how to write a essay about my self in chinese

LinguaJunkie.com

A very cranky language blogger dishing out brutal language tips.

How to Introduce Yourself in Chinese in 10 Lines

Want to speak Chinese? Yes? Good – keep reading. This is for those that truly want to learn the language. Here’s how you introduce yourself in Chinese in 10 easy lines … and this might take you 2 to 3 minutes or less. With this lesson…

• You get the Chinese, translations and romanizations.
• Read out loud to practice your speaking.
• Feel free to print this sheet out for extra review.

Here’s how you introduce yourself in Chinese. Let’s go.

And if you REALLY want to learn to Chinese with effective audio & video lessons by real teachers – Sign up at ChineseClass101 (click here) and start learning!

1) Hello, It’s nice to meet you.

Hello and Nice to meet you in Chinese are a must-know phrases. And any introduction will probably will start with these words.

• Hello, it’s nice to meet you.
• nínhǎo , hěn gāoxìng jiàn dào nǐ.

2) My name is _____.

This is simple. To say “my name is” in Chinese, you just need the phrase “Wǒ de míngzi shì.” Then say your name. For example, if the name is Lian, it would be like this…

• My name is Lian.
• Wǒ de míngzi shì lián.

3) I am from ______.

So, where are you from? America? Europe? Africa? Asia? Just stick the name of your country inside this phrase. We’ll use China as an example.

• I’m from China.
• Wǒ láizì Zhōngguó.
• 我来自中国。 我来自中国。

4) I live in ______.

What about now – where do you live? Just fill in the blank with the country or city (if famous) into this phrase. I’ll use Beijing as an example. You can use your own.

• I live in Beijing.
• Wǒ zhù zài Běijīng.

5) I’ve been learning Chinese for _____.

How long have you been learning Chinese for? A month? A year?

• I’ve been learning Chinese for a year.
• Wǒ xuéxí Zhōngwén yǐjīng yī nián le.
• 我学习中文已经1年了。 我学习中文已经1年了。

6) I’m learning Chinese at _____.

Where are you learning Chinese? At school? At home? This would be a great line to know and use when you’re introducing yourself. Here’s my example:

• I’m learning Chinese at ChineseClass101.com.
• Wǒ zài ChineseClassyīlíng yī .com wǎngzhàn xuéxí Zhōngwén.
• 我在ChineseClass101.com网站学习中文。

7) I am ____ years old.

Here’s how to say how old you are in Chinese.

• I’m 27 years old.
• Wǒ èrshíqī suì.

8) I am ______.

What about your position? Are you a student? Yoga teacher? Lawyer for the potato industry? Potato salesman? Super important question that people like to ask (and judge you about – Hey, I’m just a blogger! ). Just use “ani” meaning “I” and add your position.

• I’m a teacher.
• Wǒ shì yī míng jiàoshī.

9) One of my hobbies is _____.

Now, let’s move onto personal interests – hobbies! My hobbies are languages, linguajunkieing and such. How about you? You’ll definitely need this line when introducing yourself in Chinese.

Here’s an example to use:

• One of my hobbies is reading.
• Dúshū shì Wǒ de àihào zhīyī.

10) I enjoy listening to music.

Now, this is just another example line about your hobbies . You can use something else where.

• I enjoy listening to music.
• Wǒ xǐhuān tīng yīnyuè.

So now you know how to introduce yourself in Chinese in 10 lines. I’m sure there’s a ton more you can say – but this is an easy, simple start that any beginner can put to use. It’s all about starting easy.

See if you can introduce yourself below. Leave me a comment.

I read all comments!

Hope you enjoyed this!

– The Main Junkie

P.S. I highly recommend this for Chinese learners. If you REALLY want to learn to Chinese with effective lessons by real teachers – Sign up for free at ChineseClass101 (click here) and start learning!

How To Introduce Yourself In Chinese [Essential Phrases]

• Read time 12 mins

Knowing how to introduce yourself in Mandarin Chinese is essential.

Whether you’re forging new friendships, traveling to China, meeting new business partners, or going for a job interview, a good introduction will leave a good impression.

Beyond a simple hello, you may also want to equip yourself with other introductory phrases.

The context in which you introduce yourself obviously matters.

In this guide, I’ll cover some key phrases that will help you tackle self-introductions with more confidence and ease.

On top of that, understanding a thing or two about Chinese culture/etiquette will also give you an edge.

Etiquette when introducing yourself in Chinese

In Chinese culture, people don’t typically bow when greeting one another.

Instead, you’ll notice handshakes and nods being exchanged.

If it’s your first time meeting a stranger, it’s best to abstain from overly-friendly physical gestures, such as hugging or kissing on the cheek.

Though this may be common in other cultures, it’s rare in Chinese culture.

One of the most common ways to greet someone in China is with a quick handshake, the right amount of eye contact, and a warm smile. But if you’re meeting someone completely new or of a higher status, you may wish to wait for them to initiate the handshake before you go in for it.

And if they don’t, greet them with a polite nod instead.

In business and formal settings, allow your Chinese counterpart to initiate handshakes and try to introduce yourself with your full name. If business cards are exchanged, receive the other party’s card with both hands as a polite gesture.

Take a good look at it before storing it, as this conveys interest and respect. When handing over your business card, do it with both hands as well.

Key phrases to introduce yourself in Mandarin Chinese

Introductions don’t merely involve names.

You’ll likely start with a hello and your name. Moving on from that, you may also talk about your job, profession, where you’re from, or your age.

Any conversation is a two-way street, and the best introductions usually involve two people genuinely wanting to know each other better.

You won’t leave a good impression if you only talk about yourself the entire conversation!

Hence, we’ll also cover how you can ask for a person’s name, where they’re from, and what they’re currently doing.

After you’ve nailed the hellos (and goodbyes ), here’s are some key phrases to follow it up!

1. Telling people your name

After the hello, introductions usually start with an exchange of names.

You may ask for their name to break the ice. You can say 你叫什么名字(nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?), meaning “What’s your name?”

Another phrase you can use is 请问怎么称呼? (qǐngwèn zěnme chēnghu), meaning “How may I address you?”

Once they’ve given you their name, you may proceed with introducing yourself. To do so, you may use the phrase 我叫…, followed by your name. Other than that, you may also say 我的名字是… (wǒ de míngzi shì…), then your name.

If the person has asked for your name first, tell them your name, and you may then ask for theirs by saying, 你呢? (nǐ ne), which means “How about you?” The 你 means “you” while the 呢 is a questions particle in this context.

In business settings or formal situations, you may wish to use 您呢? (nín ne), where the 您 also carries the meaning “you” but is a formal, polite, and highly respectful way of addressing the other party.

If you’re meeting someone of a higher status, someone senior, your boss, or anyone you greatly respect and admire, then you should use 您 instead of the more casual 你.

In some settings, people would introduce themselves by their surname or last name. You can do the same by saying 我姓… (wǒ xìng…) followed by your last name.

2. Talking about your country of origin

If you’re a tourist or foreigner vising China, chances are, your Chinese friends and counterparts would be curious to know where you’re from.

They may also prompt you to talk a little more about your background and home country with the following questions:

These phrases have similar meanings and can be interchangeably used to ask the other person where they’re from or for their nationality.

You can then reply by saying 我是…人 (wǒ shì … rén).

You’ll insert your country into the phrase. For instance, if you’re from America, you can say 我是美国人 (wǒ shì měiguó rén). This means “I’m American.” or “I’m from America.”

If you’re in a slightly more formal setting, you can use the phrase 我来自… (wǒ lái zì…). If you’re from America, this would then be 我来自美国 (wǒ lái zì měiguó), which means “I am from America.”

Finally, your friends may be curious about where you’re currently based. The question you’ll come upon is 你住在哪里? (nǐ zhù zài nǎli), meaning “Where do you live?”

Of course, they’re not looking for your full address. What you could say is 我住在上海 (wǒ zhù zài shànghǎi), and this means “I live in Shanghai.” Replace the last two characters with your country or city of residence.

The following table lists some countries in Chinese.

3. Talking about what you currently do

You may need to talk a little about your job or career when meeting someone new.

On the flip side, you may also be interested in what the other party currently does for a living.

You may prompt them to talk a little more about their career pursuit by saying 你做什么工作? (nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò?), meaning “What is your job?” Alternatively, you may also use the phrase 你的职业是什么? (nǐ de zhíyè shì shénme), which means “What is your occupation?”

You can also ask where they work by using the phrase 你在哪里工作? (nǐ zài nǎlǐ gōngzuò), meaning “Where do you work?”

You could then reply by saying something along the lines of 我是医生 (wǒ shì yī shēng), meaning “I am a doctor.” You’ll replace the last two characters with your profession or occupational identity.

If you’d like to be very proper, you can then say 我是一名医生 (wǒ shì yī míng yīshēng). Perhaps you’re currently studying. In this case, you can use the phrase 我是一名学生 (wǒ shì yī míng xuéshēng), which just means “I’m a student.”

In English, the “a” and “an” are commonly used before a noun. However, this would not be necessary for the Chinese language. The 一名 could be likened to the “a” or “an” in English. It’s best used when talking about occupations or professions.

You can still omit 一名, though, as it is not required to form a complete sentence.

Some native speakers may find that dropping the 一名 does not sound natural, so you may still wish to slot it into your sentence when talking about your profession.

Say the other party has asked you where you work. You can reply by saying 我在…工作 (wǒ zài … gōngzuò), which conveys the meaning “I work at…”

Perhaps you work at a café. In that case, you’ll say 我在咖啡店工作 (wǒ zài kāfēi diàn gōngzuò). Or if you work at a bank, you can then say 我在银行工作 (wǒ zài yínháng gōngzuò). Replace the middle of the phrase with the location of your workplace.

The following table lists some common occupations.

Hopefully, this will help you introduce your profession confidently in Mandarin Chinese!

4. Introducing your hobbies and favorite activities

Having similar interests and hobbies is definitely one way to jumpstart a new friendship. In any conversation, finding common ground would be a huge advantage.

If you’re curious about what the other party enjoys doing during their free time, you can prompt them to share their interests. There are several variations you can use to go about this. These phrases include:

When asked about your hobbies and interests, you can reply with 我的爱好是… (wǒ de àihào shì…), meaning “My hobby is…” You can also say 我喜欢 (wǒ xǐhuān), which means “I like to…”

Insert your favorite pastime and interest at the end of the phrase.

