Japanese for Morons-9: Yoroshiku onegaishimasu! よろしくおねがいします!

yoroshiku onegai shimasu
よろしくおねがいします
It's a pleasure to meet you.


よろしくお願いします
Dissecting this phrase, the yoroshiku part literally means "well" (in the adverbial sense of "good"), and the onegai shimasu part means "please," or more literally "I pray thee." So you can think of it as a way of saying "Fare ye well" in Japanese. Here are the real uses of yoroshiku onegai shimasu, and its less-formal twin cousin dozo yoroshiku: 1. When meeting someone for the first time. Say "Hajimemashite." Tell them who you are. At the end, throw in a Y.O.S., and you're done. Painless!
2. When you introduce yourself to a group of people. "(your name here) to moshimasu. (insert other pertinent bs about yourself) Yoroshiku onegai shimasu."
3. When being introduced. If you're at a meeting, and someone says "Kochira wa gaijin-san desu," you stand up, bow, and say "Yoroshiku onegai shimasu." This is to prove that you're paying attention, I think.
4. When concluding a speech. You can also say arigato gozaimashita, "thank you very much." Or you can say both, if you really want to be a linguistic bad-arse.
5. When thanking someone. Even if you already know them. A simple "yoroshiku" is often more authentic than an "arigato" when you're with friends.
6. When congratulating someone. Again, even if you already know them. On New Year's Day, every person in Japan will be saying "Akemashite omedeto gozaimasu. Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu": roughly, "Congratulations on this new beginning—I pray thee well for this year, too." Same thing goes on weddings, childbirths, etc (although you'll need to use other stock phrases when opening, of course).

Check out the following which I found here:
http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~romisdg/bj/ue.html

Yoroshiku onegai shimasu




I suppose every language has a number of expressions that defy translation into another language. One of the Japanese phrases that belong to this category would be "Yoroshiku onegai shimasu." Let's look at a few examples first.

1
Watashi wa Romi desu. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
My name is Romi. Nice to meet you.




2
Getsumatsu madeni ohenji o kudasai. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.
Please reply by the end of this month. Thank you in advance.




3
Douka musume o yoroshiku ongegai shimasu.
Please look after my daughter.


"Yoroshiku" is a word with a number of meanings. Its etymological cousin, "Yoroshii" is an adjective meaning good, approved, desirable, and convenient. "onegai shimasu" consists of "o" ( a prefix of politeness), "negai" (originally, a noun denoting wish, hope, and the like), "shi", which is an inflectional form of the general verb "suru" (do), and "masu", an auxiliary verb of politeness. Thus, if I were to be forced to translate the phrase "Yoroshiku onegai shimasu." into English, I would say, "I hope you will take care of ( someone / something ) in a way that is convenient for both you and me. (I count on your cooperation.)" Again, the group-oriented mentality of our agrarian society seems to be reflected in this expression.

As we can see in the example #1 above, we almost always say "Yoroshiku onegai shimasu," at the end of self-introduction. In this context, the phrase in question means, "Please accept me as one of your friends / a member of your group. Please be kind to me, and do not exclude me from your group."

The example #2 shows another situation where this phrase is used: when we ask someone else to do something for us. we say, "Please do this for me. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu." Let me try explaining its underlying meaning: "I am sorry to trouble you, but I need your help and cooperation. Thank you in advance for your kindness to go out of your way to help me."

The same explantion can apply in the example #3, too. However, in #3, Yoroshiku onegai shimasu, as a whole, is used as a sort of phrasal verb, accompanying an object musume o (my daughter). So it would be possible to interpret the sentence in the following way. "I would like you to look after my daughter. Please do whatever you can to live up to my daughter's and my own expectations. Of course, I know it's impossible for you to meet our every expectation, and that I should not expect you to do so. However, I would appreciate it if you are willing to take the trouble to help my daughter to the best of your ability. "

To go back to the point, since I am a Christian, I often find the expression "Yoroshiku onegai shimasu" very effective when I pray in my native language. "Kami sama, watashi no koto o yoroshiku onegai shimasu." This is because this single phrase can convey various meanings at the same time. "Dear God, please accept me as a member of your family. Please look after me. (I am sure you will provide me with everything I need. Nothing is impossible for you.) I depend on you. Thank you for your help in advance."

Category:

Education

Tags:

• japanese
• for
• morons
• useful
• expressions
• Yoroshiku
• onegaishimasu!
• よろしくおねがいします

[DVDtjeNL]

Just want to thank you for the lesson! ;) Your lessons are great! :D

[Gimmeaflakeman]

@DVDtjeNL

Thanks!

[AstralAbraxas]

in case people are wondering "yoroshiku" comes from "yoroshii" an honorific word meaning "well"/"good" and "onegaishimasu" is the humble form of "negau" which means "to hope for"/"to wish for"

So I guess the meaning is roughly translated into "I hope you treat me well"/"Please treat me well" In a very humble way.

It's a set expression where the whole meaning isn't being said. Like... konnichiwa or konbanwa or itadakimasu. Most people don't think about the real meaning anymore.

[Gimmeaflakeman]

@AstralAbraxas

Good post.

[xXMassacreRabbitXx]

Your ugly

[Gimmeaflakeman]

@xXMassacreRabbitXx

You're.

[godthatsfunny101]

I think it would suck if somebody was born on 4/9/49. Lol anybody agree?

[310BPM]

@MisturrCronin

well i guess you don't HAVE to, but it's more polite.

it's an honorific prefix. this is from wikipedia (it explains better than i could): "These prefixes are essentially untranslatable, but their use indicates a polite respect for the item named or the person to or about whom one is speaking."

[MisturrCronin]

@310BPM Whats the difference between "Genki desu ka" and "Ogenki desu ka" in this situation?

[310BPM]

@MisturrCronin

you should say "ogenki desu ka" instead.



[310BPM]

@aMazingMazer

usually jokes are funny.. . ___.

[idostuff1up]

Wow.

I bet the number 49 must be the scariest thing to Japanese ppl. xD

[aMazingMazer]

lol, shi is so close to shi*, no wonder it means death!! (its a joke don't hurt me ;w;)

[KRACKZENNY]

Love your japanese lessons! Thanks Victor!

I don't get why you always have so many dislikes!?

[MisturrCronin]

Hajimemashite.

Watashi wa, Nick desu.

Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

Genki desu ka.

[Gimmeaflakeman]

@mexicanawesome

Thanks!

[newhand1]

very good lesson... feel like i am japanese already...

nah nah just joking... but it was good...