Meeting People and Introducing Yourself in German

When you meet someone for the first time in a German-speaking environment, certain phrases and structures are used, which are both formal and informal depending on the setting and the relationship.

Introducing Yourself

To introduce yourself, start with your name and some personal details:

• Hallo, ich heiße Maria. (Hello, my name is Maria.)
• Mein Name ist Thomas. (My name is Thomas.)
• Ich bin aus Kanada. (I am from Canada.)
• Ich wohne in Berlin. (I live in Berlin.)
• Ich bin Student. (I am a student.)
• Ich arbeite als Lehrer. (I work as a teacher.)

Asking about Others

To ask someone else’s name and details, use the following expressions:

• Wie heißt du? (What’s your name? - informal)
• Wie heißen Sie? (What’s your name? - formal)
• Woher kommst du? (Where are you from? - informal)
• Woher kommen Sie? (Where are you from? - formal)
• Was machst du beruflich? (What do you do for a living? - informal)
• Was machen Sie beruflich? (What do you do for a living? - formal)
• Wie alt bist du? (How old are you? - informal)
• Wie alt sind Sie? (How old are you? - formal)

Greeting and Responding in Different Situations

• Guten Morgen! (Good morning!)
• Guten Tag! (Good day!)
• Guten Abend! (Good evening!)
• Hallo! (Hello!)
• Wie geht’s? (How are you? - informal)
• Wie geht es Ihnen? (How are you? - formal)

Responses:

• Gut, danke. (Good, thank you.)
• Es geht. (So-so.)
• Nicht so gut. (Not so well.)

Saying Goodbye

• Auf Wiedersehen! (Goodbye - formal)
• Tschüss! (Bye - informal)
• Bis bald! (See you soon!)
• Bis morgen! (See you tomorrow!)

Cultural Note

In German-speaking countries, people may use the formal Sie when meeting for the first time, especially in professional or public situations. The informal du is used among friends, young people, or after mutual agreement. It is common to shake hands when being introduced.