hajimemashite-vs-hajimemashita

If you’ve ever studied Japanese, you probably learned はじめまして on day one. But then you saw はじめました somewhere and thought: wait, isn’t that almost the same word? These two phrases are not interchangeable — one is a greeting, and the other is a verb phrase meaning “I started / I have begun.” Mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes beginners make when introducing themselves in Japanese. This guide explains both clearly.

Yuka

Rei, I’ve seen はじめまして and はじめました so many times but I always second-guess myself. Help!

Rei

Don’t worry — this is one of the most common points of confusion for English speakers. Let me clear it up once and for all!

At a Glance: はじめまして vs. はじめました

はじめまして — The First-Meeting Greeting

はじめまして (hajimemashite) is a fixed greeting phrase used exclusively when meeting someone for the first time. It comes from 初めて (hajimete — “for the first time”) and the て-form ending, which in this context functions as a polite greeting.

In English, the closest equivalent is “Nice to meet you” or “How do you do?” — though はじめまして literally conveys “This is our first time meeting.” It is always said at the start of a first introduction, and it is not repeated when you meet the same person again.

Kanji note: はじめまして is written with the kanji 初 (first, beginning). The character 初 appears in 初めて (hajimete — “for the first time”) and 初日 (shonichi — “first day”).

Example 1 — standard introduction:

はじめまして。田中と申します。どうぞよろしく。
Hajimemashite. Tanaka to moushimasu. Douzo yoroshiku.
Nice to meet you. My name is Tanaka. I look forward to working with you.

Example 2 — casual version:

はじめまして！私はゆかです。よろしくね。
Hajimemashite! Watashi wa Yuka desu. Yoroshiku ne.
Nice to meet you! I’m Yuka. Nice to meet ya.

Example 3 — formal business introduction:

はじめまして。〇〇株式会社の山田と申します。
Hajimemashite. Marumaru kabushiki gaisha no Yamada to moushimasu.
How do you do. I am Yamada from XX Corporation.

Yuka

Okay, that example with はじめまして really helped! I never saw it used that way before.

Rei

Right? Seeing real examples is so much more useful than memorizing a definition. はじめまして is definitely one of those words you’ll start noticing everywhere.

はじめました — “I Have Started”

はじめました (hajimemashita) is the past polite form of the verb 始める (hajimeru — “to start/begin”). It means “I started” or “I have begun.” This is an entirely different word from はじめまして — it is a regular verb form, not a greeting.

始める is a transitive verb — it needs an object: you start something. Common patterns: 〜を始めました (I started ___), 〜を始めましょう (Let’s start ___), and 〜を始める (to start ___).

Kanji note: はじめました uses the kanji 始 (start, begin). This kanji appears in 開始 (kaishi — commencement) and 始業 (shigyou — start of work/class).

Example 1 — starting a hobby:

最近、日本語の勉強を始めました。
Saikin, nihongo no benkyou wo hajimemashita.
I recently started studying Japanese.

Example 2 — starting a job or project:

新しい仕事を始めました。
Atarashii shigoto wo hajimemashita.
I started a new job.

Example 3 — announcing a start:

では、会議を始めましょう。
De wa, kaigi wo hajimemashou.
Now then, let’s begin the meeting.

Yuka

And はじめました — is it used in formal situations, casual ones, or both?

Rei

Great observation! はじめました actually works in both — context is everything. The comparison table coming up should make this super clear.

Why Are They Easily Confused?

The confusion is purely phonetic. Both phrases start with はじめ (hajime) and end with a polite ます-form sound. But they come from completely different words and kanji:

The ending difference is also key: まして (mashite) vs. ました (mashita). The し (shi) vs. した (shita) ending, combined with the final vowel (e vs. a), distinguishes them — but beginners often miss this in quick speech.

Full Introduction Script

Here is a complete, natural self-introduction using はじめまして correctly:

はじめまして。マイクと申します。アメリカ出身で、日本語を勉強しています。去年、日本語の勉強を始めました。どうぞよろしくお願いします。

Hajimemashite. Maiku to moushimasu. Amerika shusshin de, nihongo wo benkyou shite imasu. Kyonen, nihongo no benkyou wo hajimemashita. Douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

Nice to meet you. My name is Mike. I’m from America and I’m studying Japanese. I started studying Japanese last year. I look forward to meeting you.

Notice: はじめまして opens the greeting; はじめました appears in a separate sentence reporting when studying started.

Common Mistakes English Speakers Make

Mistake 1: Saying はじめました instead of はじめまして when meeting someone.
「はじめました、山田です」 would mean something like “I started, I’m Yamada” — completely confusing. Always use はじめまして for first meetings.

Mistake 2: Saying はじめまして when you have already met someone.
はじめまして is only for first meetings. Using it with someone you know implies you have no memory of meeting them — quite awkward. Use ひさしぶりです (hisashiburi desu — “long time no see”) or よろしくお願いします instead.

Mistake 3: Mixing up the kanji 初 and 始.
初 (first/initial) → はじめまして. 始 (start/begin) → はじめました. Remembering which kanji goes with which meaning prevents confusion.

Decision Flowchart: Which to Use?

Are you meeting someone for the FIRST TIME?
   |                        |
  YES                       NO
   |                        |
   v                        v
Use はじめまして          Are you reporting that
(Nice to meet you)         something HAS STARTED?
                               |          |
                              YES         NO
                               |          |
                               v          v
                          はじめました    Use other expressions
                          (I started ___) (よろしくお願いします,
                                          ひさしぶり, etc.)

Quick Quiz — Test Yourself!

Yuka

I feel ready! Let’s see how well I really know はじめまして and はじめました.

Rei

Let’s find out! Don’t peek at the answers until you’ve tried each one yourself.

Choose はじめまして or はじめました for each blank.

Q1. You are meeting your new colleague for the first time.
＿＿＿。よろしくお願いします。
___. Yoroshiku onegai shimasu.

Answer: はじめまして
Reason: First meeting — はじめまして is the correct greeting.

Q2. You are telling someone about a new habit you picked up.
最近、ジョギングを＿＿＿。
Saikin, jogingu wo ___.

Answer: はじめました
Reason: Reporting that you started jogging — verb form 始めました is correct.

Q3. You see someone at a party you have never met. You introduce yourself.
あ、＿＿＿！私はゆかです。
A, ___! Watashi wa Yuka desu.

Answer: はじめまして
Reason: First meeting — use the greeting はじめまして.

Q4. You are running a meeting and need to officially start it.
では、会議を＿＿＿。
De wa, kaigi wo ___.

Answer: はじめましょう (hajimemashou — let’s begin) or はじめます
Reason: 始める verb — use the appropriate verb form (volitional or present). はじめました (past) would mean “I started the meeting” (already done).

Q5. You meet the same colleague again the next day in the office.
Should you say はじめまして again?

Answer: No. はじめまして is only for first meetings. Use おはようございます (good morning) or よろしくお願いします as appropriate.
Reason: はじめまして implies “This is our first time meeting.” Using it again would be strange.

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