Introducing yourself and others is one of the most practical and essential skills when learning German. Here's a complete guide to introducing yourself (sich vorstellen) and others, covering formal and informal contexts, pronunciation, and example conversations.
Used in professional or polite settings.
| German Phrase | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Guten Tag, mein Name ist... | /ˌɡuːtn̩ ˈtaːk maɪ̯n ˈnaːmə ɪst/ | Good day, my name is... |
| Ich heiße... | /ɪç ˈhaɪ̯sə/ | I am called... (My name is...) |
| Ich komme aus... | /ɪç ˈkɔmə aʊ̯s/ | I come from... |
| Ich arbeite als... | /ɪç ˈaʁbaɪ̯tə als/ | I work as... |
| Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen! | /fʁɔɪ̯t mɪç ziː ˈkɛnənˌʦuˌlɛʁnən/ | Pleased to meet you! |
Used with friends, peers, or in casual settings.
| German Phrase | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Hallo, ich bin... | /ˈhaˌloː ɪç bɪn/ | Hi, I’m... |
| Ich heiße... | /ɪç ˈhaɪ̯sə/ | I am called... (My name is...) |
| Ich wohne in... | /ɪç ˈvoːnə ɪn/ | I live in... |
| Ich bin ... Jahre alt. | /ɪç bɪn ... ˈjaːʁə alt/ | I am ... years old. |
| Schön, dich kennenzulernen! | /ʃøːn dɪç ˈkɛnənˌʦuˌlɛʁnən/ | Nice to meet you! |
To make your introduction more complete:
| German Phrase | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Ich spreche ... (Sprachen). | /ɪç ˈʃpʁɛçə/ | I speak ... (languages). |
| Mein Hobby ist... | /maɪ̯n ˈhɔbi ɪst/ | My hobby is... |
| Meine Hobbys sind... | /ˈmaɪ̯nə ˈhɔbiːs zɪnt/ | My hobbies are... |
| Ich habe... Geschwister. | /ɪç ˈhaːbə ... gəˈʃvɪstɐ/ | I have... siblings. |
| Ich studiere... | /ɪç ʃtuˈdiːʁə/ | I study... |
Used when introducing someone in a professional or polite manner.
| German Phrase | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Das ist Herr/Frau... | /das ɪst hɛʁ/fʁaʊ̯/ | This is Mr./Ms.... |
| Darf ich vorstellen? Das ist... | /daʁf ɪç ˈfɔʁʃtɛlən das ɪst/ | May I introduce? This is... |
| Er/Sie kommt aus... | /ɛʁ/ziː ˈkɔmt aʊ̯s/ | He/She comes from... |
| Er/Sie arbeitet als... | /ɛʁ/ziː ˈaʁbaɪ̯tət als/ | He/She works as... |