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Question
I’m traveling to Japan for business and have an important meeting with a Japanese client. I want to be polite and ask if it’s okay to start the meeting. How do I ask, “Shall we begin the meeting?” in Japanese?
Japango Editor Team
会議（かいぎ）を始（はじ）めてもよろしいですか。
Kaigi o hajimetemo yoroshii desuka?
Shall we begin the meeting?
In a business setting, it’s important to show respect and politeness. The phrase “hajimetemo yoroshii desuka?” is a polite way to ask for permission. “Kaigi” means “meeting”, and “hajimeru” is the verb “to begin” in its te-form “hajimetemo”, combined with “yoroshii desuka?” to ask for permission politely.
Feel free to replace “kaigi” with other activities when you want to politely ask to start something, making sure to keep the respectful tone intact.
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