How to Introduce Yourself in Mandarin (Phrases + Examples)

How to introduce yourself when learning Chinese is probably the most practical thing you'll learn as a beginner. Seriously, whether you're planning a trip to China, starting a language exchange, or just want to impress your Chinese-speaking friends, nailing your self-introduction opens so many doors. The good news? Chinese introductions follow pretty straightforward patterns once you know the basic building blocks. In this guide, I'll walk you through everything from casual greetings to formal business introductions, complete with the phrases you'll need and how to string them together naturally.

Basic greeting phrases to start your introduction

Before you jump into talking about yourself, you need to know how to say hello.

Here's something cool: Chinese people don't really say "nice to meet you" the way we do in English. Instead, they say , which means "very happy to know you." You'll hear this a lot in first meetings.

If you're greeting multiple people, just change 你好 to . The 们 makes it plural. Easy enough.

How to introduce yourself in Chinese with your name

Alright, here's where things get interesting. When Chinese people introduce themselves, they follow a specific pattern that feels backwards to English speakers at first.

This literally means "I am called" and it's super casual and friendly. For example, 我叫 Sarah. You can just plug your English name right in there.

This translates to "my name is" and works great in professional settings or when you want to sound a bit more polished.

So if you meet someone named , 王 is their last name and 明 is their first name. When introducing yourself with a Chinese name, remember this order matters.

If you want to be extra polite or formal (like in a job interview), you can say + your family name, then follow up with your full name. For example: . This pattern is common in business introductions.

Talking about where you're from

After your name, people usually want to know where you're from. The sentence structure here is super straightforward.

The 人 means "person," so you're literally saying "I am (country) person." Examples:

This means "I come from." For example, means "I come from New York."

So works just as well.

Describing your profession and what you do

Talking about your job or studies is usually the next part of any introduction.

Common professions you might need:

For example, means "I study Chinese."

The 在 means "at" and 工作 means "work." So means "I work at Google."

Sharing personal details and hobbies

Once you've covered the basics, you might want to share a bit more about yourself. This makes conversations feel more natural and friendly.

For example, means "I'm 25 years old."

You can string multiple hobbies together with , which means "and." Like: .

Formal vs casual introduction patterns

The context really matters when you introduce yourself in Chinese. What works at a party with friends won't fly in a business meeting.

For casual situations (meeting friends, language exchange partners, social gatherings), keep it simple and warm:

This relaxed pattern feels natural and friendly. You can even drop some parts if the conversation flows that way.

For formal situations (job interviews, business meetings, academic settings), add more structure and use polite vocabulary:

Notice the 您 instead of 你? That's the formal "you" that shows respect. Also, ending with 很高兴认识您 (very happy to meet you) adds a professional polish.

In business contexts, you might also want to mention your position more specifically:

The 的 here shows possession, like "I am (company)'s (position)."

Putting it all together with conversation scripts

Let's look at some real conversation examples so you can see how these pieces fit together naturally.

Casual introduction at a language exchange:

Formal business introduction:

Student introduction in class:

Common phrases to wrap up your introduction

After you introduce yourself, you'll want some phrases to keep the conversation going or politely close things out.

Practice makes perfect with real conversations

Anyway, if you want to level up your Chinese learning beyond just introductions, Migaku's browser extension and app let you learn vocabulary from real Chinese content like shows, movies, and articles. You can look up words instantly and create flashcards automatically from stuff you actually want to watch or read. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.

Introduce yourself in Mandarin, adding a personal touch

You don't have to follow the online templates of self-introduction. In fact, adding your personal touch to a self-introduction can leave a better and deeper impression on your audience. For example, try adding something more specific about what you enjoy in Chinese culture, which can be (Chinese historical costumes), (Chongqing hotpots), (Empresses in the Palace), etc. Chinese people will find it more relatable. And there is no better way to explore your personal interests than media consumption, in which you can explore all the engaging Chinese culture!

Culture lives in media.