The Situation
You meet a new person: a classmate, a colleague or a neighbour. You want to say who you are and ask about them. This conversation is short — usually one or two minutes — and it uses the same phrases every time.
Key Phrases
Hello and your name
| You say | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hi! I'm Olga. | Your name (friendly) |
| My name is Olga Petrenko. | Your full name (a little more formal) |
| Nice to meet you. | Say this the first time you meet |
| Nice to meet you too. | The answer |
Where you are from
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where are you from? | I'm from Ukraine. |
| Where do you live? | I live in Toronto. |
| Do you like it here? | Yes, I love it! / Yes, it's nice. |
What you do
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What do you do? | I'm a nurse. / I'm a student. |
| Where do you work? | I work at a hotel. |
| What do you study? | I study English and IT. |
Remember: use a or an before a job: I'm a teacher. I'm an engineer.
Asking back
- And you?
- What about you?
- Where are you from?
Dialogue 1: In English Class
Olga: Hi! I'm Olga. Ali: Hi, Olga. I'm Ali. Nice to meet you. Olga: Nice to meet you too. Where are you from, Ali? Ali: I'm from Syria. And you? Olga: I'm from Ukraine. I live near the school. Ali: Me too! What do you do? Olga: I'm a cook. I work at a restaurant. What about you? Ali: I'm a driver.
Dialogue 2: A New Colleague
Maria: Hello, you're new here, right? Tom: Yes, it's my first day. I'm Tom. Maria: Welcome, Tom! I'm Maria. I work in the office upstairs. Tom: Nice to meet you, Maria. Maria: Nice to meet you too. See you later! Tom: See you!
Dialogue 3: A Neighbour
Sam: Hi! Are you our new neighbour? Lena: Yes! I'm Lena. I live in apartment 6. Sam: I'm Sam. I'm in number 7. Welcome to the building! Lena: Thank you! Sam: If you need anything, just knock. Lena: Thanks, that's very kind.
Tips
- Smile and say the other person's name once: Nice to meet you, Ali. It helps you remember it.
- In Canada, the US and the UK, people often shake hands in formal situations and just say "Hi" in friendly ones.
- It's normal to ask "What do you do?" It is not normal to ask about age, salary or religion when you first meet someone.
Common Mistakes
- "I am from Ukraine, I am Ukrainian country." → I'm from Ukraine. / I'm Ukrainian.
- "I am nurse." → I'm a nurse.
- "I have 30 years." → I'm 30. / I'm 30 years old.
- "Nice to meet you" when you leave → say Nice meeting you or See you!
Your Turn: Practise Speaking
Say these out loud. Record yourself on your phone if you can.
- Introduce yourself in three sentences: name, country, job.
- Ask a partner (or an imaginary person) three questions: Where are you from? What do you do? Where do you live?
- Practise Dialogue 1 with your own information.