For instance, if you enjoy playing video games, you can say 我喜欢玩电子游戏 (wǒ xǐhuān wán diànzǐ yóuxì).

Here’s a table of some common hobbies and interests.

5. Talking about your family

In China, your conversation might touch a little on the topic of family.

Asking basic questions about someone’s family conveys genuine interest in getting to know the other person. Of course, there’s no need to ask very personal questions.

Just a few simple questions will do the trick.

When meeting a family friend or a relative for the first time, you may expect some questions about family to come your way.

Some questions related to the topic of family include the following:-

When asked about siblings, you can talk about the number of brothers or sisters you have.

For instance, you can say 我有一个哥哥 (wǒ yǒu yīgè gēgē), meaning “I have one older brother.” 一 in that phrase means “one,” while 哥哥 means “older brother.” You can replace those accordingly.

Another example would be 我有两个姐姐 (wǒ yǒu liǎng gè jiějiě), which means “I have two older sisters.”

If asked about how your parents are currently doing, you can say something along the lines of 我的父母还好 (wǒ de fùmǔ hái hǎo). This means, “My parents are doing alright.”

Say you’re asked 你结婚了吗? (Are you married?).

In that case, you can reply with 结婚了 (jiéhūnle), meaning “I’m married.” or 我单身 (wǒ dānshēn), which means “I’m single.” or “I’m not attached.”

Finally, you may be met with questions about your children, for example, the number of children you have.

You can reply with something along the lines of 我有一个女儿 (wǒ yǒu yīgè nǚ’ér), meaning “I have one daughter.”

If you have a son, you can say 我有一个儿子 (wǒ yǒu yīgè er zi).

Introducing yourself to someone new goes beyond a simple name exchange

By broadening your vocabulary and knowledge of Mandarin Chinese, you can introduce yourself to another person with more confidence.

Plus, one way to convey a genuine interest in getting to know the other party is to prompt them with relevant questions.

Without a doubt, the best conversations are a two-way street.

By learning a mix of questions and replies to use in such introductory discussions, you’ll definitely leave a positive and lasting impression!

Where to from here?

Follow this up with some awesome Chinese courses we’ve reviewed, as well as apps and books .

Or jump on italki and start introducing yourself to Chinese speakers now.

Which phrases do you typically use to introduce yourself?

Let me know in the comments below - especially if they haven’t been mentioned in this list.

🎓 Cite article

Learning Mandarin ?

Mandarin Resources:

Let me help you learn mandarin join the guild:.

Donovan Nagel - B. Th, MA AppLing

• Affiliate Disclaimer
• Privacy Policy
• About The Mezzofanti Guild
• About Donovan Nagel
• Essential Language Tools
• Language Calculator

SOCIAL MEDIA

Current mission.

Let Me Help You Learn Mandarin Chinese

• Get my exclusive Mandarin content delivered straight to your inbox.
• Learn about the best Mandarin language resources that I've personally test-driven.
• Get insider tips for learning Mandarin.

Don’t fill this out if you're human:

No spam. Ever.

How to Introduce Yourself in Chinese: All You Need to Know

Learning how to introduce yourself in Chinese is definitely the very first skill that you’ll need in order to make a great first impression to win over new Chinese friends .

Sure, if you’ve ever done a Chinese language course, you’ve probably spent a considerable amount of time learning how to introduce yourself in Chinese. But if you were to meet a Chinese for the first time at this very moment, would you be prepared to speak about yourself in a natural, convincing way? Probably not.

Let’s face it. You have to deal with awkwardness, nervousness, and shyness. Not to mention that the pressure feels much higher when you’re supposed to introduce yourself in a foreign language like Chinese. But fear not! This article will help you get off to a good start with your new Chinese friends, associates, and acquaintances by hitting all the introduction marks and coming up with neat sentences for your very first Chinese self-introduction.

Table of Contents

How to introduce yourself in chinese – an overview.

In Chinese, a self-introduction is called 自我介绍 (zìwǒ jièshào) . In theory, introducing yourself in Chinese should be quite simple as it’s not too different from how you would introduce yourself in any other language: you start with hello, say your name, and then tell people a little bit about yourself.

In practice, however, there are certain cultural differences and unique concepts you need to be aware of when introducing yourself in Chinese. Since you only get one shot at making a first impression, it’s important to learn how to do it right.

We’ll start by teaching you the three-piece basic Chinese self-introduction, then cultural subtleties, and finally a ton of extra introductory phrases you can use to talk about yourself when you first meet a Chinese speaker, whether the encounter is social, educational, or strictly business. These simple but powerful phrases will boost your Chinese-speaking skills and give you confidence in your early Chinese conversations. 

So, read on to learn all the essential steps to a perfect Chinese self-introduction.  

Basic Self-introduction  in Chinese

Chinese introductions are pretty straightforward on a basic level, so keep it simple: smile, extend a hand, and respond appropriately to the person you’re meeting or the one you’re being introduced to.

Here’s the 3-step Chinese introduction method that will get you through most situations. You can learn it right away.

1. Start with a Greeting – “Hello” in Chinese

First thing first: greetings. They are how almost any conversation in Chinese will start.

This is true – whether you’re meeting a Chinese person for the first or the hundredth time – you’ll want to use an appropriate greeting to start off the conversation on the right foot!

你好 (Nǐ hǎo)

A basic, middle-of-the-road greeting in Chinese is  你好 (Nǐ hǎo) . 你 (nǐ) means “you”, and 好 (hǎo) means “good”, so this expression literally translates to “you good”. Both of the syllables in this word should be pronounced using the third tones, with the first one slightly faster than the latter. You can use this well-wish at any time of the day, and it’s almost as universal as the English “hi” or “hello.”

If you don’t know how to read Pinyin (the standard Romanization of Chinese) yet, You can read our guide here to learn the basics of Pinyin .

您好 (Nín  hǎo )

A more formal version of “hello” in Chinese is 您好 (Nín hǎo) . When respect is called for, replace the 你 (nǐ) – “you” in 你好 (Nǐ hǎo) with its honorific form 您 (nín) to help you sound humble and polite. (This polite form is particularly common in Beijing)

Now, before discussing other essential phrases, it’ll be helpful to know the basic rule of thumb when to use 您 (nín) over 你 (nǐ) in Chinese .

• When talking to  family, friends, or colleagues , you’re expected to use the informal 你 (nǐ). And in casual social situations, it’s perfectly acceptable to use 你 (nǐ) right away to address people near your age – even if they are strangers .
• When you’re introducing yourself to someone who’s older or has higher social status than you (e.g. teacher, manager, officer), use the honorific form of “you” instead and say 您 (nín). You also need to use the formal form of address with people you’re in a professional relationship with , such as your business partners, clients, or customers.
• When you’re in doubt, start with the honorific form – 您 (nín) and don’t take the initiative to break the relationship out of 您 (nín). You can switch to 你 (nǐ) when the other person tells you to address him/her otherwise.

And don’t worry, Chinese people are aware that the cultural nuance could be quite tricky for foreigners, so they always accept the use of 你 (nǐ) with no grudges!

大家好 (Dà jiā hǎo )

Both 你 (nǐ) and 您 (nín) are singular only – they can’t be used to address more than one person.

If you’re greeting a group of people – it doesn’t matter what your relationship is – say 大家好 (Dàjiā hǎo) . This is a polite Chinese equivalent of “hello everyone” (literally, “everyone good”).

Time word + 好 ( hǎo )

You could also choose your greeting according to the time . Though less common, it’s totally fine to replace the fitting pronouns with a time word depending on the time of the day before the word 好 (hǎo).

For instance, you may say 早上好 (Zǎoshang hǎo )  – “morning good” for the morning, 下午好 (Xiàwǔ hǎo )  – “afternoon good” for the afternoon and 晚上好 (Wǎnshang hǎo )  – “evening good” for the evening. You could also say 晚安 ( Wǎn’ān )  – “evening peace”, but that’s generally used to say goodbye when it’s late at night or when you’re heading to bed.

Lastly, if you’re talking to someone on the phone, answer or greet them with 喂 (Wèi) – “hello”. In other contexts, however, 喂 (Wèi) is a pretty rude way of getting people’s attention.

To learn about all the ways you can greet people in Chinese, check out our guide to  Saying “Hello” in Chinese: 21 Chinese Greetings to Sound like a Native Speaker .

2. Introduce Your Name – “My name is …” in Chinese

While you might not want to further your conversations with street vendors or restaurant waiters, meeting a local in a cafe or a fellow guest in your hotel is a great place to make a Chinese friend.

“What’s your name?”  is the first question you can expect to hear when meeting someone for the first time. There are several ways to ask it in Chinese.

The most common question you’ll get is 你叫什么？ (Nǐ jiào shénme) . This translates to “You are called what?” and is considered rather informal.

A slightly more formal version of this question is 你叫什么名字？( Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi )  – “You are called what name?”. Alternatively, they’ll ask  你的名字叫什么？(Nǐ de míngzi jiào shénme)  – “Your name is called what?”.

If you hear any of these questions, it means the person wants to know your name – 名字 (míngzi), although you can’t really be sure if the person wants to know your full name or just your first name.

我叫… (Wǒ jiào …)

The typical way to answer “What’s your name” in Chinese is to begin your sentence with 我叫… (Wǒ jiào …)  – “I am called…” and then say your name.  It’s fine to answer with either your full name or your first name.

In return, it’s always polite to ask for the other person’s name. You could repeat the question or simply ask 你呢？(nǐ ne)  – “and you?” for informal situations or 您呢？(nín ne)  – “and you?” for formal situations after you’ve introduced your name. This is a quick way to return the question that you’ve just been asked. (Read more about “ bounce-back questions ”)

我的名字叫… (Wǒ de míngzi jiào …)

Once you’re feeling confident, you may expand the sentence a bit. To do so, simply replace the 我 (wǒ) – “I” in 我叫… (Wǒ jiào …) with the phrase 我的名字 (wǒ de míngzi)  – “my name”. This adds a formal element to your name introduction.

And again, you have the option to include your full name or just your first name in the answer, depending on the formality of the meeting.

我是… (Wǒ shì …)

You could also say  我是   (Wǒ shì)  and then state your name in response to “What’s your name?” in Chinese. 是 (shì) is the verb “to be”, so it’s like saying “I am…” in English. Although this method may be a slightly less common way of introducing yourself in Chinese, it’s still perfectly acceptable and is easier to learn.

