お初にお目にかかります
ohatsu ni ome ni kakarimasu
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en
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Translating...
pleased to meet you
/ohatsɯ ni ome ni kakaɾimasɯ/
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A very formal greeting when meeting someone in person for the first time.
Examples
「先生、お初にお目にかかります。お噂は伺っております」
“Professor, it is a pleasure to meet you. I have heard about you.”
社長を紹介され、「お初にお目にかかります」と挨拶した。
When introduced to the company president, I greeted her with “Pleased to meet you.”
「お初にお目にかかります。山田と申します」
“Pleased to meet you. My name is Yamada.”
式典の控室で、「お初にお目にかかります」と頭を下げた。
In the ceremony’s waiting room, I bowed and said, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”
「お初にお目にかかります。本日はお時間をいただき、ありがとうございます」
“It is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for making time today.”
Etymology
A fixed greeting built from お初, “for the first time,” and お目にかかる, a humble way to say “meet.”
FAQ
What does お初にお目にかかります mean?
A very formal greeting when meeting someone in person for the first time.
How do you read お初にお目にかかります?
It is read おはつにおめにかかります, written ohatsu ni ome ni kakarimasu.
When would you use お初にお目にかかります?
Much more ceremonious than an everyday introduction and addressed to someone being met in person.
How is お初にお目にかかります different from 初めまして?
初めまして is the usual first-meeting greeting; this is far more ceremonious and humble.
How does お初にお目にかかります change in a sentence?
A fixed polite formula. Its 「お目にかかる」 portion is a humble way of saying “meet.”
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