How to Say ‘My name is Emily Smith.’ in Japanese
Emily Smith と申します。
Emily Smith to moushi masu
[toh moh-shee mahs]
💬 Usage Tip: 申します is a humble way of saying "am called." Use it for your own name, never for someone else's.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Japanese interviews usually expect this rather than the plainer です. It sets a respectful tone from your first sentence.
Phrase Breakdown
と申します。
to moushi masu
is my name (humble).
A humble, formal way to say 'I am called...'. It is more polite than です. Pronounced 'to moushimasu', with a long 'ou'.
田中と申します。
My name is Tanaka.
Words in this phrase
と
to
[toh]
(quotation marker)
Particle that marks what was said or written, like quotation marks.
彼は「はい」と言いました。
He said "yes."
申し
moushi
[moh-shee]
say; be called (humble)
A humble, polite verb used in formal self-introductions, especially in business settings.
受付で佐藤と申し、会場に入りました。
At reception, I humbly said I am Sato and entered the venue.
ます
masu
[mahs]
polite verb ending
A standard polite ending added to verbs, often used in customer service and formal speech.
予約を確認し ます。
I will confirm the reservation.
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