我的名字是… (Wǒ de míngzi shì …)

The last method may be the most straightforward way of introducing your name for those who speak English as a first language: You can say 我的名字是… (Wǒ de míngzi shì …)  followed by your name. This is the exact equivalent to the English “My name is…”.

When answering “What’s your name?” or when you’re the one initiating the conversation, you can introduce yourself in Chinese by using any of the four expressions above. And whichever expression you use, don’t be afraid to sound silly. You’ll be understood by following our directions, and in nearly any Chinese-speaking area even the feeblest attempts to speak Chinese will be appreciated!

Your Name in Chinese Most Chinese people will have a hard time pronouncing a foreign name. If you haven’t picked a Chinese name yet, follow our guide to give yourself a Chinese-sounding name, or you can transliterate your name into Chinese to help them pronounce and remember your name better. For instance, instead of introducing yourself as “Elijah”, you could ask them to call you 伊利亚 (Yī lì yà). Read our full guide to learn how to say your name in Chinese .

我姓… (Wǒ  xìng  …)

Now, here’s an interesting fact:

Chinese people generally don’t refer to each other by their first name unless they’re close. To address those who they don’t know well or in a hierarchically higher position, the person’s family name or job title is often used. For instance,

• 李先生 (Lǐ xiānsheng) – Mr Li
• 张经理 (Zhāng jīnglǐ) – Manager Zhang
• 王老师 (Wáng lǎoshī) – Teacher Wang

Admittedly, you’ll be less likely to get asked about your family name being a foreigner, if it does come up, however, someone may ask 您贵姓？(Nín guì xìng)  – “(What’s) your noble family name?”, or in informal contexts:  你姓什么？(Nǐ xìng shénme)  – “You’re surnamed what?”. This means the speaker wants to learn your last name – 姓 (xìng), specifically.

To respond to these questions, begin your answer with 我姓… (Wǒ xìng …)  – “My surname is…” (literally, “I am surnamed”), then state your last name.

3. Express Pleasure to Meet Them – “Nice to meet you” in Chinese

Once you’ve exchanged your names info and shaken hands, it’s a good idea to follow it up with “nice to meet you”. The most universal way to express pleasure upon meeting someone  in Chinese is to say 很高兴认识你 (H ěn gāoxìng rènsh i  nǐ ) .

In this expression, 很 (hěn) means “very”, 高兴 (gāoxìng) means “glad”, and 认识 (rènshi) means “to know or to be acquainted with someone”. So the sentence translates to “Very glad (to) know you” or something similar to “Very glad (to) make your acquaintance”.

Watch out for the pronoun use here. To say “nice to meet you” to a senior person or someone important, switch to the honorific pronoun 您 (nín) and say 很高兴认识您 (H ěn gāoxìng rènsh i  nín ) . And when you’re addressing a group of people – 很高兴认识大家 (H ěn gāoxìng rènshi d àjiā ) .  

If someone says “glad to meet you” ahead of you, you can simply respond 我也是 (wǒ yě shì)  – “I am (glad) too” (literally, “I also am”) to indicate that you’re pleased to meet them too.

Of course, there are a handful of ways to end an introduction politely in Chinese, which I will teach you in a later section. But for most situations, you can just stick to 很高兴认识你/您/大家 (Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ/nín/dàjiā).

Chinese Self-introductions in a Nutshell

• The most common and simple way to introduce yourself in Chinese is to say “我叫 (Wǒ jiào)” followed by your name.
• Alternatives include “我的名字叫 (Wǒ de míngzi jiào)”, “我是 (Wǒ shì)” or “我的名字是 (Wǒ de míngzi shì)” followed by your name.
• “你好 (Nǐ hǎo)” can be used for either “hi” or “hello.” When respect is called for, use “您好 (Nín hǎo)”. When introducing yourself to a group of people, greet them with 大家好 (Dàjiā hǎo).
• Conclude your self-introduction in Chinese with “很高兴认识你/您/大家 (Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ/nín/dàjiā)”.    

Basic Chinese Introduction Examples

• 你好, 我叫威廉, 很高兴认识你。 Nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào Wēi lián, hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ. Hi, my name is William. Nice to meet you.
• 您好, 我的名字叫爱丽丝, 很高兴认识您。 Nín hǎo, wǒ de míngzi jiào Ài lì sī, hěn gāoxìng rènshi nín. Hello, my name is Alice. Nice to meet you (honorific).
• 大家好, 我是詹姆斯·布雷迪, 很高兴认识大家。 Dàjiā hǎo, wǒ shì Zhān mǔ sī · Bù léi dí , hěn gāoxìng rènshi dàjiā. Hello everybody, I am James Brady. Nice to meet you all.

Chinese Etiquette to Introduce Yourself

It’s great to know the phrases to say when introducing yourself in Chinese, but how you say those phrases will make or break your self-introduction.

There are cultural differences to be aware of. They’re subtle, so if you miss them, it probably won’t be counted against you as a foreigner. But paying attention to details like these can give you an extra social edge when you first meet a new Chinese friend.

Read the Context

To establish a good rapport from the very beginning, you should learn the typical Chinese introduction phrases, and understand how to adapt the tone and content of the introduction according to the person you’re meeting, whether it’s a social or a professional encounter, a casual or formal setting.

So, choose the version of the Chinese introduction wisely ! Use the correct phrases to eliminate the awkwardness that sometimes happens when people meet for the first time.  If you’re unsure, lean toward formality . You can always ease into a more laid-back approach after the ice is broken.

Be Friendly

Be friendly in any situation. You can show through your gestures that you’re glad to meet them. 

Unlike Japanese and Koreans, Chinese people never bow when meeting someone. Eye contact, a firm handshake, a smile, and a few standard phrases will be enough. (And please, no hugs or kisses!)

One thing you do have to take note of is the order of the handshake – there are some strict conventional rules. Don’t move in for the handshake if you are meeting ladies and people in a higher position of authority or age. Instead, wait for them to reach out first. But if you’re meeting your peers, you don’t have to worry about who reaches out first (generally, whoever reaches out first is considered more polite).

And if you are not sure when to extend your hand, you can just hold it and let your conversation partner take the initiative. Sometimes a simple nod of the head will show that you acknowledge the other person and that you’re happy to make their acquaintance.

Address Properly

In China, people either introduce themselves by their family names or full names. Chinese family names are typically one character /syllable in length and easily recognizable. You can also take cues from the expression 我姓… (Wǒ xìng …) – “My surname is …” which is specifically used to introduce one’s family name.

If someone only tells you their family name, it means they are not ready to be your friends yet and would prefer you to address them by their family name + title (e.g. Mr. Wang, Professor Li, Engineer Zhou, etc). So don’t ask for their first name – it’s considered rude in Chinese culture .

When Chinese people volunteer their full name, the family name comes first and the first name comes second. 

If you have a Chinese name, it’s customary to introduce your full name because your Chinese family name is – let’s get real – not your real family name. For example, if your Chinese name is 安龙 (Ān lóng), you should introduce yourself as 安龙 (Ān lóng), not Mr 安 (Ān) or just 龙 (Lóng). If your name is transliterated from English, however, you don’t need to change the order of names.

People with experience of living in the West would sometimes reverse the Chinese name order when interacting in English to conform to the common Western practice. If you are not sure whether a switch has been made when you meet Chinese people and they introduce themselves by full names, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask which of their names is their family name or their given name.

Beyond the Basics – Talking about Yourself in Chinese

You nailed the initial three pieces of the Chinese self-introduction. Great job!

Now you’ve said 你好, 我叫… (Nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào …) – “Hello, my name is …”, and you’ve smiled, nodded, shaken hands, and expressed delight about meeting your new Chinese friends or associates, you’re ready to take the conversation to the next level!

From here we get into the fun stuff. You can start adding information about yourself, using short sentences that explain where you’re from, what you do, what you like, and so on.

Sharing basic information about you will help people get to know you better when you first introduce yourself. This is especially valuable as you start to make more Chinese-speaking friends and acquaintances.

Here are some sentences you can use to tell more about yourself in Chinese.

1. Introducing Where You Are from

Being a foreigner in China always sparks the imagination of the Chinese. It’s a good idea to let people know where you’re from as the next step of your Chinese self-introduction. Even if you don’t use it during the initial self-intro, your new Chinese friend will probably ask you anyway, so memorizing a few of these phrases is extremely useful.

There are a few ways to ask “where are you from?” in Chinese.

If you hear 你是哪个国家的？(Nǐ shì nǎ gè guójiā de)  – literally, “You are of which country?” or 你是哪国人？(Nǐ shì nǎ guó rén)  – “You are which country person?”, this means the person wants to know your country of origin.

我是…人 (Wǒ shì … rén )

The usual answer to questions about your country of origin is 我是…人 (Wǒ shì … rén ) – I come from … (literally, “I am … person”).  

Simply start the sentence with 我是 (Wǒ shì) , say the name of your country, and add the word 人 (rén)  – “person” afterward.

For example,

• 我是 美国 人。 Wǒ shì Měiguó rén. I am from America. Literally, “I am America person.” 
• 我是 加拿大 人。 Wǒ shì  Jiānádà  rén. I am from Canada. Literally, “I am Canada person.”

Not sure how to say your country in Chinese? Practice with our complete list of country names written out in Chinese (plus abbreviations) .

You may also get asked 你是哪里人？(Nǐ shì nǎli rén)  – literally, “You are where person?” or 你来自哪里？(Nǐ lái zì nǎli)  – “You come from where?” These questions are similar to the English “where are you from?”.

You may still respond with your country of origin, but you’re welcome to name your city, state, or prefecture as well if it’s a major or well-known one like Paris or California. To do so, simply substitute the name of the specific place for the country.  

• 我是 巴黎 人。 Wǒ shì Bālí rén. I am from Paris. Literally, “I am Paris person.”
• 我是 加利福尼亚 人。 Wǒ shì Jiālìfúníyà rén. I am from California. Literally, “I am California person.”

我来自…  (Wǒ lái zì   …)

You can also phrase your answer as 我来自  (Wǒ lái zì)  – “I come from” and the name of the place. It sounds slightly more formal than the 我是…人 (Wǒ shì … rén) structure, but English speakers might find it easier to remember.

