Lesson 1

Are you starting your journey with Minna no Nihongo? Lesson 1 is the beginning of your Japanese language adventure. In this lesson, you will learn how to say your name, where you’re from, and introduce yourself to others in a simple and polite way.

This article explains the basic grammar, new words, and easy examples from Lesson 1. If you’re a beginner, don’t worry — everything here is explained in a simple way to help you understand and use Japanese quickly!

Lesson
Minna no Nihongo 1

🎯 Focus
Introductions

🎓 Level
Absolute Beginner

👋

Learn to Introduce Yourself in Japanese

📘 Vocabulary

• わたし (watashi) – I / Me
• あなた (anata) – You
• ～さん (san) – Mr. / Ms.
• はじめまして (hajimemashite) – Nice to meet you
• どうぞ よろしく (douzo yoroshiku) – Pleased to meet you
• から きました (kara kimashita) – I came from ~
• なまえ (namae) – Name

🧠 Grammar Point

In this lesson, you learn how to introduce yourself in a polite way using this pattern:

わたし は [Name] です。
→ I am [Name].

You also learn how to say where you’re from:
[Country] から きました。
→ I came from [Country].

And how to greet someone for the first time:
はじめまして。どうぞ よろしく。
→ Nice to meet you.

💬 Example Sentences

• わたし は アリ です。 → I am Ali.
• ネパール から きました。 → I came from Nepal.
• はじめまして。どうぞ よろしく。 → Nice to meet you.
• こちらは ジョンさんです。 → This is Mr. John.

📝 Tips for Practice

• Practice saying your name and country in Japanese.
• Introduce your friends using “こちらは ～さんです”.
• Use flashcards to remember words like "watashi", "san", "kimashita".
• Watch Japanese introduction videos and repeat after them.

📚 What’s Next?

In Lesson 2, you will learn how to talk about everyday objects and ask simple questions like "What is this?". For now, practice Lesson 1 until you can introduce yourself smoothly. This is the base of your Japanese journey!

Note: This article is made for beginners learning Japanese using Minna no Nihongo. Take your time, practice every day, and enjoy learning!

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Do I need to know kanji in Lesson 1?
No. Most of the text is in hiragana and katakana. Kanji will come later.

Q2: How can I remember the greetings?
Repeat them often, speak out loud, and use them with friends who are also learning.

Q3: What is the most important thing to learn in Lesson 1?
How to say your name, country, and greet people politely.

Q4: Can I skip to later lessons?
Not a good idea. Lesson 1 teaches the basics that you’ll need later.