Thursday, May 31, 2018

verbs - Which form is はじめまして?


So I've learned that はじめまして is used in first meetings and that it stems from the verb はじめる (to start; to begin). But what form is it? It's apparently not the polite past form, which has a -た at the end (はじめました). Is it a proper verb form of はじめる anyway or should it simply be seen as a set expression?



Answer



To break it down, はじめまして is the て form of はじめます, and はじめます is the polite form of はじめる.


はじめまして is a fixed expression.


You'll see ~~まして in some fixed expressions such as:





  • あけましておめでとうございます。-- Happy new year.

  • どういたしまして。-- You are welcome.



as well as in polite/formal speech or writing such as:




  • ご来店くださいまして、誠にありがとうございます。

    -- Thank you for visiting our store.

  • ご迷惑をおかけしまして、申し訳ございません。
    -- We are sorry to have troubled you.



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