAE - NAMES
    • BANGOU - NUMBERS
    • NAN SAI? - HOW OLD ARE YOU?
    • KAZOKU - FAMILY
    • WHERE WE LIVE
    • SPORTS AND PASTIMES
    • LIKES AND DISLIKES
    • YURU KYARA - CHARACTER MASCOTS
    • PARTS OF THE BODY - FACES
    • THE BODY - KARADA
    • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
    • WHAT'S IT LIKE - DESCRIBING WORDS
    • TENKI - WEATHER
    • KAMOKU - SUBJECTS
    • SUBEJECT LIKES AND DISLIKES
    • GAKKOU - SCHOOL
    • HIRAGANA
  • YEAR 10
    • KUNI - COUNTRIES
    • KAZOKU - FAMILY >
      • FAMILY VOCABULARY
      • NAN NIN? - HOW MANY PEOPLE?
      • DARE GA IMASU KA -WHO IS THERE?
      • DESCRIBING APPEARANCE
      • SHUMI - HOBBIES
      • SHIGOTO - JOBS
    • TABEMONO - FOOD >
      • ORDERING IN A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT
    • HOUSING >
      • AROUND HOME - VOCABULARY
      • WHAT'S IT LIKE? - DOU DESU KA?
      • ARIMASU-THERE IS/THERE ARE
      • HITOTSU ARIMASU-THERE IS ONE
      • IN/ON/UNDER - PREPOSITIONS
      • SAYING WHAT THERE IS AND WHERE
      • ASKING AND SAYING WHERE SOMETHING IS
      • KORE/SORE/ARE - THIS/THAT
    • SEIKATSU - DAILY LIFE >
      • VERBS - INTRODUCTION
      • VERBS - DAILY ACTIVITIES
      • HOW OFTEN?
      • TOMORROW - FUTURE TIME WORDS
      • PAST ACTIVITIES
      • YESTERDAY - PAST TIME WORDS
      • JIKAN - TIME
      • YOUBI - DAYS OF THE WEEK
    • YEAR 10 GAKKOU >
      • KAMOKU - SUBJECTS
      • SCHOOL VOCABULARY
    • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
    • DOUBUTSU - ANIMALS >
      • STORIES AND SONGS >
        • Zou no hana - The Elephant's Nose
        • Kobutanukitsuneko
    • YEAR 10 KANJI
  • YEAR 11
    • Y11 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • THINGS AROUND TOWN
      • NANI GA ARU? - WHAT IS THERE?
      • MAE / YOKO / USHIRO - Locations
      • ADJECTIVES - REVIEW
      • DESCRIBING APPEARANCES
      • CHIISAKUTE, FURUI - Small and old - Joining adjectives
      • EKI GA ATTE, BENRI DESU - Forming compound sentences
      • IROIRONA MACHI - Descriptions of various towns
      • TARI-TARI - Do things like...
      • KARA - from, because, after >
        • KARA = FROM
        • KARA = BECAUSE/SO
        • KARA = AFTER
      • DOU YATTE IKU? - Giving Directions
      • NANI GA DEKIRU? - WHAT CAN WE DO THERE?
      • ASOBI NI KITE - COME AND VISIT
      • MACHI ONLINE READING LINKS
      • COUNTERS
      • NANI IRO - WHAT COLOUR?
      • AKAI NO GA HOSHII - I WANT THE RED ONE
      • IKURA - HOW MUCH?
      • SORE WO KUDASAI - THAT ONE PLEASE
      • NANI GA II - WHAT WOULD BE GOOD?
