Want to make a great first impression in Chinese? In this lesson you’ll learn how to greet, say your name, share where you’re from, and end politely—all with simple A1-level phrases. We’ll keep it practical, sprinkle in cultural tips, and give you quick exercises as you go so you can start introducing yourself today.

Friendly greetings you’ll actually use

Start with a warm hello. Chinese greetings are short and easy:

• 你好 nǐ hǎo — hello (neutral, friendly)
• 您好 nín hǎo — hello (polite/formal, to older people or in service contexts)
• 早上好 zǎoshang hǎo — good morning
• 下午好 xiàwǔ hǎo — good afternoon
• 晚上好 wǎnshang hǎo — good evening

Two quick examples:

Try ordering this mini greeting exchange.

Say your name: 我叫… and 我是…

There are two super-useful patterns:

• 我叫 + name — “I’m called …” (very common for names)
• 我是 + noun/name — “I am …” (use with your job, nationality, or also your name)

Examples:

我美国人。

你什么名字？

Ask for someone’s name (politely)

The simplest way:

• 你叫什么名字？ — What’s your name?

To sound polite when addressing a stranger or an older person, add 请问 at the start and use 您 (polite “you”):

• 请问，您叫什么名字？ — Excuse me, what is your name?

Say where you’re from

Two handy patterns:

• 我是 + country + 人 — “I am + nationality.”
• 我来自 + place — “I come from + place.” (slightly formal, but fine in self‑introductions)

Examples:

我来自。

“Nice to meet you” and polite endings

When you meet someone for the first time, use 认识 (to get to know) rather than 见到 (to see):

• 很高兴认识你。 — Nice to meet you. (informal)
• 很高兴认识您。 — Nice to meet you. (polite)

To close a short self-introduction, you can add: 请多多指教。 (qǐng duōduō zhǐjiào — “Please kindly guide me.” It’s a humble set phrase, common in East Asian introductions; optional at A1.)

很高兴见到你。 → 很高兴认识你。 见到你 = to see you (natural if you already know the person). For a first meeting, 认识你 is more precise: “to get to know you.”

Put it together: a simple script

Here’s a compact self-introduction you can adapt. Read it aloud twice and swap in your details.

• 你好！我叫玛丽。我是学生。我来自英国。很高兴认识你！
• 您好！我叫王明。我是老师。我来自中国。很高兴认识您！

Cultural tips to sound natural

• Titles + surname are common: 王老师 (Teacher Wang), 李先生 (Mr. Li), 张小姐 (Miss Zhang). In formal settings, introduce yourself with your title if relevant: 您好，我是王老师。
• Family name first: Say 我姓王，我叫王明 if you want to highlight your surname.
• Use 您 for respectful address and 请问 when asking someone you don’t know.
• Keep it short. A natural introduction is 2–4 short sentences.

Try this quick pattern: 你好/您好！我叫 [name]。我是 [nationality/job]。我来自 [place]。很高兴认识你/您！

Quick practice

• Say your script out loud twice, once with 你 and once with 您.
• Record yourself and check your tones on 你好 (nǐ hǎo) and 认识 (rènshi). Remember: 认 (fourth tone), 识 is light (neutral) in many accents.
• Swap in different countries/jobs to expand: 我是工程师 (I am an engineer), 我来自日本 (I come from Japan).

You’ve got the essentials! With 你好, 我叫…, 我是…, 我来自…, and 很高兴认识你, you can introduce yourself confidently in Mandarin. Keep practicing these short chunks, and you’ll make friendly first impressions wherever you go.