by Tomoyuki Higuchi
How do you say “I’m John.” in Japanese?
Today’s phrase is :
I’m (your name).
(your name) です。
desu
- I ＝ わたしは (watashiwa)*
- am ＝ です (desu)
*We do not usually say “わたしは (watashiwa)” in everyday conversation.
When you introduce yourself, put your name just before “です”.
ジョン
John
＋
です
am
It may sound weird not to say “I”, but this is the most common and natural way to introduce yourself in Japanese.
Do not say “わたしの名前は (watashino namaewa) = My name is”. That is a kind of expression you only find in textbooks.