How to introduce yourself in Italian (my name is...)
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Sign up for freeMaking a good impression when meeting someone for the first time is important.
Take a look at the following lesson to learn how to introduce yourself in the best way in Italian!
Remember: always pay attention to the formality of the context to introduce yourself properly.
Lesson outline
Hide- 1.Introducing yourself in Italian
- 1.1."What's your name" in Italian
- 1.2."My name is" in Italian
- 1.2.1.Introducing someone else
- 1.2.2.Verb To Be in Italian (Essere)
- 1.3."Nice to meet you" in Italian
- 1.4."Where are you from" in Italian
- 1.5."How old are you" in Italian
- 1.6.How to say your age in Italian
- 1.6.1.Verb To Have in Italian (Avere)
- 2.Meeting someone for the first time in Italy
- 3.Daily dialogues
- 3.1.Informal situation (1)
- 3.2.Informal situation (2)
- 3.3.Formal conversation (1)
- 3.4.Formal conversation (2)
- 4.Exercises
- 4.1.Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Drag text
- 4.2.Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Single choice set
- 4.3.Exercise on expressions to introduce yourself - Drag text
- 4.4.Use the correct expression depending on the context - Fill in the blanks
- 4.5.Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Fill in the blanks
- 4.6.Exercise on the dialogues of the lesson - Fill in the blanks
Introducing yourself in Italian
First off, it's important to use the right greeting: Greetings in Italian
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Giulia T.
"What's your name" in Italian
Now it's time to ask somebody's name. Use the following expressions.
| Context | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Formal | Come si chiama? Qual è il Suo nome? Qual è il Suo cognome? | What's your name? What's your first name? What's your surname? |
| Informal | Come ti chiami? | What's your name? What's your first name? What's your surname? |
"My name is" in Italian
Here's how you can say your name in Italian.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Mi chiamo (nome e cognome) Il mio nome è (nome e cognome ) (Io) sono (nome e cognome) | My name is (name and surname) My name is (name and surname) I'm (name and surname) |
Introducing someone else
If you're introducing somebody else, you can use these expressions.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Lui/Lei è (nome e cognome) | He/she is (name and surname) |
| Questo/Questa è (nome e cognome) | This is (name and surname) |
| Ti presento (nome e cognome) (informale) | Let me introduce you (name and surname) (informal) |
| Le presento (nome e cognome) (formale) | Let me introduce you (name and surname) (formal) |
Verb To Be in Italian (Essere)
Here's the useful verb Essere (To Be).
| Verbo Essere | Verb To Be |
|---|---|
| Io sono | I am |
| Tu sei | You are |
| Esso Essa Esso è | He/She/It is |
| Noi siamo | We are |
| Voi siete | You are |
| Essi Esse sono | They are |
Decide whether to mention both the name and surname, or only one of the two, according to the context.
"Nice to meet you" in Italian
To be polite and make yourself likeable, don't forget to say you're pleased to meet your new acquaintance.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Piacere! | Nice to meet you/Pleased to meet you |
| Molto piacere! | Very nice to meet you/Very pleased to meet you |
| Piacere di conoscerti! (informale) | Nice to meet you (informal) |
| Piacere di conoscerLa! (formale) | Nice to meet you (formal) |
"Where are you from" in Italian
It's useful to know how to say or ask where somebody is from.
Check out the following expressions.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Da dove viene? (formale) | Where are you from? (formal) |
| Da dove vieni? (informal) | Where are you from? (informal) |
| Dove vive? (formal) | Where do you live? (formal) |
| Dove vivi? (informal) | Where do you live? (informal) |
| Vengo (dall'Inghilterra) | I'm from (England) |
| Sono (inglese) | I'm (British) |
"How old are you" in Italian
To ask an age, use these expressions.
| Context | Italian | English |
|---|---|---|
| Formal | Quanti anni ha? | How old are you? |
| Informal | Quanti anni hai? | How old are you? |
How to say your age in Italian
Subject + Verb Avere + Number + Anno/Anni (Year/Years)
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Ho 16 anni. | I'm 16 years old. |
| Loro hanno tutti 21 anni. | They're all 21. |
| Marco ha 1 anno. | Marco is 1 year old. |
Verb To Have in Italian (Avere)
Here's the useful verb Avere (To Have).
| Verbo Avere | Verb To Have |
|---|---|
| Io ho | I have |
| Tu hai | You have |
| Egli Essa ha | He/She has |
| Noi abbiamo | We have |
| Voi avete | You have |
| Essi Esse hanno | They have |
Meeting someone for the first time in Italy
If you introduce yourself or are being introduced to someone you don't know, you usually shake hands.
