Introduce Yourself in Chinese: First Meetings

The three moves of a simple introduction

A first meeting often follows a small pattern. First you greet and give your name. In the model exchange, one speaker opens with «你好，我叫 Alex。». The other speaker answers with a greeting, a name, and a question: «你好，我叫小丽。你是哪国人？». Notice that the question asks which country you are from, so your answer should name a country. Next, the first speaker gives two pieces of information and returns the question: «我是加拿大人。我喜欢徒步。你呢？». The phrase for liking something is useful here, and the country word answers the earlier question. Finally, the second speaker gives a country, a like, and a closing greeting: «我是中国人，我喜欢看书。很高兴认识你。». If you only need one short line for your name, you can use «我叫 Alex。». If you want to state your nationality or origin in a simple way, «我是加拿大人。» works, and «我来自加拿大。» is another way to say where you come from. To name a hobby, «我喜欢徒步。» shows the pattern for liking an activity. Keep each turn short and clear.

Listening for the key words

When someone introduces themselves, you do not need to catch every sound. Listen for the name, the country, and the activity. In «你好，我叫小丽。你是哪国人？», the important parts are the greeting, the name, and the country question. In «我是加拿大人。我喜欢徒步。你呢？», listen for the country and the hobby, then notice the short question at the end that invites you to answer. In «我是中国人，我喜欢看书。很高兴认识你。», the speaker gives a country, an activity, and a friendly closing. The line «我是加拿大人。» tells you a nationality or origin, while «我来自加拿大。» tells you where someone comes from. The line «我喜欢徒步。» tells you an activity the speaker enjoys. If you hear a country word, you can answer with your own country. If you hear a hobby, you can answer with your own hobby. This kind of listening is about catching familiar pieces, not translating every word.

Keeping your turn natural

A short introduction sounds friendly when you add a return question. After you say your name, country, or hobby, you can invite the other person to speak. The model exchange shows this clearly: «我是加拿大人。我喜欢徒步。你呢？» ends with a short question, and «我是中国人，我喜欢看书。很高兴认识你。» closes with a greeting. You can also open with just a name, as in «你好，我叫 Alex。», and let the other person ask more. If you want a very short answer for your name, use «我叫 Alex。». If you want to say your nationality or origin, use «我是加拿大人。» or «我来自加拿大。». If you want to mention an activity you enjoy, use «我喜欢徒步。». Speak slowly, keep eye contact, and pause after your question so the other person can answer. You do not need long sentences. Three short pieces, name, country, and hobby, are enough for a first meeting.

Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.

Checking available voices…

Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.

Common questions