Question
I’m planning a business trip to Japan and I’ve heard that exchanging business cards is an important custom there. Could you tell me how to say “May I have your business card?” in Japanese during a meeting?
Japango Editor Team
名刺（めいし）をいただけますか。
Meishi o itadakemasu ka?
May I have your business card?
In Japan, exchanging business cards, or “meishi,” is a key part of business etiquette and typically occurs at the beginning of a meeting. The phrase “Meishi o itadakemasu ka?” is both polite and useful for requesting someone’s business card.
“Itadakemasu” is a polite form used to ask for or receive something. You can use this structure with other objects by replacing “meishi” with what you would like to ask for. Remember to present and receive business cards with both hands as a sign of respect.