Your handshake can say a lot about you. Remember to shake hands firmly, but not too strongly, and smile!
In some regions, you may also exchange with the other person with a kiss on the cheek. The numbers of kisses is variable.
It's fundamental to pay attention to the formality of the situation.
Are you introducing yourself or being introduced to someone of your same age, social position? Then you can freely use informal expressions.
If you are meeting someone older than you, someone on a higher position than you, a stranger on the street, always address this person in a formal way.
Daily dialogues
Check out these dialogues.
Informal situation (1)
| Italian | English | |
|---|---|---|
| A | Ciao, come ti chiami? | Hi, what's your name? |
| B | Ciao! Mi chiamo Francesco. E tu? | Hi! My name is Francesco, and yours? |
| A | Io sono Sara. Piacere di conoscerti! | I'm Sara. Nice to meet you! |
| B | Piacere mio. | The pleasure is mine. |
| A | Quanti anni hai? | How old are you? |
| B | 26, e tu? | 26, and you? |
| A | Anche io! | Me too! |
Informal situation (2)
| Italian | English | |
|---|---|---|
| A | Ciao a tutti, mi chiamo Andrew. | Hi everyone, my name's Andrew. |
| B | Ciao Andrew! Da dove vieni? | Hi Andrew! Where are you from? |
| A | Vengo dagli Stati Uniti. | I'm from the United States. |
| B | Che bello! E dove vivi? | Cool! And where do you live? |
| A | A Houston, in Texas. | Houston, Texas. |
Formal conversation (1)
| Italian | English | |
|---|---|---|
| Segretaria Assistant | Buongiorno Signore, come si chiama? | Good morning Sir, what's your name? |
Cliente | Sono Marco Bianchi. | I'm Mario Bianchi. |
| Segretaria Assistant | Entri pure. | You may go in. |
Formal conversation (2)
| Italian | English | |
|---|---|---|
| X | Signor presidente, Le presento il Signor Rossi. | Mr President, let me introduce you Mr Rossi. |
| Signor Rossi Mr Rossi | Piacere di conoscerLa, signor Presidente! | I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr President! |
Exercises
- Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Drag text
- Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Single choice set
- Exercise on expressions to introduce yourself - Drag text
- Use the correct expression depending on the context - Fill in the blanks
- Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Fill in the blanks
- Exercise on the dialogues of the lesson - Fill in the blanks
Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Drag text
Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Single choice set
Solution
Pick the correct answer to these questions.
1. Ciao Chiara, ti presento Marco! (Hello Chiara, let me introduce you Marco!)
Chiara: Piacere Marco! Sono Chiara.
2. Insegnante: Da dove vieni? (Where are you from?)
Studente: Dall'Australia.
3. A: Qual è il Suo cognome? (What's your surname?)
B: Rossi.
4. A: Quanti anni hai? (How old are you?)
B: 19 anni.
5. Sara Biondi: Il mio nome è Sara Biondi. (My name is Sara Biondi)
B: Piacere di conoscerti!
6. A: Il signor Presidente è qui! (Mr President is here!)
B: Piacere di conoscerLa, signor Presidente.
7. A: Signora, dove vive? (Mrs, where do you live?)
B: In Belgio.
8. Mario: Quanti anni hai, Giacomo? (How old are you, Giacomo?)
Giacomo: 21, e tu?
9. A: Piacere di conoscerti! (Nice to meet you!)
B: Piacere mio.
10. A: Lui è Manuele, il nuovo stagista. (He's Manuele, the new intern).
B: Da dove vieni?
Exercise on expressions to introduce yourself - Drag text
Use the correct expression depending on the context - Fill in the blanks
Fill in the missing expressions.
Remember to pay attention to the context.
1. You need to know the age of a customer to fill in a document. You politely ask him: ? (How old are you?)
2. You meet a foreign student of your age during a night out and you want to know where he is from. You ask him: ? (Where are you from?)
3. You meet your little cousin, whom you have never seen before. She looks around 5/6 years old. You ask her: ? (How old are you?)
4. You've just met a new classmate. You tell him, informally: ! (Nice to meet you!)
5. You have just met an important foreign investor. You are not sure where he is from, so you ask him: ? (Where are you from?)
