Language/German/Vocabulary/Introducing-Yourself

German Vocabulary → Greetings and Introduction → Introducing Yourself

Introducing yourself in a foreign language can be daunting, but it's also the first step in connecting with native speakers and making new friends. In this lesson, we'll cover the basics of introducing yourself in German, including some cultural information and interesting facts about Germany.

German Greetings and Customs

Before we dive into German introductions, let's take a look at some common greetings and customs you might encounter in Germany:

• Germans are known for their punctuality, so make sure to arrive on time if you have an appointment or a meeting.
• When greeting someone, you can say "Guten Tag" (good day), "Hallo" (hello), or "Grüß Gott" (used in Bavaria) depending on the time of day and level of formality.
• Germans often shake hands when meeting someone new, even if they are classmates or colleagues. Handshakes are usually firm and should be accompanied by eye contact.
• It's common to address someone by their last name and title (such as Frau/Herr) until you are given permission to use their first name.

Introducing Yourself

Now let's get to the fun part - introducing yourself in German! Here are some key phrases and vocabulary words to help you get started:

• "Ich heiße..." - I'm called...
• "Ich komme aus..." - I'm from...
• "Ich bin..." - I am...
• "Ich studiere..." - I'm studying...
• "Ich arbeite bei..." - I work at...
• "Ich bin hier für..." - I'm here for...
• "Wie geht es Ihnen?" - How are you? (formal)
• "Wie geht's?" - How are you? (informal)

When introducing yourself, it's important to pay attention to the formality of the situation. In general, it's best to use the formal "Sie" pronoun when meeting someone for the first time, unless they invite you to use the informal "du" pronoun. Here's an example conversation:

• A: "Guten Tag, mein Name ist Anna. Wie heißen Sie?" (Good day, my name is Anna. What's your name?)
• B: "Guten Tag, ich heiße Hans. Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen." (Good day, my name is Hans. Nice to meet you.)
• A: "Freut mich auch. Woher kommen Sie, Hans?" (Nice to meet you too. Where are you from, Hans?)
• B: "Ich komme aus Berlin. Und Sie?" (I'm from Berlin. And you?)
• A: "Ich komme aus den USA, aber ich studiere hier in Deutschland." (I'm from the USA, but I'm studying here in Germany.)

Don't worry if you don't know all of the words in this conversation - we'll cover more vocabulary in the tables below:

German	Pronunciation	English
Ich heiße	eehk hahy-seh	I'm called
Ich komme aus	eehk koh-muh owss	I'm from
Ich bin	eehk been	I am
Ich studiere	eehk shtoo-dee-ruh	I'm studying
Ich arbeite bei	eehk ahr-bye-tuh by	I work at
Wie geht es Ihnen?	vee gayt ess een-en?	How are you? (formal)
Wie geht's?	vee gayts?	How are you? (informal)

Asking and Answering Personal Questions

Once you've introduced yourself, you might want to ask some personal questions to get to know the other person better. Here are some common questions you might encounter:

• "Woher kommen Sie?" - Where are you from?
• "Was studieren Sie?" - What are you studying?
• "Wo arbeiten Sie?" - Where do you work?
• "Haben Sie Kinder?" - Do you have children?
• "Was sind Ihre Hobbys?" - What are your hobbies?
• "Wie alt sind Sie?" - How old are you?

Remember to use the appropriate pronoun and verb form depending on the level of formality. Here are some example answers:

• "Ich komme aus Hamburg." (I'm from Hamburg.)
• "Ich studiere Informatik." (I'm studying computer science.)
• "Ich arbeite bei einer Bank." (I work at a bank.)
• "Ja, ich habe zwei Kinder." (Yes, I have two children.)
• "Meine Hobbys sind Sport und Lesen." (My hobbies are sports and reading.)
• "Ich bin 25 Jahre alt." (I'm 25 years old.)

German	Pronunciation	English
Woher kommen Sie?	voh-hair koh-muhn zee?	Where are you from?
Was studieren Sie?	vahs shtoo-dee-ruhn zee?	What are you studying?
Wo arbeiten Sie?	voh ahr-bye-tuhn zee?	Where do you work?
Haben Sie Kinder?	hah-behn zee keen-duhr?	Do you have children?
Was sind Ihre Hobbys?	vahs zint eeh-reh hoh-bees?	What are your hobbies?
Wie alt sind Sie?	vee alt zint zee?	How old are you?

Conclusion

Congratulations - you've completed your first German introduction! Remember to practice your conversations with native speakers and keep building your vocabulary. In the next lesson, we'll learn more about definite and indefinite articles in German. Bis zum nächsten Mal!

Sources

• How to introduce yourself in German - A good place to start learning ...
• Introduce Yourself In German: 23+ Brilliant Phrases To Learn - Ling ...
• 10 German Lines You Need for Introducing Yourself

Table of Contents - German Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Basic Sentence Structures

• Subject and Verb
• Noun and Gender

  ---

Greetings and Introduction

• Greetings and Goodbyes
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Definite and Indefinite Articles

• Gender and Articles
• Plural Forms
• Cases: Nominative and Accusative

  ---

Numbers, Dates and Time

• Numbers 1-100
• Days of the Week and Months
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Conjugation

• Verb Forms
• Present Tense
• Separable Verbs

  ---

Family and Friends

• Family Members
• Talking About Your Friends

  ---

Prepositions

• Using Prepositions
• Two-Way Prepositions

  ---

Food and Drinks

• Food and Meals
• Drinks and Beverages

  ---

Germany and German-Speaking Countries

• Geography and Landmarks
• Cuisine and Traditions

  ---

Pronouns and Possessives

• Personal Pronouns
• Possessive Pronouns

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Booking a Trip
• Public Transportation

  ---

Modal Verbs

• Expressing Abilities
• Talking About Obligations

  ---

Shopping and Clothes

• Shopping for Clothes
• Buying Groceries

  ---

Music and Entertainment

• Popular Musicians and Genres
• Movies, TV and Literature

  ---

Adjectives

• Descriptive Adjectives
• Comparative and Superlative Forms

  ---

Health and Body

• Talking About Health
• Body Parts

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Time and Temporal Prepositions

• Using Time Expressions
• Temporal Prepositions

Related Lessons

• Geography
• Shopping for Clothes
• Parts of the Body
• People in German
• Jobs
• Food and Meals
• Seasons
• Colors
• Telling Time