by: Emily Kato
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If you are going to do business in Japan or at Japanese companies, you ought to know at least a little Japanese Knowing some Japanese will put your business partners at ease and help to make a very good beginning to the meeting. As well as the simple conversational phrases, take a little time to learn some business phrases and your meeting will be off to a great start.

When it comes time for introductions, you would say Hajimemashite. This is then followed by Watashi no namae wa ________ desu, where you fill in the blank with your name. This is used the very first time you meet someone and means 'Hello, It's nice to meet you. My name is _____________ Usually this is followed by a bow and exchanging of business cards. You could also include 'Dozo Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu' which is a further standard phrase part of an introduction. This is difficult to translate, but on the whole means lets have a good relationship.

Important words to know are the basic words to say 'Please', 'Thank-You' and 'You are Welcome'. To say Please go ahead or Please do something before me, 'Dozo' is commonly used. Thank You Very Much is said by the common phrase Domo arigato gozaimasu. When someone says domo arigato gozaimasu to you, just reply with a simple Doitashimashite, which means, You are Welcome, It's my pleasure or It was nothing.

If you are at a dinner with a customer and he/she offers you a drink, you may say 'Onegaishimasu' which means Thank-You, I would like to accept. Sumimasen and Gomen Nasai are useful phrases to know - they both mean sorry. Gomen Nasai has a stronger meaning than sumimasen.

At the conclusion of the meeting, don't forget to bow and say 'Domo arigato gozaimasu'. It is a way of saying good-bye but also means thank-you. You may think it is normal to say Sayonara to say goodbye but beware that this phrase is generally used to say goodbye to someone that you are not expecting to see again for some time.

If you do put the time and effort into learning and trying to understand Japanese it will be valued and noticed. It is one sure way to delight and surprise your business partners. It is widely believed in Japan that Japanese is very hard to learn for foreigners and if you do learn and speak some words it will make a huge difference. Even the most basic words or phrases will be welcomed, such as a thank-you or polite greeting.

Knowledge of Japanese culture is just as important as knowing the language. You should also pay attention to social hierarchy, company structure and how business is actually conducted in Japan. There are sometimes rules that are hidden or unwritten that if you take the time to discover will make all the difference to your business relationships.

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Of course you have to know how to pronounce these Japanese expressions Visit http://www.learn-hiragana-katakana.com

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