6. You work as an assistant for a lawyer. You have to know the surname of you clients to let them in, so you ask to a woman waiting there: ? (What is your surname?
7. You want to make fun of your friend, so you pretend you forgot his surname. You say: ? (What is your surname?)
8. You meet the Prime Minister of your Country. As you shake hands, you say: ! (Nice to meet you!)
9. You are introducing to your boss an important customer, so you say: Signor Direttore, il Signor Verdi. (Let me introduce you)
10. A professor is mad at you for talking too much. He doesn't know you yet, so he asks: ? to write down your name and maybe punish you. (What's your name?)
Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Fill in the blanks
Fill in the missing words
Al bar/At the pub - informal
Giacomo: Ciao, Giacomo. Tu ? (Giacomo: Hi, my name is Giacomo. What's your name?)
Anna: Anna! Piacere di . Quanti anni ? (Anna: Anna! Nice to meet you. How old are you?)
Giacomo: Ho venti anni. E tu, ? (Giacomo: I'm 20 years old. And you, how old are you?)
Anna: Io ho ventidue . (Anna: I'm 22.)
In una squadra di pallavolo/In a volleyball team - informal
Allenatore: Ciao, ? Presentati! (Trainer: Hi, what's your name? Introduce yourself!)
Maria: Ciao a tutti! Il mio è Maria! Il mio è Rossi. (Maria: Hi everyone! My first name is Maria! My surname is Rossi.)
Ragazza: Rossi è un molto comune in Italia. (Girl 1: Rossi is a very common surname in Italy.)
Ragazza 2: di conoscerti Maria! (Girl 2: Nice to meet you Maria!)
Maria: Piacere ! (Maria: The pleasure is mine!)
In ufficio/At the office - formal
Impiegato: Buongiorno, Marco Sala. Lavoro per coLanguage. (Office employee: Good morning, my name is Marco Sala. I work for coLanguage.)
Cliente: Buongiorno Signor Sala, . (Customer: Good morning Mr Sala, please to meet you).
Exercise on the dialogues of the lesson - Fill in the blanks
Fill in the missing words.
1.
A: Ciao, ? (Hi, what's your name?)
B: Ciao! Mi chiamo Francesco. E ? (Hi! My name is Francesco, and yours?)
A: Io sono Sara. di conoscerti! (I'm Sara. Nice to meet you!)
A: Piacere . (The pleasure is mine.)
B: Quanti hai? (How old are you?)
A: 26, e tu? (26, and you?)
B: Anche io! (Me too!)
2.
A: Ciao a tutti, Andrew. (Hi everyone, my name's Andrew.)
B: Andrew! Da dove vieni? (Hi Andrew! Where are you from?)
A: Vengo dagli Stati Uniti. (I'm from the United States.)
B: Che bello! E ? (Cool! And where do you live?)
A: A Houston, in Texas. (Houston, Texas.)
3.
Segretaria: Buongiorno Signore, ? (Assistant: Good morning Sir, what's your name?)
Cliente: Sono Marco Bianchi. (Customer: I'm Mario Bianchi.)
Segretaria: Entri pure. (Assistant: You may go in.)
4.
X: Signor presidente, il Signor Rossi. (Mr President, let me introduce you Mr Rossi.)
Signor Rossi: , signor Presidente! (Mr Rossi: I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr President!)
Exercises
- Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Drag text
- Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Single choice set
- Exercise on expressions to introduce yourself - Drag text
- Use the correct expression depending on the context - Fill in the blanks
- Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Fill in the blanks
- Exercise on the dialogues of the lesson - Fill in the blanks
Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Drag text
Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Single choice set
Solution
Pick the correct answer to these questions.
1. Ciao Chiara, ti presento Marco! (Hello Chiara, let me introduce you Marco!)
Chiara: Piacere Marco! Sono Chiara.
2. Insegnante: Da dove vieni? (Where are you from?)
Studente: Dall'Australia.
3. A: Qual è il Suo cognome? (What's your surname?)
B: Rossi.
4. A: Quanti anni hai? (How old are you?)
B: 19 anni.
5. Sara Biondi: Il mio nome è Sara Biondi. (My name is Sara Biondi)
B: Piacere di conoscerti!
6. A: Il signor Presidente è qui! (Mr President is here!)
B: Piacere di conoscerLa, signor Presidente.
7. A: Signora, dove vive? (Mrs, where do you live?)
B: In Belgio.
