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.
No comments:
Post a Comment