How to Introduce Yourself in Chinese With 8 Simple Sentences

Introducing yourself in Chinese is usually the first step in starting longer conversations with Chinese speakers, and making a good first impression really goes a long way. Whether you’re meeting a potential business partner, attending an interview, or joining a class, knowing how to introduce yourself in Chinese properly can demonstrate courtesy, respect, and awareness of cultural differences. 

Check this article to see the art of introducing yourself in Chinese to make the best first impression on Chinese people! 

8 simple sentences to introduce yourself in Chinese

1. Say hello

Any introduction will probably start with saying Hello and Nice to meet you. These phrases are as important in Chinese as they are in English. A proper greeting can help you make a positive first impression. For example, here is the most basic sentence to start a self-introduction in Chinese: 

您好，很高兴见到你。(Nínhǎo, hěn gāoxìng jiàn dào nǐ.) – Hello, nice to meet you.

If you’d like to be more specific on saying hello at a particular time of day or to a specific person, take a look at this guide: 

English	Pinyin	Chinese
Hello. (casual)	Nǐ hǎo.	你好。
Hello. (respectful)	Nín hǎo.	您好。
Good morning.	Shàngwŭ hǎo.	上午好。
Good afternoon.	Xiàwŭ hăo.	下午好。
Good evening.	Wǎnshàng hǎo.	晚上好。

2. Introduce your name

This step is simple. To introduce your name in Chinese, you start with the phrase “Wǒ de míngzi shì.” Then say your name. 

For example, if your name is Allyson, here’s how to introduce your name in Chinese: 

我的名字是艾莉森. (Wǒ de míngzi shì Ài lì sēn.) – My name is Allyson.

3. Tell your age

Introducing your age makes it easy for people to address you – you can even find people of the same age, who may share the same interests with you, in the crowd. This can bring you some Chinese language partners to improve your Chinese together. 

Here’s how to say how old you are in Chinese:

我二十五岁。 (Wǒ èrshíwǔ suì.) – I’m 25 years old.

If you’re unsure how to tell your age in Chinese, check our ultimate guide to numbers in Chinese for proper Chinese number charts. 

4. Tell where you’re from

Telling where you’re from is also important information as you can make new friends, such as people planning a trip to your hometown. It can help you find your compatriots too!  

To tell where you are from, simply put the name of your country in this phrase. We’ll use America as an example. 

我来自美国。(Wǒ láizì měiguó.) – I’m from America.

What about now? Where do you live? You can give a quick brief about where you live currently by saying, 

我住在北京. (Wǒ zhù zài Běijīng.) – I live in Beijing.

5. Present your profession

Introducing what you do can lead to longer conversations between people who care about your job or work in the same sector. For example, if you’re planning to advance in your career, you can reach many people who can help you grow professionally.

You can simply mention your job by saying: 

我是一名律师。 (Wǒ shì yī míng lǜshī.) – I’m a lawyer.

6. Mention your hobbies

Now, let’s move on to personal interests – hobbies! Sharing your hobbies and interests adds more passion to your speech and can connect you with new friends. That’s why you’ll definitely need to mention your hobbies when introducing yourself in Chinese.

Here are some examples to use:

• 读书是我的爱好之一。(Dúshū shì Wǒ de àihào zhīyī.) – Reading is one of my hobbies.
• 我喜欢在空闲时间听音乐。(Wǒ xǐhuān zài kòngxián shíjiān tīng yīnyuè) – I enjoy listening to music in my free time.

7. Talk about your Chinese learning experience

If you’re attending a gathering between Chinese speakers or Chinese learners, it’s a good idea to share your language learning journey. And if you’re an experienced Chinese learner, you can even help the newbies!

Let’s do it with a simple sentence, 

我学习中文已经一年了。 (Wǒ xuéxí Zhōngwén yǐjīng yī nián le.) – I’ve been learning Chinese for a year.

8. Say thank you to the hearers

Don’t forget to wrap up your introduction with a proper thank you to your audience. You can simply say: 

谢谢 你的 聆听 (Xièxiè nǐ de língtīng) – Thank you for listening. 

Saying thank you shows your politeness towards people and helps you fit in with society. Click here if you’d like to read more about how to say thank you in mandarin properly in every situation.

Important notes when introducing yourself in Chinese

• In case you don’t know what your conversation partner just said, use the phrase 我没听懂 (wǒ méi tīng dǒng) – “I don’t understand” to encourage them to repeat or explain with simpler Chinese. Avoid the overused expression 听不懂 (tīng bù dǒng) – “I can’t understand,” which can kill the mood of the conversation immediately! 
• If you need a pause to figure out what to say next during your Chinese self-introduction, don’t be afraid to use filler words to stall for time. For example, you can say 那个 (nèi ge), which works like “um,” “uh,” “well,” or “you know” in English. 

The bottom line

It doesn’t matter if you have been learning Chinese for years or just getting started with it, it’s always possible to introduce yourself in Chinese to someone who speaks this language. In other words, you don’t need to understand the exact meanings of what you’re saying or how the words relate to each other grammatically to introduce yourself in Chinese. 

If you’d like to improve your Chinese, we encourage you to sign up for Pandanese! Pandanese is a web-based Mandarin learning platform that helps users master Mandarin Chinese by employing mnemonics and the Spaced Repetition Learning method. Moreover, Pandanese brings you Chinese learning tips and tricks, together with interesting Chinese cultural facts and helpful information to start a trip to China or build a strong relationship with the Chinese people. 

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