How to introduce yourself in English
You probably know every word in “Nice to meet you.” The hard part is saying it smoothly while someone is waiting for your answer. This guide gives you a few chunks that do most of the work, shows how they change at work, and gives you templates to practise aloud.
Quick answer
To introduce yourself in English, greet the person, say your name, and add one detail about what you do or where you’re from. Use ready-made chunks so you don’t have to build each sentence word by word: “Hi, I’m…”, “I work in…”, “Nice to meet you.” Keep it short, then ask a question back.
The simple pattern: greet, name, one detail, question back
Most good introductions follow four steps. Each step has a chunk you can reach for.
| Step | Chunk to use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Greet | Hi / Hello / Good morning | “Hi there.” |
| 2. Say your name | I’m… / My name’s… | “I’m Ana.” |
| 3. Add one detail | I work in… / I’m from… / I’m studying… | “I work in marketing.” |
| 4. Ask back | What about you? / What do you do? | “What about you?” |
Put together: “Hi, I’m Ana. I work in marketing. What about you?”
That is a complete introduction. You don’t need your age, your whole job history or a speech. One detail is enough to start a conversation.
Introducing yourself to a colleague
With a colleague, keep it friendly and short. These chunks also work when you finally meet someone you have only emailed.
| Chunk | What it does |
|---|---|
| “You must be Mia.” | Recognises someone you expected to meet |
| “I think we’ve emailed each other.” | Connects the meeting to earlier contact |
| “Nice to meet you.” / “You too.” | The standard greeting, and a natural reply |
| “Which team are you in?” | Asks a simple work question |
| “I’m in the finance team.” | Answers with one clear detail |
Introducing yourself to a client or someone senior
With a client or a senior manager, switch to more formal chunks. The words change to show respect.
| Casual | More formal |
|---|---|
| Hi | Good morning / Good afternoon |
| Nice to meet you | Pleased to meet you |
| I’m Daniel | Let me introduce myself. I’m [your full name]. |
| This is Mia | This is my colleague, Mia. |
Tip: after “Let me introduce myself”, take a short pause before your name. It gives the other person a moment to get ready to remember it.
Whether you use titles such as “Mr Chen” depends on the workplace and the culture. If you’re not sure, start formal and follow the other person’s lead.
Introducing other people
You often introduce colleagues as well as yourself. Add one detail about each person, so the conversation has somewhere to go.
- “This is my colleague, Mia. She works in our finance team.”
- “These are my colleagues, Sam and Mei.”
Say it smoothly: two pronunciation tips
Two small changes make your introduction sound natural.
- Say “Nice to meet you” as one chunk. In natural speech, “to” becomes a weak sound, close to “tə”: nice-tə-meet-you. Saying it as one unit sounds more natural than four separate words.
- Add the person’s name at the end to sound extra polite: “Nice to meet you, Mia.”
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Better |
|---|---|
| Saying “Good night” when you arrive in the evening | Say “Good evening”. “Good night” is for leaving or going to bed. |
| Giving a long list of facts | Give one detail, then ask a question back |
| Using the same introduction everywhere | Match the setting: “Hi, I’m Ana” with peers, “Pleased to meet you” with clients |
| Translating word by word from your language | Learn the whole chunk (“Nice to meet you”) and say it as one unit |
| Forgetting the other person | End with “What about you?” or “Which team are you in?” |
Make it yours
Fill in the gaps, then say each version aloud three times.
| Situation | Say it |
|---|---|
| At work | “Hi, I’m ___. I work in ___, on the ___ team. What about you?” |
| Meeting a client | “Good morning. Let me introduce myself. I’m ___, from ___. This is my colleague, ___.” |
| In a class | “Hi, I’m ___. I’m studying ___. Where are you from?” |
| At a social event | “Hi, I’m ___. I’m a friend of ___. How do you know them?” |
Short examples for common situations
| Situation | Example |
|---|---|
| In an online meeting | “Hi everyone, I’m Lucas. I’m joining from the São Paulo office. I lead the product team. Looking forward to working with you.” |
| At the start of a job interview | “Good morning, I’m Elena. Thanks for having me. I’m a project coordinator, and I’ve worked in logistics for four years.” |
| Meeting a neighbour | “Hi, I’m Tom. I just moved in next door. Nice to meet you.” |
Practise it until it comes out easily.
Knowing the chunks is the first step. Saying them without stopping is the skill. In ChunkThought, you hear each chunk in a real video, say it aloud, and save the ones you want to use. Then you review them before you forget. You can practise the first 5 sentences per video free.
Start freeCommon questions about introducing yourself
How long should a self-introduction in English be?
For most situations, two or three sentences: your name, one detail, and a question back. In a job interview, you can add a short summary of your experience, but keep it under a minute.
Is “My name is…” wrong?
No. “My name is…” is correct, but it can sound formal in casual situations. “I’m…” is more common when you meet people informally.
What do I say after “Nice to meet you”?
“Nice to meet you too”, “Same here” or “You too” are all natural replies. Then ask a simple question, such as “What do you do?” or “Which team are you in?”
How do I introduce myself professionally?
Use a formal greeting (“Good morning”), “Let me introduce myself”, your full name, your role and company. With clients, “Pleased to meet you” sounds more formal than “Nice to meet you”.
How do I introduce myself in an online meeting?
Say hello to everyone, your name, where you’re joining from, and your role. Keep it to about 15 seconds.
Should I use “Mr” or “Ms” with clients?
It depends on the culture and the company. Start formal if you’re unsure, and switch to first names if the other person does.