1.
nice to meet you, how do you do
A greeting used when meeting someone for the first time. Literally means 'for the first time.'
Nice to meet you. I work at a company. I look forward to getting to know you.
初めまして is the standard greeting when meeting someone for the first time. Derived from 初めて (for the first time), it literally means 'it is the first time (we meet).'
COMMON PATTERNS (self-introduction):
1. 初めまして。(Nice to meet you.)
2. [Name]です / [Name]と申します。(I'm [Name]. / My name is [Name] — humble)
3. どうぞよろしくお願いします。(Please treat me favorably.)
Register
- Casual: 初めまして。[Name]です。よろしく。
- Standard: 初めまして。[Name]です。よろしくお願いします。
- Formal: 初めまして。[Name]と申します。どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。
Watch out
Only use 初めまして on a genuine first meeting. Using it with someone you have met before is awkward and may come across as rude, implying you don't remember them.