Introductions are the first step in starting a conversation and meeting someone new. These common English phrases help you say your name, share a little about yourself, and ask the other person for their information.
The following lists cover different parts of an introduction, from simple greetings and stating your name to sharing more about yourself and asking questions.
- Use greetings to say hello and start the interaction.
- Use stating your name to tell the other person who you are.
- Use sharing about yourself to give a little more information.
- Use asking for information to find out more about the other person.
- Use closing the introduction to politely end the conversation or move on.
Greetings
These are the most common ways to say hello when meeting someone new.
- “Hello” and “Hi” are the most basic greetings.
- “Good morning/afternoon/evening” are polite, time-specific greetings.
- “Hey” is a casual, friendly greeting.
- You can add “nice to meet you” right after your greeting.
Greetings
| English | Usage Example |
|---|---|
| Hello. | Hello. Nice to meet you. |
| Hi. | Hi! How are you? |
| Hey. | Hey there! |
| Good morning. | Good morning! How are you today? |
| Good afternoon. | Good afternoon! |
| Good evening. | Good evening! |
| Nice to meet you. | Nice to meet you. I’m Sarah. |
| How are you? | How are you? |
| How’s it going? | How’s it going? |
| Pleased to meet you. | Pleased to meet you. |
Stating Your Name
These phrases help you tell the other person your name during the introduction.
- “My name is…” is formal and clear.
- “I’m…” is more casual and common in conversation.
- “This is…” is used when introducing someone else.
- You can also say “You can call me…” if you have a nickname.
Stating Your Name
| English | Usage Example |
|---|---|
| My name is [Name]. | My name is John. |
| I’m [Name]. | I’m Lisa. |
| This is [Name]. | This is my friend, Mike. |
| You can call me [Nickname]. | You can call me Sam. |
| Nice to meet you. I’m [Name]. | Nice to meet you. I’m Emma. |
| I go by [Name/Nickname]. | I go by Dave. |
| It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m [Name]. | It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Anna. |
| I’m called [Name]. | I’m called Alex. |
| Let me introduce myself. I’m [Name]. | Let me introduce myself. I’m Chloe. |
| I’m [Name], and you are? | I’m Raj, and you are? |
Sharing About Yourself
These expressions let you give a little more information about who you are, such as where you’re from, your job, or what you do.
- “I’m from…” tells the other person your hometown or country.
- “I work as a…” or “I’m a…” describes your job.
- “I’m a student at…” or “I study…” is used if you are in school.
- You can also mention hobbies or interests to make the conversation more friendly.
Sharing About Yourself
| English | Usage Example |
|---|---|
| I’m from [Place]. | I’m from Brazil. |
| I work as a [Job]. | I work as a teacher. |
| I’m a [Job]. | I’m a graphic designer. |
| I’m a student at [School]. | I’m a student at UCLA. |
| I study [Subject]. | I study biology. |
| I enjoy [Hobby]. | I enjoy playing soccer. |
| In my free time, I [Activity]. | In my free time, I read books. |
| I’ve been living in [Place] for [Time]. | I’ve been living in New York for 2 years. |
| I just moved to [Place]. | I just moved to Chicago. |
| I’m really interested in [Topic]. | I’m really interested in music. |
Choose the correct way to mention a hobby in an introduction:
I enjoy playing soccer.
“I enjoy playing soccer” is grammatically correct and natural. The other options contain errors in verb forms or sentence structure.
Asking for Information
These common questions help you learn the other person’s name and some basic information about them.
- Always be polite when asking questions—use “please” if necessary.
- Start with simple questions like “What’s your name?” or “Where are you from?”
- You can follow up with questions about their job, studies, or interests.
- Using “you” makes the questions direct and natural.
Asking for Information
| English | Usage Example |
|---|---|
| What’s your name? | What’s your name? |
| Where are you from? | Where are you from? |
| What do you do? | What do you do? |
| Are you a student? | Are you a student? |
| Where do you work? | Where do you work? |
| What do you study? | What do you study? |
| How long have you been here? | How long have you been here? |
| Do you have any hobbies? | Do you have any hobbies? |
| What do you like to do in your free time? | What do you like to do in your free time? |
| Is this your first time here? | Is this your first time here? |
What is the most polite way to ask someone’s name?
What’s your name?
“What’s your name?” is the standard polite question. The other options are either rude or grammatically incorrect.
Closing the Introduction
These phrases help you end the introduction politely. You can either leave the conversation or smoothly move on to something else.
- “It was nice meeting you” is a polite way to end.
- “I hope we can talk again soon” shows you want to continue the friendship later.
- You can also exchange contact info if you want to stay in touch.
- Use “Have a great day” or similar to leave on a positive note.
Closing the Introduction
| English | Usage Example |
|---|---|
| It was nice meeting you. | It was nice meeting you. |
| I enjoyed talking with you. | I enjoyed talking with you. |
| I hope we can talk again soon. | I hope we can talk again soon. |
| Let’s keep in touch. | Let’s keep in touch. |
| Can I get your contact info? | Can I get your contact info? |
| Have a great day! | Have a great day! |
| See you around! | See you around! |
| Take care! | Take care! |
| I’ll see you later. | I’ll see you later. |
| Thanks for the chat! | Thanks for the chat! |
Sample Dialogue
Here’s a simple dialogue using some of the common introduction phrases.
- Notice how the phrases naturally flow from one step to the next.
- You can practice by reading both parts out loud.
- Try swapping in your own details to make it personal.
A: Hello! My name is Maria.
B: Hi Maria, I’m James. Nice to meet you!
A: Nice to meet you too, James. Where are you from?
B: I’m from Canada. How about you?
A: I’m from Mexico. What do you do?
B: I’m a software developer. And you?
A: I’m a graphic designer. It was nice meeting you!
B: You too! Let’s keep in touch.
Summary
Introductions in English follow a simple pattern:
- Say hello with a greeting.
- Tell your name.
- Share a little about yourself.
- Ask the other person some questions.
- Close politely when you’re done.
Thank you for learning with us today!
Flashcards (1 of 50)
- Usage Example: Hello. Nice to meet you.
- English: Hello.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
