Introduce Yourself

Imagine arriving at a lunch and being seated next to the famous German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche. He smiles and says:

Hallo! Ich bin Friedrich.

Why not greet him in German?

The easiest way to say hello in German is simply Hallo — but there are many other greetings. Here are a few examples:

Next, Nietzsche asks you for your name:

Wie heisst du?

It’s time to introduce yourself. There are several ways to say your name in German. Let’s see how the other guests might respond:

Mein Name ist Nadar.

Ich heiße Layla.

Ich bin Tom.

We’ve said hello and introduced ourselves. Now, let’s keep the conversation going — why not ask Nietzsche how he’s doing?

In response, he may reply something like:

Or, simply:

Let’s listen to a conversation between you and Nietzsche, using the phrases we just learned:

Wie geht's dir?

How are you?

Gut! Und dir?

I'm fine. And you?

Auch gut. Wie war dein Tag?

I'm fine too. How was your day?

Sehr gut, danke!

Very good, thanks.

---

Wonderful! 🎉

You’ve started a conversation with Nietzsche — and he likes you! He wants to know more. What can you say about yourself in German?

First, let’s cover these common questions.

Wo wohnst du?

Where do you live?

Ich wohne in Berlin. Und du?

I live in Berlin. And you?

Ich Wohne in Basel, aber ich komme aus Deutschland.

I live in Basel, but I am from Germany.

Very good! Let's continue.

To share more about ourselves, we need the German verb sein ('to be'). It’s one of the most versatile verbs in German, and is used all the time. Here’s its conjugation:

Here are some example sentences, using sein:

Now we can use sein to talk about our age:

We can also talk about what we do for work:

Here are a few example job titles in German.

Ich bin Ärztin.

I am a doctor.

Ich bin Lehrerin.

I am a teacher.

Ich bin Student.

I am a student.

Ich arbeite nicht mehr.

I don't work anymore.

Nietzsche would like to see you again! Let's learn how to give him your contact details.

Well done! 🎉

You’ve learned some key German words and phrases!

Now it’s time to test your knowledge.

First, with a listening comprehension exercise. We have some audio clips that include phrases from this lesson. Listen closely. Can you follow the conversations? Do you understand what’s being said?

Dialog 1Dialog 2Dialog 3

Hallo

Hello

Guten Tag

Good day!

Ich bin Alex. Wie heißt du?

I am Alex. What's your name?

Ich heiße Friedrich.

My name is Friedrich.

Schön dich kennenzulernen.

Nice to meet you.

---

Were you able to follow the conversations in German? If so, great job!

Next, take a look at these introductions, from the other guests at lunch:

Guten Tag! Ich bin Marie. Ich wohne in Berlin, und komme eigentlich aus England. Meine Nationalität ist Britisch. Ich bin dreißig Jahre alt und arbeite als Lehrerin.

Hallo! Ich heiße Sami, und ich bin zwanzig Jahre alt. Ich bin noch Student. Ich komme aus Indien, aber ich wohne in Deutschland.

Can you answer these questions correctly?

Next, let's try building some of the German sentences we just learned:

Were you able to follow the conversations in German? If so, great job! 🎉 You’re ready for the next lesson: German pronunciation.