Self-introduction at work: Introducing yourself to your new team

💬 With の, Japanese goes from biggest place to smallest: country, then city. Also 日本の東京です "Tokyo, in Japan".

💬 初めて (hajimete) means "for the first time", the same root as はじめまして. は here is said (wa).

🇯🇵 A flat いいえ can sound blunt in conversation, so people often soften it or skip it and just give the correct information. It's fine for a neutral fact like this.

💬 Add 目 to a count to make it "-th": 二回 "twice" becomes 二回目 (nikaime) "the second time". Also 三回目 "the third time".

💬 Use に with 住む "to live" for the place you live, and 住んでいました means you lived there for a stretch of time. For now: 東京に住んでいます "I live in Tokyo".

💬 前 (mae) means "before" and at the start of a sentence gives the sense of "used to". The は after it is said (wa).

💬 Said with a falling tone, this shows you're listening and taking the information in, not asking a question. A rising tone sounds like surprise: "Oh, really?"

🇯🇵 Japanese people say this generously, often after just a few words, so it's encouragement rather than an assessment. The expected reply is to modestly deny it.

🇯🇵 Doubling いえ makes a soft, friendly denial, the natural way to brush off a compliment. Usually said with a small wave of the hand.

💬 まだ means "still, not yet", and doubling it to まだまだ stresses that there's a long way to go. Also まだまだ勉強中です "I'm still very much learning".

🇯🇵 Accepting a compliment with "thank you" can sound a bit self-satisfied in Japan, so this modest reply is the standard response. Your coworkers will expect something like it.

💬 てください is how you make a polite request: change the verb to its て form and add ください. Also 待ってください "please wait".

🇯🇵 Asking to be taught presents you as the humble newcomer, which goes over well with a new team. It works well right before your closing よろしくお願いします.

💬 Put でも after a question word to mean "any-": 何でも (nandemo) "anything", いつでも "anytime", どこでも "anywhere".

🇯🇵 Promising to work hard is a natural, expected thing to say when you join a team. It shows commitment and sounds sincere rather than boastful.

💬 じゃあ is a casual form of では and signals a move on to the next thing. You'll also hear it alone as a quick goodbye: じゃあ、また "see you then".

🇯🇵 Many Japanese offices are open-plan, with team desks pushed together in rows and the manager's desk at the end, facing the group.

💬 Adding ね at the end makes the statement friendly, like "okay?". Without it, 案内します sounds more like a plain announcement.

💬 お願いします works as an all-purpose "please" when accepting an offer, ordering, or asking a favor. Also コーヒー、お願いします "coffee, please".