8. Mario: Quanti anni hai, Giacomo? (How old are you, Giacomo?)
Giacomo: 21, e tu?
9. A: Piacere di conoscerti! (Nice to meet you!)
B: Piacere mio.
10. A: Lui è Manuele, il nuovo stagista. (He's Manuele, the new intern).
B: Da dove vieni?
Exercise on expressions to introduce yourself - Drag text
Use the correct expression depending on the context - Fill in the blanks
Fill in the missing expressions.
Remember to pay attention to the context.
1. You need to know the age of a customer to fill in a document. You politely ask him: ? (How old are you?)
2. You meet a foreign student of your age during a night out and you want to know where he is from. You ask him: ? (Where are you from?)
3. You meet your little cousin, whom you have never seen before. She looks around 5/6 years old. You ask her: ? (How old are you?)
4. You've just met a new classmate. You tell him, informally: ! (Nice to meet you!)
5. You have just met an important foreign investor. You are not sure where he is from, so you ask him: ? (Where are you from?)
6. You work as an assistant for a lawyer. You have to know the surname of you clients to let them in, so you ask to a woman waiting there: ? (What is your surname?
7. You want to make fun of your friend, so you pretend you forgot his surname. You say: ? (What is your surname?)
8. You meet the Prime Minister of your Country. As you shake hands, you say: ! (Nice to meet you!)
9. You are introducing to your boss an important customer, so you say: Signor Direttore, il Signor Verdi. (Let me introduce you)
10. A professor is mad at you for talking too much. He doesn't know you yet, so he asks: ? to write down your name and maybe punish you. (What's your name?)
Exercise on introducing yourself in Italian - Fill in the blanks
Fill in the missing words
Al bar/At the pub - informal
Giacomo: Ciao, Giacomo. Tu ? (Giacomo: Hi, my name is Giacomo. What's your name?)
Anna: Anna! Piacere di . Quanti anni ? (Anna: Anna! Nice to meet you. How old are you?)
Giacomo: Ho venti anni. E tu, ? (Giacomo: I'm 20 years old. And you, how old are you?)
Anna: Io ho ventidue . (Anna: I'm 22.)
In una squadra di pallavolo/In a volleyball team - informal
Allenatore: Ciao, ? Presentati! (Trainer: Hi, what's your name? Introduce yourself!)
Maria: Ciao a tutti! Il mio è Maria! Il mio è Rossi. (Maria: Hi everyone! My first name is Maria! My surname is Rossi.)
Ragazza: Rossi è un molto comune in Italia. (Girl 1: Rossi is a very common surname in Italy.)
Ragazza 2: di conoscerti Maria! (Girl 2: Nice to meet you Maria!)
Maria: Piacere ! (Maria: The pleasure is mine!)
In ufficio/At the office - formal
Impiegato: Buongiorno, Marco Sala. Lavoro per coLanguage. (Office employee: Good morning, my name is Marco Sala. I work for coLanguage.)
Cliente: Buongiorno Signor Sala, . (Customer: Good morning Mr Sala, please to meet you).
Exercise on the dialogues of the lesson - Fill in the blanks
Fill in the missing words.
1.
A: Ciao, ? (Hi, what's your name?)
B: Ciao! Mi chiamo Francesco. E ? (Hi! My name is Francesco, and yours?)
A: Io sono Sara. di conoscerti! (I'm Sara. Nice to meet you!)
A: Piacere . (The pleasure is mine.)
B: Quanti hai? (How old are you?)
A: 26, e tu? (26, and you?)
B: Anche io! (Me too!)
2.
A: Ciao a tutti, Andrew. (Hi everyone, my name's Andrew.)
B: Andrew! Da dove vieni? (Hi Andrew! Where are you from?)
A: Vengo dagli Stati Uniti. (I'm from the United States.)
B: Che bello! E ? (Cool! And where do you live?)
A: A Houston, in Texas. (Houston, Texas.)
3.
Segretaria: Buongiorno Signore, ? (Assistant: Good morning Sir, what's your name?)
Cliente: Sono Marco Bianchi. (Customer: I'm Mario Bianchi.)
Segretaria: Entri pure. (Assistant: You may go in.)
4.
X: Signor presidente, il Signor Rossi. (Mr President, let me introduce you Mr Rossi.)
Signor Rossi: , signor Presidente! (Mr Rossi: I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr President!)