🙋📛🈂️

How to Say ‘My name is Tanaka.’ in Japanese

私は田中です。

watashi wa tanaka desu

[watashi wah tah-nah-kah dess]

💬 Usage Tip: Here は is said (wa). The pattern is 私は + name + です, so you can swap in your own name, as in 私はスミスです.

🇯🇵 In Japan: When introducing yourself, you'd usually say just your family name. Never attach さん to your own name.

Phrase Breakdown

私は

watashi wa

I (as for me)

私 (watashi) means 'I', and the particle は marks the topic. When は is a particle, it is pronounced 'wa', not 'ha'. Say it smoothly: wa-ta-shi-wa.

Example

私は学生です。

I am a student.

Words in this phrase

私

watashi

[watashi]

I; me

Refers to oneself in a formal or informal way.

Example

私は学生です。

I am a student.

は

[wah]

topic marker

A particle that marks the topic of the sentence, as in 'as for...'.

Example

身長は百七十五センチです。

As for height, it is 175 centimeters.

田中です。

tanaka desu

am Tanaka

田中 (Tanaka) is a common Japanese family name, followed by the polite ending です (desu, 'am/is'). The 'u' in desu is often almost silent, so it sounds like 'dess'.

Example

はじめまして、田中です。

Nice to meet you, I'm Tanaka.

Words in this phrase

田中

tanaka

[tah-nah-kah]

Tanaka (name)

Part of the school name being stated clearly on the phone.

Example

田中小学校です。

This is Tanaka Elementary School.

です

desu

[dess]

is; am; are

Polite copula meaning 'is/am/are'.

Example

元気です。

I am well.

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