• 我来自 法国 。 Wǒ lái zì Fǎguó . I come from France.
• 我来自 巴黎 。 Wǒ lái zì Bālí . I come from Paris.
• 我来自 美国 。 Wǒ lái zì Měiguó . I come from America.
• 我来自 加利福尼亚 。 Wǒ lái zì Jiālìfúníyà . I come from California.

Don’t forget to ask the same questions in return or simply ask 你呢？(nǐ ne) or 您呢 (nín ne) – “and you?” to keep the conversation going.

If you are American, one of the most common questions you’ll get asked from curious Chinese people is which US state you’re from. You can learn how to say your state in Chinese here.

2. Introducing Where You Live

Now that your new Chinese friends know where you’re from originally, they may want to know some additional information about your current status. For example, where you live at the moment.

If they are interested in your current place of residence, they might ask you 你住在哪里？(Nǐ zhù zài nǎli)  or 你住在哪儿？(Nǐ zhù zài  nǎr )  – literally “You live in where?”.

Both 哪里 (nǎli) and 哪儿  (nǎr) mean “where”, with 哪儿  (nǎr) used more often in northern China. You can navigate your way around China town or any place in China easily with this question word. Learn more Survival Chinese .

我住在… (W ǒ zhù zài  …)

The best way to answer the question is to say 我住在 (W ǒ zhù zài )  – “I live in” and the name of the city or region where you live.

• 我住在 伦敦 。 Wǒ zhù zài Lúndūn . I live in London.
• 我住在 北京 。 Wǒ zhù zài Běijīng . I live in Beijing.

If you want to tell people you were born or grew up in one place, but live in another, you can use the conjunction 但 (dàn)  – “but” to connect the two sentences, like

• 我是英国人, 但 我住在澳大利亚。 Wǒ shì Yīngguó rén , dàn  wǒ zhù zài Àodàlìyà. I am British, but I live in Australia.
• 我来自纽约, 但 我住在得克萨斯. Wǒ lái zì Niǔyuē , dàn  wǒ zhù zài Dékèsàsī. I am from New York, but I live in Texas.

3. Introducing Your Age  

As in many parts of the world, asking someone about their age is generally considered impolite in China, especially if you’re a man asking a woman her age. Nevertheless, you can volunteer your age when introducing yourself in Chinese, and your conversation partner will probably do the same.

我…岁 (Wǒ … suì)

Here’s how you would say how old you are in Chinese: start with the pronoun 我 (wǒ) – “I”, followed by the number of your age, and end with 岁 (suì) , which means “years of age”.

For example:

• 我 二十五 岁。 Wǒ èr shí wǔ suì. I am twenty-five years old. Literally, “I twenty-five years of age.”

To tell people your age, simply substitute the number that corresponds to your age in the orange font.

You’ll notice that in English, you use the verb “to be” (am) when describing how old you are (and in some languages, you use the verb “to have”). In Chinese, however, you must drop the verb entirely and connect the subject directly with the age . So, it’s like saying “I ___ years old.” Read more about the topic-comment structure in Chinese .

Okay, to fully introduce yourself in Chinese and state your age, you’ll need to know Chinese numbers. You can follow our complete tutorial here to learn the Chinese numeral system .

At some point, you might still need to ask “how old are you?” in Chinese. And the way you compose this question should be dependent on the age of the person you’re talking to.

To ask about a kid’s age in Chinese, simply say   你几岁？(Nǐ jǐ suì?)  

But for inquiring about an adult’s age in Chinese, you should say 你多少岁？(Nǐ duōshǎo suì)  or 您多少岁？(Nín duōshǎo  suì)  – if you want to show an extra level of respect.

Both 几 (jǐ) and 多少 (duōshǎo) are Chinese question words for numbers. So all these questions translate to “You, what number years of age?”, literally. The difference is that 几 (jǐ) is reserved for small numbers, while 多少 (duōshǎo) is used to inquire about big numbers.

As with many expressions in Chinese, there are a few more ways to inquire about a person’s age. You can follow our complete guide here to learn the various ways of saying and asking age in Chinese .

4. Introducing Your Profession 

The Chinese love talking about jobs and careers. It’s not uncommon for people to ask about each other’s profession during Chinese introductions, especially if it’s a social encounter where people are doing networking.

Some of the first and most common conversations you’ll have in Chinese will require you to answer the question 你是做什么的？(Nǐ shì zuò  shénme de ) , which roughly translates to “what is that you do?” or “what do you do for a living?”

Another way to approach this subject is to ask  你在哪里工作？( Nǐ zài nǎlǐ gōngzuò ) , or more colloquially  你在哪里上班？( Nǐ zài nǎlǐ shàngbān ) , both of which mean “where do you work?” 

When answering these questions with your profession or telling someone about your job, there are a few structures you can use.

我是一名… ( Wǒ shì yì míng …)

This is the most common way to say what you do in Chinese: start the sentence with 我是一名 ( Wǒ shì yì míng) , which means “I am a”, and then add your profession or job at the end of the sentence.

• 我是一名 医生 。 Wǒ shì yì míng  yīshēng . I am a doctor.
• 我是一名 律师 。 Wǒ shì yì míng  lǜshī . I am a lawyer.
• 我是一名 工程师 。 Wǒ shì yì míng  gōngchéngshī . I am an engineer.

If you are a student, you can say

• 我是一名 学生 。 Wǒ shì yì míng  xuésheng . I am a student.

Keep in mind that you need to add a measure word between a number (a/one) and a noun in Chinese. And the best measure word for professions in this context is 名 (míng) . For example, you wouldn’t just say 一医生 (yì yīshēng) for “a doctor”, you would say 一名医生 (yì míng yīshēng), which translates to “a [measure word] doctor”.

A quick grammar usage note: like some languages, you can drop “a” (一名 [yì míng]) before the job in Chinese sometimes and just say 我是 (Wǒ shì) + profession (e.g. 我是医生 [Wǒ shì yīshēng]), however, this does not sound natural to Chinese people when you introduce your profession. So better slip 一名 (yì míng) in the middle of the sentence!

我在…工作/上班 (Wǒ zài … gōngzuò /shàng bān )

To tell your conversation partner about the company, institution or location where you’re currently employed, you’ll say  我在…工作 (Wǒ zài … gōngzuò )  or 我在…上班 (Wǒ zài … shàng bān ) . Both 工作 (gōngzuò) and 上班 (shàngbān) mean “work” in Chinese (工作 [gōngzuò] is slightly more formal), so these expressions are the Chinese equivalents of “I work at/in …”.

• 我在 银行 工作。 Wǒ zài yínháng  gōngzuò. I work in a bank.
• 我在 欧莱雅 上班。 Wǒ zài Ōu lái yǎ shàngbān. I work at L’Oréal.

Remember to substitute the name of your workplace in the orange font. 

我在…上学/读书 ( Wǒ zài  … shàngxué / dúshū )

Students can say where they’re studying by swapping out “work” – 工作 (gōngzuò) or 上班 (shàngbān) with “study” – 上学 ( shàngxué )  or more colloquially 读书 ( dúshū ) .

• 我在 北京大学 上学。 Wǒ zài Běijīng dàxué  shàngxué. I am studying at Peking University.
• 我在 纽约大学 读书。 Wǒ zài Niǔyuē dàxué  dúshū. I am studying at New York University.

See? One easy switch and you’re ready to tell people about your education situation.

Lastly, to say you’re a freelancer, say 我是自由职业 (Wǒ shì zìyóu zhíyè) . And if you’re unemployed, say 我没有工作 (Wǒ méiyǒu gōngzuò)  – “I don’t have a job”. Or if you’re currently looking for a job – 我正在找工作 (Wǒ zhèng zài zhǎo gōngzuò) .

Since “What’s your job?” is a question you might get asked all the time in China, it’s a great idea to memorize the name of your profession in Chinese before embarking on your Chinese conversation journey. That way, you won’t get flustered when it comes up!

To understand what your new friend does for a living, you’ll want to have a solid vocabulary base of Chinese professions. You can practice the names of popular professions in Chinese with our guide here.

5. Introducing Your Family

Family is yet another evergreen small talk topic that you should be prepared to address when introducing yourself in Chinese.

But before learning how to introduce your family, you should know that family is so important in Chinese culture that Chinese has a specific word for almost every family relationship. For example, elder brother and younger brother.

So here’s some key relationship vocabulary.

In China, asking about a person’s family shows a desire to understand the person better. You may get asked if you have any brothers or sisters:

• 你有兄弟姐妹吗？ Nǐ yǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi ma? Do you have any siblings? Literally, “You have brothers (and) sisters ma?”

or how many brothers or sisters you have:

• 你有几个兄弟姐妹？ Nǐ yǒu jǐ gè xiōngdì jiěmèi? How many siblings do you have? Literally, “You have how many brothers (and) sisters?”

我有 (Wǒ yǒu) + number + 个  (gè)  + relationship

To say how many brothers and sisters you have, use the structure 我有 (Wǒ yǒu) + number + 个  (gè)  + relationship , which can be translated as “I have however many of a certain type of relationship”. For instance,

• 我有 一 个 哥哥 。 Wǒ yǒu  yí  gè  gēge . I have an elder brother.
• 我有 两 个 妹妹 。 Wǒ yǒu  liǎng  gè  mèimei . I have two younger sisters.

Here, 有 (yǒu)  is the “have” in Chinese used to express possession, and 个 (gè)  is the measure word for counting people.

To connect multiple relationships, you can use the conjunction 和 ( hé )  – “and”.

• 我有一个哥哥 和 两个妹妹。 Wǒ yǒu yí gè gēge  hé  liǎng gè mèimei. I have an elder brother and two younger sisters.

And if you don’t have siblings, you can say

• 我没有兄弟姐妹。 Wǒ méiyǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi. I don’t have siblings.

To say that you don’t have someone (or something), simply start your sentence with 我没有(Wǒ méiyǒu) . 没 (méi) is the negation word for “have” in Chinese. (Read more about how to express possession in Chinese )

or you can say

• 我是独生子女。 Wǒ shì dú shēng zǐnǚ. I am an only child.

You may also get asked if you’re married in some situations.

• 你结婚了吗？ Nǐ jiéhūn le ma? Are you married?

To say that you’re married, say 我结婚了 (Wǒ  jiéhūn le )  – “I am married”. And if you’re not,  我还没结婚 (Wǒ  hái méi jiéhūn )  – literally, “I still haven’t married”, or  我单身 (Wǒ dān shēn )  – “I (am) single.”

