How to use “Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu” in Japanese (2024)

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How to use “Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu” in Japanese (1)

Welcome back to another “Video & Article” series, this time for our first live-stream with tutor Wakako. In this article and video, Wakako introduces the very common sentence “Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu”. You will learn the meaning, origin, and most importantly how to use this phrase naturally in all kinds of situations.

Table of Contents
[Introduction]
[Various translationf of “よろしくお願ねがいします”]
[Situations to use “よろしくお願ねがいします” in]
[When to just use “よろしく”]
[The Timing of “よろしくお願ねがいします”]
[Using “よろしくお願ねがいします” in strict business situations]
[How to reply to “よろしくお願ねがいします”]
[Variations of “よろしくお願ねがいします”]

[Introduction]

Today we will introduce a very common Japanese expression, namey “よろしくおねがいします”. This expression, similar to expressions like “いってらっしゃい” or “いってきます”, is very commonly used in Japanese but cannot be directly translated into English.

[Various translationf of “よろしくおねがいします”]

Some English translations for “よろしくおねがいいたします” include:

  • Thank you for your continued help
  • Thank you very much in advance
  • I look forward to working with you
  • I look forward to seeing you

Which one is most accurate depends on the situation you use “よろしくおねがいします” in.

[Situations to use “よろしくおねがいします” in]

Japanese people love this phrase and use it almost every day both in business and private situations.

One of the most common situations you use this phrase in is when you introduce yourself.

はじめまして、和佳子といいます。よろしくおねがいします。
Nice to meet you. I’m Wakako. I look forward to knowing each other.

Another situation you often use it is when you ask somebody to do something, or when you ask someone a favour.

この資料しりょう明日あしたまでにつくっておいてくれますか?よろしくおねがいします。
Could you make this document by tomorrow? Thank you very much in advance.

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[When to just use “よろしく”]

If you are the boss of the person you are asking something of, or if you are in a higher position than them, you can shorten the phrase to just “よろしく”.

“よろしく” sounds more casual so you can use it with friends in casual situations as well.

A: タツヤくん、明日あしたこのノートしてくれる?
A: Hey Tatsuya, can I borrow your notebook tomorrow?

B: うん、いいよ
B: Sure, no problem.

A: よろしく
A: Thanks in advance.

[The Timing of “よろしくおねがいします”]

Now we’ll get to an important point regarding this phrase.

“よろしくおねがいします” or “よろしく” are used when referring to an action to take place in the future. That’s why you can use it to mean “Thank you in advance”. However, if you – using the example from above – borrow his notebook right now, you can’t say “よろしく” to mean “Thank you” because the action you are thanking the other person for is happening in the present. In that case, you can simply say “ありがとう” instead of “よろしく”.

[Using “よろしくおねがいします” in strict business situations]

“よろしくおねがいします” itself is a polite phrase, but if you want to make it extremely polite, you can say “よろしくおねがい致します”.

If you talk with a customer or client in a business scene, you should use very polite words, so “よろしくおねがい致します” or “どうぞよろしくおねがい致します” are suitable.

どうぞ よろしく おねがい致します。

“どうぞ” is a word used to show your politeness when you ask or wish something, so it means “please”.

“よろしく” is used to show your friendliness or goodwill when you ask something.

“いたします” is a humble form of “する” and is used in the “masu”-form here.

These phrases are not only used in speaking Japanese but also used in written Japanese. When you write emails to customers, clients, or even your colleagues, you can use this phrase at the end of the message. It is like a common greeting to end messages.

[How to reply to “よろしくおねがいします”]

Now, how do you best reply if someone says “よろしくおねがいします” to you?

If someone says “よろしくおねがいします” when they introduce themselves, what would you answer? A natural answer is “こちらこそ、よろしくおねがいします”.

“こちらこそ” means “me too”, so “こちらこそ、よろしくおねがいします” means “I look forward to becoming friends with you too”.

Do you remember the other situation to use “よろしくおねがいします”? It is when asking a favour of someone, or asking someone to do something. So if someone ask you to do a specific task such as making a document, what would you answer?

This time the answer can be “かしこまりました” or “承知しょうちいたしました”. “かしこまりました” means “certainly”. “承知しょうちする” means “ to agree” or “to be aware”. “承知しょうちいたしました” is often used as a polite way to say “かりました”.

[Variations of “よろしくおねがいします”]

At last, there are many varieties of “よろしくおねがいします”, so we will introduce some examples.

If you use it to ask something of someone, you have similar expressions like
ぜひともよろしくおねがいします” or “何卒なにとぞよろしくおねがい致します”.
“ぜひとも” means “at all costs”. “何卒なにとぞ” is similar to “どうぞ”, but it sounds more formal and stronger so it is often used in written Japanese.

If you use it as a greeting, you have a varieties like “今後こんごともよろしくおねがい致します” and “つづきよろしくおねがいします”.
今後こんごとも” means “In the future”. “つづき” means “continuously”.

That is all for today’s lesson. “よろしくおねがいします” is used very often in everyday life in Japan. So if you master how to use it, it will be very useful. So please try to use it!

If you have any questions, you can always clear them up by booking a lesson with one of our native Japanese tutors. See you next time!

