Translation guide
How to introduce people, things, or ideas in Japanese, depending on formality and context.
紹介します。
Let me introduce you.
こちらは私の友達です。
This is my friend.
You want to introduce one person to another in a social or business setting.
Standard polite way to say 'I will introduce (someone)'. Use when you are the introducer.
こちらは田中さんです。紹介します。
This is Mr./Ms. Tanaka. Let me introduce you.
More formal/humble version of 紹介します. Suitable for business or when introducing someone of higher status.
部長の鈴木をご紹介します。
Allow me to introduce our manager, Mr. Suzuki.
Common pattern for introducing someone: 'This is ~'. Fill in the name or title.
こちらは私の友達のケンです。
This is my friend Ken.
Asking someone to introduce you to a person. 'Could you introduce me to ~?'
山田さんを紹介してくれますか？
Could you introduce me to Mr./Ms. Yamada?
You want to introduce yourself in a new situation.
Standard phrase meaning 'I will introduce myself'. Often used at the start of a self-introduction.
では、自己紹介します。私はジョンです。
Well then, let me introduce myself. I'm John.
'Nice to meet you' (used when meeting someone for the first time). Often followed by your name.
初めまして、マイクです。よろしくお願いします。
Nice to meet you, I'm Mike. Pleased to meet you.
Humble way to say 'I am called ~'. Very polite, used in formal self-introductions.
私は田中と申します。
My name is Tanaka. (humble)
You want to bring up a new subject in conversation or writing.
'I'd like to talk about ~'. A natural way to introduce a topic.
今日は新しいプロジェクトについて話したいと思います。
Today I'd like to talk about the new project.
Can be used for introducing a concept, product, or idea, not just people.
この記事では新しい技術を紹介します。
In this article, we introduce a new technology.
'Now, regarding ~'. Used to shift to a new topic smoothly.
さて、次の議題ですが、予算についてです。
Now, regarding the next agenda item, it's about the budget.
You want to announce or present a new product, feature, or service.
'Newly launched/released'. Common in advertising and announcements.
新発売のスマートフォンを紹介します。
Introducing the newly released smartphone.
'~ has arrived/appeared'. Used to create excitement about a new product.
新型モデルが登場！
Introducing the new model!
While 紹介する can be used for introducing topics or ideas, it's often more natural to use phrases like 〜について話す (talk about) or 〜を説明する (explain) depending on context. Overusing 紹介する for non-person introductions can sound stiff.
In Japanese self-introductions, it's common to state your name, affiliation, and sometimes a brief personal detail, followed by よろしくお願いします. Avoid just saying your name without any closing phrase.