If you’re currently dating someone, you can use the sibling sentence structure.

• 我有一个女朋友。 Wǒ yǒu yí gè nǚ péngyou. I have a girlfriend.
• 我有一个男朋友。 Wǒ yǒu yí gè nán péngyou. I have a boyfriend.

You can also use the sibling sentence structure to talk about your children if you have any.

• 我有三个孩子。 Wǒ yǒu sān gè háizi. I have three kids.
• 我有一个儿子和两个女儿。 Wǒ yǒu yí gè érzi hé liǎng gè nǚ’ér. I have a son and two daughters.

You can even introduce your four-legged family members using this structure. Just make sure to change the measure word 个 (gè), which is reserved for people, to appropriate measure words for animals, for example, 只 ( zhī ) for cats  and 条 ( tiáo ) for dogs .

• 我有两 只 猫。 Wǒ yǒu liǎng  zhī  māo. I have two cats.
• 我有三 条 狗。 Wǒ yǒu sān tiáo  gǒu. I have three dogs.

A quick grammar tip: Mandarin has two words for the number “two”: 二 (èr) and 两 (liǎng). When it comes to counting people and objects, always use 两 (liǎng). For example, to say “two kids”, you would say “两个孩子 (liǎng gè háizi)”, not “二个孩子 (èr gè háizi)”. Read more about when to use 两 (liǎng) over 二 (èr) .

6. Talking about Your Languages 

Since you’re introducing yourself in Chinese, your new Chinese friends will likely be interested in finding out how you’ve learned their native language and what led you to take it up.

First, you may get asked, “how long have you been learning the Chinese language?”.

In Chinese, this question may sound something like 你学了多久中文？ (Nǐ xué  le duō jiǔ  Z hōngwén )  – literally, “You’ve learned how long time Chinese?” or  你汉语学了多长时间 ？(Nǐ Hàn yǔ xué le duō cháng shíjiān )  – “You, Chinese learned how long time?”

我学了 (Wǒ xué  le ) + time duration + 中文 (Z hōngwén )/汉语 (H ànyǔ )

To respond, say 我学了 (Wǒ xué  le ) – “I’ve learned” first, followed by the time duration and then the word 中文 (Z hōngwén )  or 汉语 (H ànyǔ )  – “Chinese”.

• 我学了 三个月 中文。 Wǒ xué le  sān gè yuè  Zhōngwén. I’ve been learning Chinese for three months.
• 我学了 半年 汉语。 Wǒ xué le  bàn nián Hànyǔ. I’ve been learning Chinese for half a year.

In Chinese, several words are used to refer to “the Chinese language”. The word 汉语 (Hànyǔ) means the language of Han Chinese people (the largest ethnic group in China that comprises approximately 92% of its population), in contrast with the languages of the non-Han Chinese peoples in China (e.g. Tibetan , Uyghur , etc). 汉语 (Hànyǔ) is, therefore, the accurate, scientific term for the language. However, the most popular term for the Chinese language is 中文 (Zhōngwén), which translates to “China language”, literally.

If you can respond to the first question, chances are you’ll also be asked  你在哪里学的中文/汉语 ？(Nǐ zài n ǎlǐ xué de Zh ōngwén/ H ànyǔ )  – “Where did you learn Chinese?” (literally, “You in where learned Chinese”)

我在…学的中文/汉语 (W ǒ zài  …  xué de  Z hōngwén /H ànyǔ )

To reply to this question, simply swap out the question word 哪里 (nǎlǐ) – “where” in the question with the name of the place, like

• 我在 北京 学的中文。 Wǒ zài Běijīng xué de Zhōngwén. I learned Chinese in Beijing.
• 我在 学校 学的中文。 Wǒ zài xuéxiào  xué de Zhōngwén. I learned Chinese at school.
• 我在 网上 学的汉语。 Wǒ zài wǎng shàng  xué de Hànyǔ. I learned Chinese online.

People might also ask you “why are you learning Chinese?” – 你为什么学中文/汉语？(N ǐ wèi shénme xué Zh ōngwén /H ànyǔ ).

To prepare to answer the question, take a look at these common examples:

我学中文/汉语是因为… (W ǒ xué Zh ōngwén /H ànyǔ shì yīnwèi  …) – “ (The reason) I learn Chinese is because … ”

• 我喜欢中国文化。 Wǒ xǐhuan Zhōngguó wénhuà. I like Chinese culture.
• 我想去中国工作。 Wǒ xiǎng qù Zhōngguó gōngzuò. I want to work in China.
• 我的女朋友是中国人。 Wǒ de nǚ péngyǒu shì Zhōngguó rén. My girlfriend is Chinese.
• 我的爸爸来自中国。 Wǒ de bàba lái zì Zhōngguó. My dad comes from China.

You will see more examples of how to talk about what you like, what you want, as well as introducing other people in the following sections, so don’t stress if you don’t get it yet!

Lastly, you might get asked 你会说哪些语言？ (Nǐ huì shuō nǎxiē yǔyán)  – “What languages do you speak?” (literally, “You can speak which languages?”)

我会说 (Wǒ huì shuō)

To answer, you can say 我会说 (Wǒ  huì shuō )  – “I can speak”, and then the names of the languages. Remember to use the conjunction 和 (hé) – “and” for linking multiple languages.

• 我会说 英语 , 法语 , 和 西班牙语 。 Wǒ huì shuō  Yīngyǔ ,  Fǎyǔ , hé  Xībānyáyǔ . I can speak English, French, and Spanish.

You can also say what languages you’re studying by saying  我正在学… (W ǒ zhèng zài xué  …)  – “I am studying …”. For example, as a Chinese learner, you could say 

• 我会说 英语 和 法语 , 我正在学 中文 。 Wǒ huì shuō  Yīngyǔ  hé  Fǎyǔ , wǒ zhèng zài xué  Zhōngwén . I speak English and French, (and) I am learning Chinese.

7. Talking about Your Interests and Hobbies 

Hobbies might not be the first topic you’ll touch upon when you introduce yourself in Chinese, but it’s certainly the most extensive one. Once you’re past the basics and need something interesting to talk about, you can share your passions to inspire further conversation.

Two common ways to ask someone about their hobbies in Chinese are

• 你平时喜欢做什么？ Nǐ píngshí xǐhuan zuò shénme? What do you like to do in your free time? Literally, “You ordinary time like to do what?”
• 你的爱好是什么？ Nǐ de àihào shì shénme? What’s your hobby? Literally, “Your hobby is what?”

我喜欢… ( Wǒ xǐhu a n  …)

You can answer the questions or speak about your hobbies and interests in various ways, but the easiest one is the expression 我喜欢… ( Wǒ xǐhu a n  …)  – “I like” and then list a noun or a verb.

Here’s a bunch of examples.

• 我喜欢 足球 。 Wǒ xǐhuan zúqiú . I like football.
• 我喜欢 旅行 。 Wǒ xǐhuan lǚxíng . I like traveling.
• 我喜欢 看小说 。 Wǒ xǐhuan  kàn xiǎoshuō . I like reading novels.
• 我喜欢 学外语 。 Wǒ xǐhuan xué wàiyǔ . I like learning foreign languages.

Useful Chinese Words and Phrases Related to Hobbies

Even if you don’t think of your interests as “hobbies,” you can describe them as such anyway.

我的爱好是… ( Wǒ de àihào shì  …)

Alternatively, you can say 我的爱好是 ( Wǒ de àihào shì )  – “My hobby is” then name a noun/verb or two.

• 我的爱好是 钓鱼 。 Wǒ de àihào shì diàoyú . My hobby is fishing.
• 我的爱好是 跑步 和 骑行 。 Wǒ de àihào shì  pǎobù  hé  qíxíng . My hobbies are running and cycling.

我对…很感兴趣 (W ǒ duì … hěn gǎn xìngqù )

You can also use the expression 我对…很感兴趣 (W ǒ duì … hěn gǎn xìngqù )  – “I am very interested in …” to let people know that you have a keen interest in something or doing something. Simply name the “thing” in the blank.

• 我对 汉字 很感兴趣。 Wǒ duì Hànzì hěn gǎn xìngqù. I am very interested in Chinese characters.
• 我对 中国文化 很感兴趣。 Wǒ duì  Zhōngguó wénhuà  hěn gǎn xìngqù. I am interested in Chinese culture.
• 我对 学中文 很感兴趣。 Wǒ duì xué Zhōngwén hěn gǎn xìngqù. I am very interested in learning Chinese.

我擅长… (Wǒ shàn cháng  …)

Lastly, if you want to tell people that you are good at something, you can say 我擅长 (Wǒ shàn cháng )  and then whatever it is that you excel at.

• 我擅长 做菜 。 Wǒ shàncháng  zuòcài . I am good at cooking.
• 我擅长 网球 和 乒乓 。 Wǒ shàncháng  wáng qiú  hé pīngpāng . I am good at tennis and table tennis.

Well, try not to show off too much. Revealing one or two of your strengths is great, but listing all your amazing abilities in your Chinese self-intro will probably annoy others and make you seem over-confident. After all, humility is the king of all virtues!  

8. Talking about Your Plans

And finally, you can include your plans in your Chinese self-introduction. For instance, what you want to do in the future, what new skills you’re trying to acquire, or where you’re traveling to this summer.

Here are some example sentences for talking about your plans in Chinese.

• 我想 去中国旅行 。 Wǒ xiǎng qù Zhōngguó lǚxíng . I want to take a trip to China.
• 我想 来上海实习 。 Wǒ xiǎng lái Shànghǎi shíxí . I want to do an internship in Shanghai.
• 我想 说流利的中文 。 Wǒ xiǎng  shuō liúlì de Zhōngwén . I want to speak fluent Chinese.
• 我打算 考 HSK 。 Wǒ dǎsuàn  kǎo  HSK . I plan to take the HSK exam.
• 我打算 在中国开一家公司 。 Wǒ dǎsuàn zài Zhōngguó kāi yì jiā gōngsī . I plan to start a business in China.
• 这个夏天 我打算 参加一个中文课程 。 Zhè gè xiàtiān wǒ dǎsuàn  cānjiā yì gè Zhōngwén kèchéng . I plan to take a Chinese course this summer.

