English: Introducing Yourself

Level: A1. Introducing yourself is one of the first real conversations you will have in English. A small set of sentence frames lets you give your name, where you are from, what you do and how old you are — and then ask the same back.

By the end of this page you can…

…introduce yourself clearly with your name, country, job and age, and keep the conversation going by asking the other person about themselves.

Your name

Two frames cover almost every situation:

• I’m Maria. — relaxed and the most common.
• My name is Maria Garcia. — a little more formal, good for a full name.

If someone asks What’s your name?, you can answer with just your name — Maria — or the full frame.

Where you are from

Use I’m from + country or city to give your origin:

• I’m from Brazil.
• I’m from Seoul.

You can also use a nationality adjective with I’m + nationality:

• I’m Brazilian.
• I’m Korean.

Both are correct — just don’t mix them. I’m from Brazil names the place; I’m Brazilian uses the adjective.

What you do

Give your job with I’m a / an + job. English needs the article a (or an before a vowel sound):

• I’m a teacher.
• I’m an engineer.
• I’m a student.

Leaving out the article — I’m teacher — is one of the most common beginner mistakes.

Your age

In English, age uses the verb be, not have:

• I’m twenty-five.
• I’m twenty-five years old.

Both are correct; years old is optional. Saying I have twenty-five years is a direct translation from many languages and sounds wrong in English.

A short conversation

Ben: Hi, I’m Ben. Nice to meet you. Lena: Nice to meet you too. I’m Lena. Where are you from? Ben: I’m from Canada. And you? Lena: I’m German. I’m a nurse here in London. What do you do? Ben: I’m a student. I’m twenty, and I study music.

Example sentences

Play each line and say it aloud. These are the frames you will reuse in every introduction.

1. Hi, I'm Maria.
   The most common way to give your name.
2. My name is David Chen.
   A more formal full-name introduction.
3. What's your name?
   Asking someone else's name.
4. I'm from Brazil.
   Giving your country with 'I'm from'.
5. I'm from a small town near Rome.
   Giving a place in more detail.
6. I'm Brazilian.
   Using a nationality adjective.
7. Where are you from?
   Asking about the other person's origin.
8. I'm a teacher.
   A job needs the article 'a'.
9. I'm an engineer.
   'An' before a vowel sound.
10. I'm a student at the university.
    Giving your role plus a detail.
11. What do you do?
    The usual way to ask about someone's job.
12. I'm twenty-five years old.
    Age uses 'be', not 'have'.
13. I'm thirty.
    You can drop 'years old'.
14. How old are you?
    Asking someone's age.
15. Nice to meet you.
    Said at a first introduction.
16. Nice to meet you too. And you?
    Replying and handing the turn back.
17. I live in London now.
    Adding where you live.
18. I work in a hospital.
    Describing your workplace.
19. This is my first time here.
    A friendly extra line.
20. What about you?
    A simple question to continue the chat.

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Practice

Introducing yourself practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Which sentence gives your job correctly?

I'm teacher. I'm a teacher. I have a teacher. I'm from teacher.

Check

Show answer

I'm a teacher. — A job needs the article: 'I'm a teacher' ('an' before a vowel sound).

2 How do you say your age in English?

I have twenty years. I'm twenty years. I'm twenty / I'm twenty years old. My age is twenty years old.

Check

Show answer

I'm twenty / I'm twenty years old. — Age uses the verb 'be': I'm twenty (years old).

3 Complete with the country frame: 'I'm ____ Japan.'

Check

Hint: a short word before the country name

Show answer

from — Use 'I'm from + country' to give your origin.

4 Put the words in order to introduce your name.

isnameMyLena

CheckReset

Show answer

My name is Lena — The formal frame: My name is Lena.

5 Match each question to a natural answer.

• What's your name? Match for What's your name? — choose — I'm a nurse.I'm Ben.I'm from Canada.I'm twenty.
• Where are you from? Match for Where are you from? — choose — I'm a nurse.I'm Ben.I'm from Canada.I'm twenty.
• What do you do? Match for What do you do? — choose — I'm a nurse.I'm Ben.I'm from Canada.I'm twenty.
• How old are you? Match for How old are you? — choose — I'm a nurse.I'm Ben.I'm from Canada.I'm twenty.

Check

Show answer

• What's your name? → I'm Ben.
• Where are you from? → I'm from Canada.
• What do you do? → I'm a nurse.
• How old are you? → I'm twenty.

Each introduction question has its own answer frame.

How to say it

A few words in these frames blur together in natural speech.

• I’m is one quick sound, “ime”, rhyming with time — not two separate words.
• What’s your links into “wots-yor”, and what do you often sounds like “wot-dya”.
• Years old joins up as “yee-rzold”; copy the link rather than pausing between the words.
• An engineer links the n straight into the next word: “a-nenjineer”.

Quiz

Check yourself

Introducing yourself quiz

8 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/8 0 answered

1. 1Which is the most natural, everyday way to give your name?

   A I am calling Maria. B I'm Maria. C Me Maria. D My name Maria.
   Show answer

   I'm Maria. — 'I'm …' is the common, natural self-introduction.

2. 2Choose the correct job sentence.

   A I'm engineer. B I'm a engineer. C I'm an engineer. D I have an engineer.
   Show answer

   I'm an engineer. — Use 'an' before a vowel sound: I'm an engineer.

3. 3Which sentence states age correctly?

   A I have thirty years. B I'm thirty years. C I'm thirty. D My age has thirty.
   Show answer

   I'm thirty. — English uses 'be' for age: I'm thirty (years old).

4. 4How do you give your country?

   A I'm from Spain. B I'm from Spanish. C I'm Spain. D I from Spain.
   Show answer

   I'm from Spain. — 'I'm from + country': I'm from Spain. ('I'm Spanish' uses the adjective.)

5. 5Which is the nationality adjective form?

   A I'm from Japanese. B I'm Japan. C I'm Japanese. D I'm a Japan.
   Show answer

   I'm Japanese. — Nationalities take no article here: I'm Japanese.

6. 6What's a natural way to ask about someone's job?

   A What are you doing now? B What do you do? C What is your job doing? D How do you work?
   Show answer

   What do you do? — 'What do you do?' is the standard question about someone's job.

7. 7After introducing yourself, how do you continue the chat?

   A Goodbye. B And you? / What about you? C Nice to meet you only. D Nothing is needed.
   Show answer

   And you? / What about you? — A short question hands the turn back and keeps the conversation going.

8. 8Which reply fits 'How old are you?'

   A I'm from twenty. B I'm a twenty. C I'm twenty years old. D I have twenty.
   Show answer

   I'm twenty years old. — Answer age with 'be': I'm twenty years old.

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