What Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu Does When You First Meet Someone

The Phrase at the End of an Introduction

When you are introduced to someone in Japan, the conversation can be brief and still include this phrase. You give your name, exchange a greeting, and say it as a matter of course.

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.

In Korean, it is commonly translated as jal butakdeurimnida, a polite way of asking someone to treat you kindly or take care of something. That makes sense, but it raises a question. What are you asking for when there is nothing to ask for? The phrase appears so often in exactly that situation that the request itself starts to seem beside the point.

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A Word About the Relationship Ahead

Yoroshiku comes from yoroshii, an adjective meaning “good” or “acceptable.” Onegaishimasu means “I ask” or “please.” A literal reading gets you somewhere around “I ask that things go well.” Actual conversations give it a wider role.

On first meeting, you are expressing a wish to get along. The phrase sets a tone for the relationship before the two of you know what you might ask of each other.

That is how a self-introduction can end:

はじめまして、田中(たなか)です。よろしくお願いします。

Nice to meet you. I’m Tanaka. It’s a pleasure.

The phrase opens the door to a relationship.

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Why It Closes an Email Too

The phrase turns up in messages and emails as well as face-to-face conversations. You can use it when asking for a favour or when simply sending someone a document.

資料(しりょう)を送(おく)りました。よろしくお願いします。

I’ve sent the materials. Thanks for taking a look.

Depending on the context, it may imply that you would like the recipient to check the attachment. It can also be a courteous way to end the message. Its effect depends on the tone of the exchange as much as on the action you expect.

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What It Does When There Is an Actual Request

The same phrase also goes with a concrete request.

明日(あした)までにお願(ねが)いできますか。よろしくお願いします。

Could you have it ready by tomorrow? I appreciate your help.

The deadline is still there, but the phrase makes it easier to ask. It softens the request by attending to how the other person receives it.

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Why “Thank You” Does Different Work

In Korean, you might finish a request by saying “thank you.” Japanese often uses yoroshiku onegaishimasu at that point. One difference is where the speaker stands in relation to the action.

Arigatō, “thank you,” fits naturally once someone has done something for you.
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu looks ahead to what is still in progress.

That forward-looking quality makes it useful in introductions, when handing over a task, and when signing off an email.

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What the Phrase Has in Common Across Contexts

A fixed gloss such as “please take good care of me” can be hard to apply everywhere. Think of the phrase as saying that you hope the exchange or relationship goes well, and the different uses start to make sense.

Listen for it in Japanese conversation and you will hear it again and again. Each time, it helps people start something together or set a tone for what comes next. Even when it accompanies a request, it says something about how the two people will go about it together.