A quick grammar note: the verb 打算 (dǎsuàn) is used to tell what you plan to do. It’s most commonly used in situations where you’ve already made up your mind. It’s definite (or almost definite). Don’t use it for instances where you’re just randomly thinking about something. In that case, use 想 (xiǎng) instead.

Unlike in English where you normally need a preposition like “to” to connect different verbs in a sentence, in Chinese, you can string the verbs together without any linking word to describe a sequence (e.g. want to do, plan to do). Read more on how to connect verbs in Chinese .  

Concluding Your Chinese Self-introduction

All good things come to an end, don’t they?

Earlier we learned how to use the set phrase 很高兴认识你 (Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ) to conclude your self-introduction. Here are a few more ways to end a conversation gracefully in Chinese.

• 认识你很高兴。 Rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng. Nice to meet you.

Here, you can rearrange the word order as 认识你很高兴 (R ènsh i nǐ  h ěn gāoxìng )  – literally, “Knowing you (I’m) very glad.” to express the pleasure of meeting someone when the conversation is over.

• 很高兴见到你。 Hěn gāoxìng jiàn dào nǐ. Nice to meet you. Literally, “Very glad (to) meet you”.
• 见到你很高兴。 Jiàn dào nǐ hěn gāoxìng. Nice to meet you. Literally, “Meeting you (I’m) very glad.” 

Alternatively, you can end with the phrase 很高兴见到你 (H ěn gāoxìng jiàn dào nǐ )  – “Very glad (to) meet you” or the other way around – 见到你很高兴 (J iàn dào nǐ  h ěn gāoxìng )  – “Meeting you (I’m) very glad”, two other popular ways of saying “Nice to meet you” in Chinese.

• 请(您)多多关照。 Qǐng (nín) duō duō guānzhào. Please look after me often.
• 请(您)多多指教。 Qǐng (nín) duō duō zhǐjiào. Please guide me often.

Modesty is viewed as a great virtue in Chinese culture. Chinese people like to keep a low profile both in regard to their own achievements, status as well as their interactions with others.

So in professional contexts, you could say 请(您)多多关照 (Q ǐng [nín]   duō duō guānzhà o)  – “Please look after me often” or 请(您)多多指教 (Q ǐng [nín] duō duō zhǐjiào )  – “Please guide me often” at the end of your self-introduction as a way of promoting modesty when you meet new Chinese colleagues or work contacts. It may not be common to say something like this in your culture, but in China, a humble concluding phrase like this can go a long way toward forging a bond!

If you’re excited about establishing a new friendship with someone and plan to meet them again, go ahead and ask for their phone number or WeChat (China’s WhatsApp-like messaging and social media app). Try being direct – it works pretty well in Chinese.

• 我们留个电话吧。 Wǒmen liú gè diànhuà ba. Let’s leave a phone number (to each other).
• 我们加个微信吧。 Wǒmen jiā gè wēixìn ba. Let’s friend each other on WeChat.

To say goodbye in Chinese, simply say 再见 (z àijiàn ) . But if you have another planned meeting with your new Chinese friend at some time soon, it would be more appropriate to say  回头见 ( huí tóu jiàn ) , which means “see you later” or “see you soon”.

How to Introduce Yourself in a Business Setting  

Throughout the article, we’ve already given you various pointers on how to introduce yourself in professional contexts, but it’s important to go deeper into them here if you ever have to introduce yourself in Chinese in a formal business setting.

1. Use the Formal Way of Addressing

Unless someone proposes to use 你 (nǐ), always use the formal way of addressing 您 (nín).

2. Introduce Your Last Name As Well As Your First Name

With regard to introducing your name, there is little difference between China and elsewhere. It is considered polite to give your full name on formal occasions.

If you have a Chinese name, say your last name before your first name. If your name is transliterated into Chinese, then keep the original name order.

3. Give a Brief Summary of Your Job

When you introduce yourself in a business setting, mention the company or organization you work for as well as your job position or the name of your profession in your Chinese self-introduction.

To do so, use the structure 我在…担任…  (W ǒ zài …  dānrèn …) , which translates to “I work as … in/at …” (literally, “I in … take on the position of …”), for example,

• 我在 谷歌 担任 软件工程师 。 wǒ zài  Gǔgē  dānrèn  ruǎnjiàn gōngchéngshī . I work as a software engineer at Google. Literally, “I in Google take on the position of a software engineer.”

4. Use Formal Words and Longer Sentences

Introducing yourself in a formal business setting will require you to use the formal form of Chinese words/phrases and longer sentences.

For example, instead of 我叫… (Wǒ jiào) – “I am called …” or 我是… (Wǒ shì) – “I am …” for introducing your name, it would be more appropriate to use the longer version  我的名字叫…  (Wǒ de míngzi j iào)  – “My name is called …” or  我的名字是…  (Wǒ de míngz i  shì)  – “My name is …”

And instead of saying 我在…上班 (Wǒ zài … shàngbān) – “I work in/at …” for telling people where you work, rephrase it as 我在…工作 ( Wǒ zài … gōngzuò)  or 我在…担任…  (W ǒ zài …  dānrèn …)  – “I work as … in/at …”.

To conclude your self-intro, you could say 非常荣幸认识您 (F ēicháng róngxìng rènsh i  nín )  – “Very honored to meet you” instead of 很高兴认识您 (Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nín) – “Nice to meet you” to add a dash of humbleness.

5. Wait for Your Turn to be Introduced

In China, people in a lower position of authority or age will be introduced to the higher first. When it’s your turn to be introduced, stand up, smile, and look at the people also being introduced with ease.

Wait for the person of higher standing to initiate the handshake. Some Chinese people think handshakes are only for equals, so if that person doesn’t automatically offer you their hand, don’t offer yours to offend them! Just nod politely.

6. Use Both Hands to Present Your Business Card

Business cards are called 名片 (míngpiàn) in Chinese (literally, “name cards”), and they are an important part of Chinese work culture. 

When you present your business card, say  这是我的名片 (Zhè  shì wǒ de míngpiàn )  – “This is my business card”, and hold the top edge of the card with both hands to show the recipient respect.

When you are offered a business card, accept it with two hands as well. Make sure to read the person’s name and title on the card before you put it away. Show interest in what they do and act at least a bit impressed with their job title.

Example of Chinese Self-introduction in a Formal Setting

• 您好，我的名字叫大卫·摩根。我在宜家担任销售经理，这是我的名片。非常荣幸认识您。 Nín hǎo, wǒ de míngzi jiào Dà wèi · Mó gēn. Wǒ zài Yíjiā dānrèn xiāoshòu jīnglǐ, zhè shì wǒ de míngpiàn. Fēicháng róngxìng rènshi nín. Hi, my name is David Morgan. I work as a sales manager at Ikea. Here’s my business card. I am very honored to meet you.

Always remember that a self-introduction at a party or a business meeting will be different. You can be casual with friends or people of your age, but should always be formal in the business world. If need be, learn how to be even more prepared to give a strong and professional self-introduction for a Chinese job interview!

How to Introduce Someone in Chinese 

Now that you’ve learned how to introduce yourself in Chinese, in both an informal setting and a formal setting, you’re ready to try and introduce someone else, such as your family, friends, or colleagues.

Here are some typical expressions you can use to introduce other people. Use them to earn extra points with your new Chinese friends!

• 这是 我的妻子 。 Zhè shì wǒ de qīzi . This is my wife.
• 这是 我的丈夫 。 Zhè shì wǒ de zhàngfu . This is my husband.
• 这是 我的儿子 。 Zhè shì wǒ de érzi . This is my son.
• 这是 我的女儿 。 Zhè shì wǒ de nǚ’ér . This is my daughter.
• 这是 我的朋友马修 。 Zhè shì wǒ de péngyou Mǎ xiū . This is my friend, Matthew.
• 这是 我的同事珍妮 。 Zhè shì wǒ de tóngshì Zhēn nī . This is my colleague, Jenny.

Did you notice the pattern here? To introduce someone in Chinese, simply start the sentence with 这是 (Zhè  shì )  – meaning “This is” and finish it with the person you want to introduce.

If you aren’t sure whether your conversation partner has already met the other person, you can use the following phrases. (Simply swap out the name in the orange font for your friend)

• 你认识 巴尼 吗？ Nǐ rènshí  Bā ní  ma? Do you know Barney? Literally, “You know Barney ma?”
• 你见过 泰德 吗？ Nǐ jiàn guò  Tài dé  ma? Have you met Ted? Literally, “You have met Ted ma?”

Once you initiate the introduction, you might want to go on and tell others a bit more about that person. This is rather easy to do in Chinese, as you don’t have to conjugate the verbs like you would have to in many other languages.

In other words, you can just stick to the sentence patterns used for your self-introduction, change the subject to an appropriate one (or use the pronoun 他 [tā] for “he” and 她 [tā] for “she”) , and then you are good to go!

Here are some example sentences for introducing someone in Chinese.

• 我的妻子叫詹妮弗。她三十六岁。 Wǒ de qīzi jiào Zhān nī fú. Tā sān shí liù suì. My wife’s name is Jennifer. She is thirty-six years old.
• 她是英国人。她来自伦敦。 Tā shì Yīngguó rén. Tā lái zì Lúndūn. She is British. She’s from London.
• 我的丈夫是加拿大人。他叫山姆。 Wǒ de zhàngfu shì Jiānádà rén. Tā jiào Shān mǔ. My husband is Canadian. His name is Sam.
• 我的爸爸在多伦多工作。他是一名老师。 Wǒ de bàba zài Duōlúnduō gōngzuò. Tā shì yì míng lǎoshī. My dad works in Toronto. He is a teacher.
• 泰德住在纽约。他是一名建筑师。 Tài dé zhù zài Niǔyuē. Tā shì yì míng jiànzhùshī. Ted lives in New York. He is an architect.
• 泰德的儿子十五岁。他喜欢中国。他想学中文。 Tài dé de érzi shí wǔ suì. Tā xǐhuan Zhōngguó. Tā xiǎng xué Zhōngwén. Ted’s son is fifteen years old. He loves China. He wants to learn Chinese.

Note that while “he” and “she” are represented by different Chinese characters, they are pronounced the same. In a conversation, you’ll need the context to tell whether someone is talking about a male “tā” or female “tā”.

Introducing Yourself in Chinese: Quick Summary

Here’s a quick summary of the key introductory words and phrases you’ve learned from this article that you can use when introducing yourself in Chinese.

