You already know the basics of Mandarin introductions, but speaking still feels risky. This workshop gives you three progressively harder role-plays where you must actually say your name, state where you are from, ask someone else's name and nationality, and respond when the conversation takes a turn. You will speak aloud, not just read. The phrases you need are the ones from the lesson: giving your name, asking for someone's name, saying your nationality, asking which country someone is from, forming yes/no questions, and saying it is nice to meet someone. Each exercise adds a concrete complication so you practise real-time decisions, not memorised scripts.
Prepare your core introduction before you speak
Before starting any role-play, decide on the exact information you will say about yourself. Choose a name you can pronounce comfortably in Mandarin, and decide which country you will claim for the exercise. Write these two facts down in English first: your chosen name and your chosen nationality. Then say them aloud using the lesson patterns: give your name, then say your nationality. Do not worry about tones yet; focus on saying the full sentence without stopping. Next, prepare the two questions you will ask: one for the other person's name and one for their nationality. Practise saying each question aloud three times so the rhythm feels familiar. Finally, prepare the polite phrase for meeting someone. Having these four pieces ready means you can enter the conversation without freezing. If you stumble, pause, breathe, and restart the sentence from the beginning. Fluency comes from repetition, not from perfect first attempts.
Handling the harder turn: when the other person asks you back
The real challenge in an introduction is not your first sentence; it is the moment the other person answers and then turns the question back to you. In the lesson dialogue, after one speaker says their nationality, they immediately ask the other person the same question. That means you must listen, understand the return question, and answer without preparation. To practise this, do not just rehearse your own lines. Have a partner or recording ask you a question you did not plan for, such as whether you are a student, or what your name is after you have already given it. Your job is to recognise the question pattern and respond with a full sentence, not a single word. If you do not understand, you can ask the person to repeat by using a simple polite request, but for this exercise, assume you understood and answer directly. The goal is to keep the exchange going for at least two full turns without switching to English.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
我叫...
My name is... / I am called...
wǒ jiào...
你叫什么名字？
What is your name?
nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
我是...人。
I am ... (nationality/from ...).
wǒ shì...rén.
你是哪国人？
What country are you from?
nǐ shì nǎ guó rén?
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
你好！我叫李明。你叫什么名字？
Hello! My name is Li Ming. What is your name?你好！我叫王丽。很高兴认识你。
Hello! My name is Wang Li. Nice to meet you.你是哪国人？
What country are you from?我是中国人。你是哪国人？
I am Chinese. What country are you from?我是美国人。你是学生吗？
I am American. Are you a student?是，我是学生。你呢？
Yes, I am a student. And you?Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
First meeting at a language exchange
You are at a language exchange event in a café. A person named Chen Wei sits down across from you and says hello. You have never met before. The room is noisy, so you need to speak clearly. You have decided to introduce yourself as Alex from Canada.
Your task: Say hello, give your name using the pattern for 'my name is', and say your nationality using the pattern for 'I am ... person'. Then ask Chen Wei for their name and which country they are from. Finish by saying the polite phrase for nice to meet you. Speak the entire exchange aloud as if Chen Wei were really there.
The unexpected third person
You are at a community class. You introduce yourself to the person next to you, whose name is Maria. You say your name and that you are from Australia. Maria responds with her name and says she is from Brazil. Then a third person, a teacher named Mr. Liu, joins the conversation and asks you both a question.
Your task: First, complete your introduction with Maria: say your name, your nationality, ask her name and nationality, and respond politely when she gives her information. Then, when Mr. Liu joins, he asks you directly whether you are a student there. You must answer him, then turn to Maria and ask her the same question using the source's 你...吗？ pattern. Speak all of this aloud, changing your tone slightly when you address Mr. Liu versus Maria.
Following up after the introduction
You are at a friend's dinner party. Your friend introduces you to a guest named David. You exchange names and nationalities. You say you are from the United States, and David says he is from the United Kingdom. After the initial introduction, David asks you a follow-up question about whether you like the food. You want to keep the conversation going naturally.
Your task: Begin by introducing yourself to David: say your name, say your nationality, ask his name and nationality, and say the polite phrase for nice to meet you. Then, when David asks if you like the food, answer with a full sentence using the source's 你...吗？ pattern. After answering, ask David a related yes/no question of your own, such as whether he likes the food or whether he is a student. Speak the entire exchange aloud, including your question to David.
Common questions
I keep forgetting the question word for 'which country' when I am speaking. How can I remember it in the moment?
Practise the full question aloud as a single chunk rather than as separate words. Say the source's 你是哪国人？ question five times in a row before starting the role-play. When you are in the conversation, your mouth will remember the rhythm even if your mind goes blank. If you still forget, pause, take a breath, and try the nationality question again after a short pause.
What if the other person gives a nationality I did not prepare for, like Thailand or Egypt?
You do not need to know every country name in advance. For this practice, if you hear a country you did not expect, you can respond with the polite phrase for nice to meet you and then ask a different yes/no question, such as whether they are a student. That keeps the conversation moving without requiring you to repeat a country name you are unsure about. Later, you can look up the country name and practise it separately.
Sources and further reading
- chinese: introduce yourselfChecked September 2026
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