A German introduction is short and slightly more formal than you expect. Surname at the counter, first name at the party, a handshake if one is offered, and then straight to the point.
The part nobody prepares you for isn't the introduction itself — it's the two seconds afterwards, when the other person asks you to spell your name, or switches to English out of politeness. Both have standard answers, and they're on this page.
Your Name
What's your name? (polite)
Wie heißen Sie?
What's your name? (informal)
Wie heißt du?
My name is Maria.
Ich heiße Maria.
My name is Maria. (formal)
Mein Name ist Maria.
I'm Maria.
Ich bin Maria.
Nice to meet you.
Freut mich.
Very nice to meet you.
Sehr angenehm.
Nice to meet you too.
Freut mich auch.
Sorry, what was your name again?
Wie war Ihr Name noch mal?
Could you repeat that?
Können Sie das wiederholen?
Practice these words
Wie heißen Sie?
Quick notes:
- Ich heiße is the everyday version and the one to default to. Mein Name ist is a notch more formal — right on the phone, in a meeting, or at a reception desk.
- Freut mich is the standard response to being introduced. It's short for Es freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen, and the short form is what people say.
- Wie war Ihr Name noch mal? — literally "what was your name again" — is the polite recovery when you've forgotten. Germans use it freely; it isn't rude.
Spelling It Out
If your name isn't German, you will be asked to spell it — on the phone, at the doctor's, at every counter. Germans do this with a fixed spelling alphabet, and they'll rattle it off at you.
How do you spell that?
Wie schreibt man das?
Could you spell that, please?
Können Sie das bitte buchstabieren?
M for Martha, A for Anton…
M wie Martha, A wie Anton…
With a K or a C?
Mit K oder C?
Shall I spell it for you?
Soll ich es buchstabieren?
My surname is difficult.
Mein Nachname ist schwierig.
Practice these words
Wie schreibt man das?
Quick notes:
- The classic German spelling alphabet uses first names: Anton, Berta, Cäsar, Dora, Emil, Friedrich, Gustav, Heinrich, Ida, Julius, Kaufmann, Ludwig, Martha, Nordpol, Otto, Paula, Quelle, Richard, Samuel, Theodor, Ulrich, Viktor, Wilhelm, Xanthippe, Ypsilon, Zeppelin.
- An official 2022 revision swapped the names for city names (A wie Aachen, B wie Berlin). Offices are slowly adopting it, but most people still use the old list — recognise both, use whichever you like.
- Der Vorname is your first name, der Nachname your surname, der Familienname the same thing on forms.
Where You're From and How Long
Where are you from?
Woher kommen Sie?
I'm from Ukraine.
Ich komme aus der Ukraine.
Where do you live?
Wo wohnen Sie?
I live near Munich.
Ich wohne in der Nähe von München.
I've lived here for three years.
Ich wohne seit drei Jahren hier.
I moved here two years ago.
Ich bin vor zwei Jahren hergezogen.
I'm here for work.
Ich bin beruflich hier.
I'm just visiting.
Ich bin nur zu Besuch.
How long have you been in Germany?
Wie lange sind Sie schon in Deutschland?
Practice these words
Woher kommen Sie?
Quick notes:
- Seit takes the dative and means "since" or "for": seit drei Jahren, seit einem Monat, seit 2019. Note that German uses the present tense here — ich wohne seit drei Jahren hier, not a past tense as English would.
- The country list, and which ones need der or die, is in countries and nationalities.
What You Do
What do you do for a living?
Was machen Sie beruflich?
I'm a software developer.
Ich bin Softwareentwickler.
I work as a developer.
Ich arbeite als Entwickler.
I work for a small company.
Ich arbeite bei einer kleinen Firma.
I'm self-employed.
Ich bin selbstständig.
I'm a student.
Ich studiere.
I'm looking for work.
Ich suche Arbeit.
I'm on parental leave.
Ich bin in Elternzeit.
Practice these words
Was machen Sie beruflich?
Quick notes:
- Was machen Sie beruflich? is the standard question. The textbook version Was sind Sie von Beruf? is correct but sounds like a form.
- Job titles take no article after sein: Ich bin Entwickler, not ich bin ein Entwickler.
- Zuständig für — responsible for — is how German workplaces and offices describe roles. Saying what you're zuständig für tells a German colleague more than your job title does.
- Elternzeit is the legal term for parental leave, and it's a normal thing to mention in an introduction.
Keeping the Conversation in German
I speak a little German.
Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch.
I'm learning German.
Ich lerne Deutsch.
Could we speak German? I'd like to practise.
Können wir Deutsch sprechen? Ich möchte üben.
Could you speak a bit more slowly?
Können Sie bitte etwas langsamer sprechen?
Sorry, I didn't understand that.
Entschuldigung, das habe ich nicht verstanden.
What does that mean?
Was bedeutet das?
How do you say that in German?
Wie sagt man das auf Deutsch?
Practice these words
Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch.
Quick note: the middle sentence is the important one. Germans switch to English the moment they sense effort, and they think they're being helpful. Können wir Deutsch sprechen? Ich möchte üben is the sentence that stops it, and almost nobody refuses.
Closing the Conversation
It was nice to meet you.
Es war schön, Sie kennenzulernen.
Nice meeting you. (informal)
Hat mich gefreut.
Here's my number.
Hier ist meine Nummer.
Let's stay in touch.
Bleiben wir in Kontakt.
See you soon.
Bis bald.
Have a nice day.
Schönen Tag noch.
Practice these words
Es war schön, Sie kennenzulernen.
What to Know About German Introductions
The phone works backwards. Germans answer the phone with their surname — a flat "Müller." — and callers open the same way: "Guten Tag, hier ist Anna Bauer." Saying "hello?" and waiting is read as a wrong number or a cold call. Use hier ist plus your full name, then say what you want.
Surname first, first name later. In shops, offices, doctor's practices and anything official, people address you as Herr or Frau plus your surname, and you do the same back. First names arrive with du, and the two travel together — the du or Sie page covers when the switch happens. One thing to avoid: never introduce yourself as Herr Müller. Titles are given to you by others, not claimed.
Say less than feels polite. A German introduction covers name, origin, and occupation, and stops. The English instinct to soften it with extra warmth — how lovely to meet you, I've heard so much about you — doesn't translate as friendliness so much as sales. Short is normal here, and short is not cold.
Three Mistakes to Avoid
Introducing yourself with Herr or Frau. Ich bin Herr Schmidt sounds self-important. It's Ich bin Michael Schmidt or mein Name ist Schmidt.
Answering Wie geht es Ihnen? at length. At a first meeting it's a formality. Two or three words, then hand it back.
Letting the switch to English happen. It will happen in your first sentence unless you say otherwise. One prepared sentence keeps you in German for the rest of the conversation.