Example Self-introduction in Chinese

With the above Chinese introduction phrases under your belt, you’ll be able to make friends and acquaintances without any trouble at all. Just put the pieces together, mind the cultural differences, and practice till its second nature!

Here’s an example of a stellar self-introduction in Chinese for your reference.

• 你好，我叫谢尔顿。很高兴认识你。 Nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào Xiè ěr dùn. Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ. Hello, my name is Sheldon. Nice to meet you.
• 我是美国人。我来自得克萨斯，但现在住在加利福尼亚。 Wǒ shì Měiguó rén. Wǒ lái zì Dékèsàsī, dàn xiànzài zhù zài Jiālìfúníyà. I am American. I am from Texas, but currently I live in California.
• 我今年三十七岁，结婚了。这是我的妻子，她的名字叫艾米，她也是美国人。我们还没有孩子。 Wǒ jīnnián sān shí qī suì, jiéhūn le. Zhè shì wǒ de qīzi, tā de míngzi jiào Ài mǐ, tā yě shì Měiguó rén. Wǒmen hái méiyǒu háizi. I am thirty-seven years old this year, married. This is my wife. Her name is Amy. She is American too. We don’t have kids yet.
• 我和我的妻子都在加州理工学院工作。我是一名物理学家。我擅长理论。我的妻子是一名神经科学家。 Wǒ hé wǒ de qīzi dōu zài Jiāzhōu lǐgōng xuéyuàn gōngzuò. Wǒ shì yì míng wùlǐ xuéjiā. Wǒ shàncháng lǐlùn. Wǒ de qīzi shì yì míng shénjīng kēxuéjiā. My wife and I both work at Caltech. I am a physicist. I am good at theory. My wife is a neuroscientist.
• 我的爱好是桌游和漫画。平时我喜欢和朋友在一起。我对语言也很感兴趣。我会说克林贡语。我现在还在学中文。我想去中国旅行。你呢？ Wǒ de àihào shì zhuōyóu hé mànhuà. Píngshí wǒ xǐhuan hé péngyǒu zài yìqǐ. Wǒ duì yǔyán yě hěn gǎn xìngqù. Wǒ huì shuō Kèlíngòng yǔ. Wǒ xiànzài hái zài xué Zhōngwén. Wǒ xiǎng qù Zhōngguó lǚxíng. Nǐ ne? My hobbies are board games and comics. In my free time I enjoy being with friends. I am also very interested in languages. I can speak Klingon. I am also learning Chinese at the moment. I want to take a trip to China. What about you?

If there’s ever a time when you need a pause to figure out what to say next during your Chinese self-introduction, don’t be afraid to use filler words to stall for time. For example, you can say 那个 (nèi ge), which works like “um”, “uh”, “well”, or “you know” in English. Read more about Chinese filler words . And in case you don’t know what your conversation partner just said, use the expression 我没听懂 (wǒ méi tīng dǒng) to encourage the person to rephrase and explain with simpler Chinese. (Avoid the overused expression 听不懂 [tīng bù dǒng] which is a conversation killer! Read more about different ways of saying “I don’t understand” in Chinese .)

And One More Thing

No matter how little Chinese you know, it’s doable to introduce yourself to someone who speaks Chinese. In other words, you don’t need to understand the precise meanings of what you’re saying or how the words relate to each other grammatically to introduce yourself in Chinese. But if you’re curious, or if you’re planning on learning Chinese, check out our in-depth guide on how to best learn Chinese from scratch . If you are struggling to improve your Chinese, consider taking a structured Chinese course online – it’s far more effective than reading odd bits and pieces here and there, and trying to put them together on your own. We’ve tested dozens of online Chinese language programs, some are amazing while others are, well… a complete waste of time. Make sure to read our unbiased reviews here and discover the best Chinese course out there for you.  

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

How to Introduce Yourself in Chinese: A Complete Guide

The first step in combining Chinese language and culture involves being prepared to introduce yourself in Chinese at any moment. In a culture based on 关系 ( guānxi – relationships), it’s crucial to be able to describe yourself accurately.

The simplest way to introduce yourself in Chinese is to say 你好 ( nǐ hǎo ) meaning “hello” and  我叫 ( wǒ jiào ) meaning “my name is.”

But, if you want to know even more about the different ways you can introduce yourself and information about you in Chinese, we’re here to help.

Simple Chinese Greetings to Introduce Yourself

Introducing your name in chinese, asking about the other person, reacting to a compliment, share your background to introduce yourself in chinese, talking about: where you’re from, talking about: family, talking about: your education and employment situation, talking about: your income and your children’s grades (yeah, this happens), talking about: hospitality, talking about: what you do for fun, concluding your self-introduction, 12 etiquette tips for chinese conversation, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

The basic Chinese greeting is a well-wish, using the word  好 ( hǎo ) — good. Before saying hǎo , you can insert a time of day or a fitting pronoun. The standard greeting is  你好 ( nǐ hǎo ) — hello, nǐ meaning “you.”

[Personal pronoun] hǎo :

您  ( nín ) — The respectful form of the pronoun “you,” used for addressing elderly people or people with higher social or business status

叔叔  ( shū shu ) — Uncle, used for a man who’s old enough to be your father

阿姨 ( ā yí ) — Aunty, used for a woman could be your mom

爷爷  ( yè ye ) — Literally “father’s father,” used for a man who could be your grandfather

奶奶  ( nǎi nai ) — Literally “father’s mother,” used for a woman who could be your grandmother

[Time of day] hǎo:

早上  ( zǎo shàng ) — Morning (before 8:00 a.m.)

上午  ( shàng wǔ ) — Morning (after 8:00 a.m.)

下午  ( xià wǔ ) — Afternoon

晚上  ( wǎn shàng ) — Evening

In conversation, you’ll likely hear one of two questions asking for your name:

怎么称呼您? ( zěnme chénghū nín? ) — How should I address you?

你叫什么名字? ( nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? ) — What’s your name?

The first question includes the respectful nǐn , meaning it should be used to address older people or people with higher social or business status. In less formal relationships, either question can be used. In both cases, you can respond:

我叫 (wǒ jiào) – My name is, and then say your name

You should use questions and phrases that show you’re taking an interest in the person you’re conversing with, thus… building guānxi . For example ,  吃饭了吗? ( chī fàn le ma? ) meaning “have you eaten yet?” is a commonly used phrase that can be used after a typical meal time.

If you already know something about their job or family, do   build that relationship by using 怎么样 ( zěnme yàng ) questions:

[Topic of interest] zěnme yàng ? – How’s [topic of interest]?

Topics of interest may include:

生意  ( shēngyì ) — Business, implying the person runs their own business

工作  ( gōngzuò ) — Work as an employee

家人  ( jiārén ) — Family members

父母  ( fùmǔ ) — Parents

孩子  ( háizi ) — Child or children

If you don’t know anything about them and it’s not around a meal time, just jump into the conversation !

At any point after you say your name, your Chinese will likely be complimented. To be polite, they’ll compliment your Chinese regardless of how good it is.

They recognize the challenge of learning a language since most have at least studied English in school, so saying your Chinese is good is a way to elevate you. It’s now your mission to humbly reject such a lofty compliment.

You’ll hear:

你的中文很好! ( nǐ de zhōngwén hěn hǎo! ) — Your Chinese is very good!

You should say:

哪里哪里 ( nǎlǐ nǎlǐ ) — Literally “Where? Where?” implying “I don’t see anyone around here who deserves such a compliment!”

没有  ( méi yǒu ) — Literally “don’t have,” implying you aren’t qualified for such a compliment

Don’t be afraid to admit:

我还在学习中文  ( wǒ hái zài xuéxí zhōngwén ) — I’m still learning Chinese.

我的中文不太好  ( wǒ de zhōngwén bú tài hǎo ) — My Chinese isn’t that great.

If you include a statement about your low Chinese level, it shouldn’t be the focal point of the sentence. For example, instead of “My Chinese isn’t that great,” you could say “Even though my Chinese isn’t that great, I’m happy to tell you a little bit about myself.”

If you can, deflect the compliment to someone else who really deserves it. This shows you know where the credit really goes. For example, after the other person compliments your Chinese, you could say:

让我的老师很高兴  ( ràng wǒ de lǎoshī hěn gāoxìng ) — That would make my teacher very happy.

A good self-introduction in Chinese needs to describe your essence. That all starts with your background: where you’re from, your family, your education, your work situation and even your income. All of this forms a large part of who you are, so this information is important to share with Chinese people.

Because conversations—especially the first one—are all about building  guānxi , the heart of the conversation starts immediately after exchanging names.

If someone asks:

你是哪里的? ( nǐ shì nǎlǐ de ?) — Where are you from?

你是哪个国家的? ( nǐ shì nǎge guójiā de? ) — What country are you from?

You can answer:

我是 ___ 的  ( wǒ shì ___  de ) — I’m from ___

我来自 ___ ( wǒ láizì ___) — I’m from ___

If you’re from the local area, you can say:

我是本地的 ( wǒ shì běndì de ) — I’m a local, literally “I’m from this place.”

If you ask them where they’re from (or vice versa) and the answer is a little ambiguous (most Chinese will just say “China”), you can say:

___ 哪里? (___ nǎli ?) — Where in ___?

The purpose of the “where you’re from” questions is really to understand what kind of environment you’re from, so you can use these kinds of words to help them paint a picture of you:

农村  ( nóngcūn ) — Rural area, literally “village”

小城  ( xiǎochéng ) — Small town

城市  ( chéngshì ) — Big city

If you want to explain how an environment may have influenced you even though you aren’t directly from there, you can add the word  附近 ( fùjìn ) — “nearby” after the description of where you’re from (e.g., chéngshì fùjìn – near a big city).

Family is so important in Chinese culture that the language has a specific word for almost every family relationship .

For example, in English we would say “cousin,” but in Chinese it’s “your mom’s older sister’s daughter,” which is completely different from”your mom’s younger sister’s daughter.” Understanding your family relationships will help a Chinese person learn about your values and traits.

Someone may ask you how your parents are doing:

你的父母怎么样? ( nǐ de fùmǔ zěnme yàng? ) — How are your parents?

To say your parents are doing well, you can say:

我的___还好 — ( wǒ de ___  hái hǎo ) — My ___ is/are doing well.

