Complete Explanation; What Does よろしく Mean?

Yoroshiku

When you start learning Japanese, you first learned the phrase; よろしくおねがいします as a component of introductions like “nice to meet you”. However, once you come to Japan, you will realize that よろしくおねがいします is often used in different contexts and then you may start wondering whether the meaning is really “nice to meet you”? The answer is unfortunately no. There are a lot of other usages. In this article, you will master what よろしく means.

What よろしく Really Means Explained by Native Speakers

Analysis of よろしく

The origin of よろしく comes from the phrase; よろしい which means “to accept”. And when people make a request for acceptance, people said よろしく as “please accept”. Also, よろしい started being used like this, 「ごごうのよろしいときに」, meaning “when it is convenient for you” and today よろしく can sometimes indicate “something good”. Please note: this is just a basic idea about よろしく. You will learn the practical meanings below.

When it comes to how to use it, it can be divided into three ways; general よろしく (1), noun + よろしく (2), and よろしく + verb (3). よろしく itself doesn’t have a polite form, but we can express that by adding おねがいします. The first usage has multiple meanings, which may make it difficult at first to use. Apart from this, we think that using よろしく is not so complicated.

When it’s Appropriate to Use よろしく

Usage (1) : General よろしく

A man saying yroshiku when he introduces himself
Photo quoted from www.city.nanto.toyama.jp

This can be used in various situations and might make you confused. However, once you grasp the concept, it will become a very useful expression. Let’s go over them one by one.

When You Meet People for the First Time

One of the most common introductions in Japanese is like this, 「はじめまして。Nameです。よろしくおねがいします。」. In this context, よろしくおねがいします could be translated as “nice to meet you”. In a casual tone, you could say 「Nameです。よろしく。」, please be careful however self-introductions are hardly so casual.

At the End of Self-introductions

As a closing phrase, Japanese people often say 「これからよろしくおねがいします。」. これから means “after this” or “from now on”. Thus, this can indicate something like “I hope we will have a good relationship”. In English, “it was nice meeting with you” can be the translation in this context.

When You Start Doing Something with Someone

If you are volunteering for an organisation, during the beginning the organizer can say, 「今日きょうはよろしくおねがいします。」 meaning, “thank you very much for coming today”. If you have a sport game, during the beginning you can say 「今日きょうはよろしくおねがいします。」 which means, “let’s have a good game” or “let’s do our best”. 今日きょうは can be replaced with other phrases. For example, when it is fixed to do something tomorrow, you can say, 「明日あしたはよろしくおねがいします。 」 meaning, “I’m looking forward to (doing something) tomorrow”. When you do something with someone for a certain period, you can say, 「これからよろしくおねがいします。」 which can be translated as, “I’m excited to work with you”. These are also often heard.

When You Make a Request and Express Your Appreciation

If you request your boss or a superior person to do something, you should say 「よろしくおねがいします。」 meaning, “I appreciate your help”. Depending on how formal you want to be, you can add some phrases in front of that such as, 「おすうですがよろしくおねがいします。」. This means, “sorry to trouble you, but ...” and 「おいそがしいとおもいますがよろしくおねがいします。」 which means, “I think you are busy, but ...”. In a casual tone, for example between friends and from superior people to inferior people, you can say 「これやっておいて。よろしく!」meaning, “please finish this. I’m counting on you!”

As a Starting Sign

If you have a meeting with someone, at the beginning you can say 「それではよろしくおねがいします。」 or 「でははじめましょう。よろしくおねがいします。」 meaning, “let’s get started”.

As a Customary Greeting

At the beginning of the new year, Japanese people always say 「けましておめでとうございます。今年ことしもよろしくおねがいします。」 which means, “happy new year. I hope we will have fun together”. In business situations, as a closing phrase, 「こんともよろしくおねがいします。」 is often used. こんとも means “from now on” and hence this indicates something like “we hope our relationship will continue for a long time”

Usage (2) : Noun + よろしく

A woman saying yoroshiku when she makes a request
Photo quoted from www.city.nanto.toyama.jp
When You Make a Request

This usage is simple and could be literally translated as “please ...”, “please take care of ...” or “please treat ... well”, but it certainly sounds polite. It is often used as a closing phrase when you make a request as follows.

Japanese Literal Translation
(ご)きょうりょくをよろしくおねがいします。 Please cooperate with us.
(ご)かいをよろしくおねがいします。 Please be understanding.
明日あしたのミーティング、よろしくおねがいします。 Please take care of tomorrow’s meeting.
らいしゅうじゅぎょう、よろしくおねがいします。 Please take care of next week’s class.
Shop Name (or any tye of establishment) をよろしくおねがいします。 Please treat us (Shop Name) well.
むすめをよろしくおねがいします。 Please treat my daughter well.
*This is said from a parent to a son-in-low when they get married.

There is another phrase たのむ which can be used in the same way as おねがいする. However, it is used from superior people to inferior people or between friends. Please be careful.

Usage (3) : よろしく + Verb

A woman saying yoroshiku when she takes a message.
Photo quoted from www.city.nanto.toyama.jp
When You Give Your Regards to Someone

In the usage (3), よろしく + う (to say) or つたえる (to tell) is mostly used and could be translated as “please say hello to ...” or “please give my regards to ...”. This is a kind of greeting. When Japanese people say goodbye, they often add this phrase like this; 「ほかのメンバーによろしくっておいて。」 which means, “please tell our other members that I said hello” and 「おとうさんによろしくおつたえください。」 meaning, ”please give my best regards to him (father-in-law)”.

Casual よろしくっておいて。
Neutral よろしくつたえて(ください)。
Formal よろしくおつたえください。

 If someone requests for you to give their よろしく (regards) to someone else on behalf of them , you can just say it like this; 「Nameさんが『よろしくつたえてください』とって(いたよ / いましたよ)。」.

Conclusion

Japan has high-context cultures and hence Japanese language often doesn’t specify the subject or objective in speaking, unlike English. For example, even this kind of an equivocal sentence; 「あれだからあれして。 (because of that, please do that)」can be understood between native speakers. If you look at just the phrase よろしく, nobody can figure out the meanings. However, once it’s in the contexts we mentioned above, the meanings will vary and become a useful phrase to express your feelings in Japanese. You probably don’t have to memorize all of the situations. When you need a clarification, just return to this article and review them.

Thank you for reading. これからもWasabiをよろしくおねがいします。

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