You are meeting a new classmate, a language partner, or a friend of a friend, and you want to move past a stiff hello into a real conversation. In these three practice scenarios you will greet someone casually, introduce yourself with your name, origin, and one interest, and ask basic personal questions about origin, work, age, or zodiac. You will work only with the phrases from your lessons, such as 嗨, 最近怎么样？, 我叫 Alex, 我是加拿大人, 我喜欢徒步, 你从哪里来？, and 你做什么工作？, and you will practise saying them aloud in realistic turns rather than reciting them as a list.
Prepare a short introduction you can actually say aloud
Before you speak with anyone, build one introduction you can deliver without reading: 你好，我叫 Alex。我是加拿大人。我喜欢徒步。很高兴认识你。 Say it out loud five times, then vary the middle: swap 徒步 for another interest you genuinely have, and swap 加拿大人 for your real country. Notice that Mandarin does not change the verb for different subjects, so 我喜欢 stays the same whether you are talking about yourself or asking about someone else. Keep the whole introduction to four short sentences. If you stumble, do not restart from the beginning; finish the sentence you are on and continue, because real conversations do not pause for you to reset. Record yourself once and listen for whether your name and country are clear, then repeat the recording until those two pieces of information land without hesitation.
Handling the moment when you are asked a question you did not prepare
The harder turn in a friendly Mandarin conversation is not your own introduction; it is the question that comes back at you. Someone may ask 你从哪里来？, 你是哪国人？, 你做什么工作？, 你多大？, or 你属什么？ and you need to answer without freezing. Keep a small set of ready replies: 我从北京来 for origin, 我是美国人 for nationality, 我是老师 for work, and 我属龙 for zodiac. If you do not understand the question, say so plainly and ask them to repeat it rather than guessing, because a wrong answer about your own job or age is more awkward than a short pause. You can also redirect with 你呢？ after your answer, which turns the exchange back to the other person and buys you time. Practise answering each of the five questions in under three seconds, because hesitation is what makes a simple question feel like an exam.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
嗨
Hi / Hey
hāi (first tone)
早
Morning
zǎo (third tone)
最近怎么样？
How have you been lately? / What's up?
zuì jìn zěn me yàng? (zuì: fourth tone; jìn: fourth tone; zěn: third tone; me: neutral; yàng: fourth tone)
好久不见！
Long time no see!
hǎo jiǔ bú jiàn! (hǎo: third tone; jiǔ: third tone; bú: second tone (bù before fourth tone); jiàn: fourth tone)
我叫 Alex。
I'm Alex. / My name is Alex.
wǒ jiào Alex
我是加拿大人。
I'm Canadian. / I'm from Canada.
wǒ shì Jiānádà rén
我来自加拿大。
I come from Canada.
wǒ láizì Jiānádà
我喜欢徒步。
I love hiking. / I like hiking.
wǒ xǐhuan túbù
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
嗨！最近怎么样？
Hey! How have you been lately?还行，你呢？
Not bad, and you?挺忙的。明天有考试。
Pretty busy. I have an exam tomorrow.加油！
Good luck! / You can do it!Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Greeting a classmate before a morning lecture
It is 8 a.m. and you walk into a classroom where a classmate you have chatted with twice is already seated. You have not seen each other for about two weeks because of a break. The room is quiet and a few other students are nearby.
Your task: Greet your classmate aloud and open a short exchange. Use 早 or 嗨, then 好久不见 and 最近怎么样？. When your classmate answers, respond with 还行 or 挺好的, then add one true detail about your week, such as being busy or having an exam. Keep your whole turn under thirty seconds and do not read from notes.
Introducing yourself to a friend of a friend at a gathering
You are at a small dinner with six people. A friend introduces you to someone your age named 小丽 who is visiting from another city. People are standing and chatting in small groups, so you have about a minute before the conversation shifts.
Your task: Introduce yourself aloud using 你好，我叫 plus your name, then 我是 plus your country plus 人, then 我喜欢 plus one real interest. Finish with 很高兴认识你. Speak at a normal pace, make eye contact, and do not list more than one interest, because a short introduction is easier for the other person to respond to.
Keeping a language exchange partner talking after the first hello
You meet a language exchange partner for the first time at a cafe. You both already know each other's names from messages. The first two minutes are comfortable, but then neither of you says anything and the table goes quiet.
Your task: Break the silence by asking two personal questions from your lesson, choosing from 你从哪里来？, 你做什么工作？, 你多大？, and 你属什么？. Ask one question, listen to the answer, react to it with a short comment, then ask the second question. Answer the same questions yourself when they are returned to you.
Common questions
Is 吃了吗？ a real invitation to a meal?
No. In your lesson it is described as a traditional casual greeting, especially among older friends or in northern China, and it is not a real invitation to eat. With close peers it can sound friendly or slightly old-fashioned, so treat it as a greeting and do not expect a meal to follow.
Can I use 嗨 with my boss or a teacher?
Your lesson advises against it. 嗨 is very casual and fits close friends and peers. With a boss, teacher, or stranger, use 您好 instead, and 你好 is a neutral safe choice when you are unsure.
What should I do if I do not know the answer to 你属什么？
Say you do not know and ask the other person to help you work out your animal from your birth year. The question refers to the twelve-animal cycle, and answering with 我属 plus the animal is the pattern shown in your lesson, so asking for the animal is a reasonable way to continue the conversation.
Sources and further reading
- chinese: greet friends casuallyChecked September 2026
- chinese: introduce yourself sociallyChecked September 2026
- chinese: ask basic personal questionsChecked September 2026
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