単語たんごリスト(Vocabulary list)

はじめましてNice to meet you
資料しりょうDocuments
ノートNotebook
To lend, to loan
どうぞPlease, kindly
いたTo do (humble form of “する”, used as “いたします” in “よろしくおねがいたします”)
こちらこそMe too
かしこまりましたCertainly (very polite, conveys an eagerness to please)
承知しょうちするTo understand, to consent (used as “承知しょうちいたしました” to replace “わかりました” in business situations)
ぜひともBy all means (politely implying that you will not accept no as an answer)
何卒なにとぞIf it pleases you, please, kindly (replaces “どうぞ” in “何卒なにとぞよろしくおねがいたします”)
今後こんごともFrom now on
つづTo continue (for a long time) (used as “つづきよろしくおねがいします”, to imply that the speaker hopes for the business relationship to last for a long time)
PREVValentine’s Special: How to ask your crush out in Japanese NEXTHow to Cheer Someone On in Japanese

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How to use “Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu” in Japanese (2024)

FAQs

How to use “Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu” in Japanese? ›

When introducing yourself for the first time, you say your name, hometown, job, etc. and then at the very end you add “yoroshiku onegaishimasu.” In this case, “yoroshiku onegaishimasu” is equivalent to “Nice to meet you” in English.

How do you use Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu? ›

After making your request, you can say yoroshiku onegai shimasu, which in English would mean something like: “Thank you (very much) in advance”. Lastly, Japanese will also use the phrase when the New Year comes around. In this case it means “I look forward to working with you again this year”.

Why do Japanese say Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu? ›

よろしくお願いします [YOROSHIKU ONEGAI SHIMASU] Nice to meet you. You say YOROSHIKU ONEGAI SHIMASU, when you introduce yourself to somebody. It literally means "I'm looking forward to having good relations with you." You can also say this to close a conversation, when you ask somebody to do something for you.

Is it Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu or Arigato? ›

The basic meaning of 'yoroshiku' is 'thank you in advance'. Suppose that you asked a favor of someone and wanted to say 'thank you in advance'. You might want to say 'arigatou gozaimasu' to mean 'thank you'. However, this is when you should use 'yoroshiku onegai shimasu' to mean “thank you in advance.”

How do you respond to Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu? ›

Generally the correct response is "yoroshiku onegai shimasu". Or "kochira koso yoroshiku onegai shimasu", if you want to get fancy. The subtext to the phrase is basically, "We're going to be dealing with each other frequently, so let's be on good terms", and saying it back indicates you feel the same way.

How do you use Onegaishimasu in a sentence? ›

However, there are some situations when only "onegai shimasu" is used. First, when you are making a request for service. For example, when you ask a taxi driver to drive to Shinjuku station, you should say “Shinjuku eki made onegai shimasu”.

Should I say Hajimemash*te or Yoroshiku? ›

"Hajimemash*te (はじめまして)" is used when meeting a person for the first time. "Hajimeru (はじめる)" is the verb which means "to begin." "Douzo yoroshiku (どうぞよろしく)" is used when you introduce yourself, and other times when you are asking a favor of someone.

Can you end an email with Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu? ›

Here are some effective closing phrases that can be used: General Closing: 宜しくお願い致します (Yoroshiku onegaishimasu) – A versatile phrase meaning “Thank you in advance,” suitable for most emails.

What is douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu? ›

どうぞよろしく (douzo yorosiku) basically means “Nice to meet you” in a less formal manner. The formal way when used to greet elders would be よろしくお願いします (yorosiku onegaishimasu). Hope this helps!

Should I say Domo or Arigato? ›

So, this 'Domo' can be used together with 'Arigato. ' as in 'domo arigato' meaning “Thank you so much.” Just saying 'domo' would be less polite than 'Arigato' since it's the short version of 'Domo arigato. ' People use 'domo' rather than 'arigato' when they consider 'arigato' is a little bit formal in a situation.

What does dozo mean? ›

Dozo means "go ahead" or "go first." While some words are shortened to make them easier to say ("arigatou gozaimasu" becomes "arigatou"), dozo is often lengthened to "hai-dozo" as if it were one word (Yes-go-ahead). Other times, to be insistent that someone go ahead of you, there is the very handy dozo-dozo.

Should I say kudasai or onegaishimasu? ›

How to Use Onegaishimasu in a Sentence. While kudasai is a more familiar term, onegaishimasu is more polite or honorific. Thus, this Japanese word is used when you are requesting a favor. You would also use it if you are directing the request to a superior or to someone you do not know well.

What is the reply to konnichiwa? ›

When someone greets you in Japanese with “Konnichiwa” it is best to respond with the same phrase “Konnichiwa”. Even though it means “Good afternoon” or “Hello” and is usually used around noon or in the afternoon, it is common to…

What is Hajimemash*te? ›

Native speakers say "hajimemash*te" to mean 'nice to meet you' in Japanese.

How do you respond to dozo? ›

The person who wipes the snow off the chairlift and then motions you to move ahead usually says, 'douzo'. You can reply, 'doumo'.

What does Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu mean? ›

saying yoroshiku onegaishimasu means something along the lines of “I'll do my best through the future” or “I'm sorry, but please help me in future undecided times when you'll have to help me” or “Please help me out.”

When should I use Onegaishimasu? ›

How to Use Onegaishimasu in a Sentence. While kudasai is a more familiar term, onegaishimasu is more polite or honorific. Thus, this Japanese word is used when you are requesting a favor. You would also use it if you are directing the request to a superior or to someone you do not know well.

What is the formal way of Yoroshiku? ›

よろしく (yoroshiku) followed by いたします (itashimasu) or 申し上げます (moushiagemasu) is more formal. Less formal is よろしく (yoroshiku) followed by お願いします (onegaishimasu) or even just よろしく (yoroshiku) on its own. It can mean 'regards,' 'nice to meet you,' or 'I look forward to working with you' or even 'please.

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