      • NI SHIMASU - EXPRESSING A DECISION
      • TO OMOU - I THINK
      • SHUMI - HOBBIES
      • GIVING & RECEIVING - AGERU KURERU MORAU
      • OISHISOU - LOOKS DELICIOUS
      • TABETAI - WANT TO EAT
      • TSUMORI - INTEND
      • DESCRIBING PEOPLE
      • MOU, MADA - ALREADY, NOT YET
      • SUGIRU - Too much
      • NAGARA - While doing
      • TE MO II - PERMISSION
      • NARIMASU -BECOME
      • CONNECTIVES - Joining words
      • SEQUENCE MARKERS AVERBS OF TIME
    • WATASHI-TACHI NO MACHI - OUR TOWN
    • KAIMONO - SHOPPING 1
    • KURISUMASU - CHRISTMAS
    • OTHER LANGUAGE NOTES
    • PRESENTATIONS - Oral language features
    • NCEA LEVEL 1 KANJI
    • FUNNY JAPANESE COMMERCIALS
  • YEAR 12
    • YEAR12 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • -NO HOU GA - COMPARISONS/ MORE - THAN
      • ICHIBAN - COMPARISONS/THE MOST
      • HODO NAI - COMPARISONS/ NOT AS
      • ONAJI GURAI - COMPARISONS/ SAME AS
      • DOUSHI - VERBS
      • KOTO GA DEKIRU - CAN DO
      • KOTO NI SURU - DECIDE TO DO
      • SURU MAE NI - BEFORE WE DO
      • -TA ATODE - AFTER WE'VE DONE
      • CHIISAI TOKI - WHEN I WAS LITTLE
      • VERB AIDA - WHILE VERBING
      • -TE MIRU - TRY SOMETHING AND SEE
      • KISETSU - SEASONS
      • USING と FOR IF/WHEN
      • NO - NOMINALISING ADJECTIVES
      • TENKI - WEATHER
      • AME GA FUTTE IMASU - IT'S RAINING
      • NO/KOTO - NOMINALISERS 2
      • RELATIVE CLAUSES
      • TE FORM + IKU/KURU
      • REPORTED SPEECH-SOU DESU
      • DOU YATTE - HOW TO
      • YARIKATA - HOW TO
      • KOTO GA ARIMASU KA - HAVE YOU EVER...
      • TABETE SHIMAIMASHITA - ENDED UP EATING
      • NANI KA/DARE KA - SOMETHING/ SOMEBODY
      • NANI MO/DARE MO - SOMETHING/ NOTHING
      • BEGIN DOING - SHIHAJIMERU
      • TAME NI - IN ORDER TO/FOR THE SAKE OF
      • SHIKA NAI - NOTHING BUT
    • NCEA LEVEL 2 KANJI
    • ONLINE READING LINKS
    • HOMESTAY UNIT VOCABULARY
  • YEAR 13
    • YEAR13 LANGUAGE NOTES >
      • NODE - EXPLAINING CONSEQUENCES
      • ~SHI - EMPHASISING SUPPORTING INFORMATION
      • TARA - IF
      • ~NARA - IF
      • ~TARA II - SHOULD
      • ~SHITA HOU GA II - OUGHT TO
      • ~SHINAI HOU GA II - OUGHT NOT TO
      • ~KOTO NI NARU - IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT~
      • ~NAKEREBA NARANAI - I HAVE TO
      • ~NAKEREBA IKENAI - YOU HAVE TO
      • ~NAKUTE MO II - YOU DON'T HAVE TO
      • ~RARERU - THE POTENTIAL FORM
      • ~TE HOSHII - WANT SOMEONE TO DO
      • ~TE MORAU - GET SOMEONE TO DO
      • ~TE KURERU - SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING FOR US
      • ~KA DOU KA - EXPRESSING UNCERTAINTY
      • ~ TSUMORI WA NAI - HAVE NO INTENTION OF ~
      • ~HAZU DA - EXPECTATION/SHOULD BE
      • ~TRANSITIVE/INTRANSITIVE VERBS
    • NCEA LEVEL 3 KANJI
  • VERBS
    • ICHI(1)-DAN VERBS
    • GO(5)-DAN VERBS >
      • う-VERBS
      • く-VERBS
      • ぐ-VERBS
      • す-VERBS
      • つ-VERBS
      • ぬ-VERBS
      • ぶ-VERBS
      • む-VERBS
      • る-VERBS
    • IRREGULAR VERBS
    • VERB TENSES - HOW TO USE THEM
  • LINKS AND RESOURCES
    • VIDEO RESOURCES
    • LISTENING RESOURCES
    • ONLINE COURSES