爸爸 ( bàba ) — Dad

妈妈  ( māma ) — Mom

You may also be asked if you have any brothers and sisters:

你有几个兄弟姐妹? ( nǐ yǒu jǐ ge xiōngdì jiěmèi? ) — How many siblings do you have?

To say how many brothers and sisters you have, you can say:

我有 how many 个 relationship . ( wǒ yǒu  how many  ge relationship) — I have [however many] of [a certain type of relationship.]

哥哥  ( gēge ) — Older brother

弟弟  ( dìdi ) — Younger brother

姐姐 ( jièjie ) — Older sister

妹妹  ( mèimei ) — Younger sister

You will likely be asked if you’re married:

你结婚了吗? ( nǐ jiéhūn le ma? ) — Are you married?

If you’re married, you can say  结婚了 ( jiéhūn le ) — I’m married.

If you’re dating, you can use the sibling sentence structure, minus the “how many” part:

男朋友  ( nán péngyou ) — Boyfriend

女朋友  ( nǚ péngyou ) — Girlfriend

You can use the sibling sentence structure for how many children you have also (if you’re married, you will be asked if you have children):

孩子  ( háizi ) — Child/children

儿子  ( érzi ) — Son

女儿  ( nǚér ) — Daughter

A person’s education and job situation reflect their current social status.

You might be asked:

你做什么工作? ( nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò? ) — What do you do for work?

是你的专业吗? ( shì nǐ de zhuānyè ma? ) — Is that your profession?

Note :  zhuānyè  literally means “profession,” but the concept generally implies that it was your major in college, as well.

You could reply:

我是 ___ ( wǒ shì ___) — I’m a ___

我做 ___ ( wǒ zuò ___) — I ___

我上(了)大学 ( wǒ shàng (le) dàxué ) — I attend(ed) a university.

自学的  ( zìxué de ) — I am self-taught.

Similar to your education and job situation, your income and your children’s grades tell about your present situation in caring for yourself and your family, as well as what kind of future you might have. If the conversation gets this far, you will be asked about it.

___ 怎么样? (___ zěnme yàng ?) — How’s ___?

___ 可以吗? (___ kěyǐ ma ?) — Is ___ good enough?

成绩 ( chéngjì ) — Grades

工资  ( gōngzī ) — Income

还可以 ( hái kěyǐ ) — “Not bad.” Like in English, the tone of your voice shows how “not bad” it is.

不错 ( bú cuò ) — Pretty good/hard to complain.

很好 ( hěn hǎo ) — Very good/satisfying.

These conversations typically happen over tea or food. Hospitality is a big part of Chinese culture, so even if it’s their first time meeting you, they’ll probably still invite you to tea or a meal . This shows their willingness to spend time with you and build  guānxi .

If you have the time, do accept their offer to have tea or food. This shows your willingness to spend time with them and build  guānxi .

They might say something like:  我们喝茶吧 ( wǒmen hē chá ba ) — Let’s have some tea

You should say:  好的 ( hǎo de ) or  可以 ( kěyǐ ) with a smile. Both phrases carry the “that sounds good” meaning, but without the smile, your willingness could be misunderstood as “I guess I have to.”

You should also ask for their phone number or WeChat information . If you have time for tea, ask for this contact info before you leave. If you don’t have time for tea, ask for it so you can make plans to meet again. This shows you view the relationship as worth continuing.

可以给你我的电话号码吗? ( kěyǐ gěi nǐ wǒ de diàn huà hào mǎ ma? ) — Could I give you my phone number?

我们加微信吧  ( wǒmen jiā wēixìn ba ) — Let’s add each other’s WeChat

Grammar note : Saying 吧 ( ba ) is very important. It means you’re suggesting something. If you don’t say “ba,” you’re telling them what to do.

For more formal relationships:  可以加您的微信吗? ( kěyǐ jiā nín de wēixìn ma ?) — Can I add your WeChat?

Grammar note : 吗 ( ma ) is a word that basically adds a question mark to a sentence. For formal relationships, you want to ask permission, not make a suggestion.

Most conversations between Chinese people don’t require the “Where are you from?” part because they take for granted that they’re from China. In those cases, they’ll skip straight from “What’s your name?” to “ What do you like to do? “

你喜欢做什么? ( nǐ xǐhuān zuò shénme? ) — What do you like to do?

我喜欢 ___ ( wǒ xǐhuān ___) — I like to ___

You may be asked how long you’ve had that hobby:

你什么时候开始___? ( nǐ shénme shíhou kāishǐ ___?) — When did you start doing ___?

You could respond:

我 ___ 岁开始  ( wǒ ___ suì kāishǐ ) — I started when I was ___

我从小喜欢  ( wǒ cóng xiǎo xǐhuān ) — I’ve liked it since I was little

我 when 有兴趣了 ( wǒ when  yǒuxìngqù le ) — I got interested at a certain time

At this point, it would be natural for you to volunteer why you like doing what you do:

我觉得好玩  ( wǒ juéde hǎo wán ) — I think it’s fun, a phrase you can use to express simple enjoyment

让我 ___ ( ràng wǒ ___) — It makes me feel a certain way, a phrase that expresses contentment

轻松  ( qīngsōng ) — Relaxed

高兴  ( gāoxìng ) – Happy

期待  ( qīdài ) — Also meaning “happy,” but from doing something exciting

给我 ___ ( gěi wǒ ___) — It gives me a certain feeling, a phrase to explain deeper reasons.

安全感  ( ānquángǎn ) — A sense of security

满足感  ( mǎnzúgǎn ) — A sense of satisfaction

成就感 ( chéngjiùgǎn ) — A sense of accomplishment

一点幸福感  ( yīdiǎn xìngfúgǎn ) — A small sense of happiness

Note : xìngfú is viewed as an ultimate goal in life, so if you reach xìngfú through your hobbies, they’ll probably think of you as a very shallow person, or they’ll conclude you have no idea what you’re talking about

At the beginning of the conversation, all you knew was the person’s name. You didn’t know anything else about them. Now, after this conversation, you know something about the person, and they know something about you. This is the time to say things such as:

很高兴认识你  ( hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ ) — It was nice to become acquainted with you, literally “I’m happy to have become acquainted with you.”

In a more formal, less developed relationship, you could say:

谢谢您的时间 ( xièxie nín de shíjiān ) — Thank you for your time. This is especially respectful if the meet-and-greet was short, implying they didn’t have a lot of time to give you to begin with.

If you want to consolidate what you’ve learned about Chinese introductions and conversations, you could try a language learning platform like FluentU to see how the above phrases and vocabulary work in practice.

In Chinese culture, there are certain things you should pay attention to in order to ensure that you are being respectful, such as particular aspects of your body language. Here are 12 tips to take note of:

1. The older a person is, the more respect they receive in Chinese culture. Calling someone who could be your grandma “grandma” is very well received, while calling her “aunty” may be viewed as insulting because her life experience wouldn’t be properly recognized.

2. Do shake hands when introducing yourself in business-relationship settings. This shows respect for the status of the other person.

3. However, do not shake hands when meeting a potential new friend at a coffee shop. You might feel it shows respect for the other person, but to them it doesn’t show respect for the equal-ness of the relationship. (Of course, the trump card for all of this handshake business is: do shake hands with anyone that wants a handshake, regardless of the situation.)

4. The goal of rejecting compliments is to take the focus off of you and your abilities. The other person will likely emphasize the compliment again. No matter how many times you hear it, reject it.

5. If you’re single, ask and talk about what you like to do with someone who’s the same gender as you, unless you’re looking to start a romantic relationship with the other person.

6. If you’re married, ask and talk about what you like to do with someone who’s the same gender as you, unless your significant other is there with you. A married person of the opposite sex having this conversation might be misunderstood as wanting an external relationship.

7. Don’t make constant eye contact in the conversation. This can be read as defiance, arrogance or even disrespect.

8. Do make casual eye contact in the conversation. This implies you’re both paying attention and thinking about what they’re saying.

9. Don’t talk about religion , politics , sexuality or any other topic with polarized opinions. Your goal is to find a common ground to build your  guānxi on, not to find reasons for conflict. Also, do not talk about death .

10. Don’t verbally take the initiative to break the relationship out of  nǐn.   Leave that for the other person. Ultimately, they know more about the culture than you do.

11. If you’re meeting someone over food or drinks, do fight for the bill when it comes time to pay. This is important because it shows you aren’t just taking advantage of their generosity. However, do let them pay the bill. This is a way to “give face” or 给面子 (gěi miàn zi ).

12. Do not  ask how they are by saying 你好吗 ? ( nǐ hǎo ma ?), which is the literal translation of “How are you?” The English “How are you?” doesn’t translate well , and the “How are you?”—”Good, and you?”—”Good” exchange doesn’t happen in Chinese.

If you just act with self-awareness and cultural respect, Chinese people will be very impressed.

If you want to continue learning Chinese with interactive and authentic Chinese content, then you'll love FluentU .

FluentU naturally eases you into learning Chinese language. Native Chinese content comes within reach, and you'll learn Chinese as it's spoken in real life.

FluentU has a wide range of contemporary videos—like dramas, TV shows, commercials and music videos.

FluentU App Browse Screen

FluentU brings these native Chinese videos within reach via interactive captions. You can tap on any word to instantly look it up. All words have carefully written definitions and examples that will help you understand how a word is used. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.

Interactive Transcripts on FluentU

FluentU's Learn Mode turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you're learning.

FluentU Has Quizzes for Every Video

The best part is that FluentU always keeps track of your vocabulary. It customizes quizzes to focus on areas that need attention and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a 100% personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

• U.S.& Canada： 1-800-791-9386
• Hong Kong： 800-902-058
• Australia： 1-800-779-835
• Singapore： 800-852-6935
• United Kingdom： 0-800-086-8969
• France： 0-805-080-689
• Germany： 0-800-180-0341
• Spain： 900-838-906

• Regular Chinese Lessons for Adults
• Survival Chinese Lessons
• Daily Chinese Lessons
• Business Chinese Lessons
• Survival Business Mandarin
• HSK Test Prep Course
• HSKK Test Prep Course
• Chinese Culture Lessons
• Industry-Specific Chinese Lessons
• Chinese Lessons for Job Interviews
• Chinese Business Etiquette
• Travel Chinese Lessons
• Chinese Lessons for Finance
• Medical Chinese Lessons
• Learn Chinese through Songs
• Chinese Lessons for Dating
• Chinese Lessons for International Trade
• Customized Chinese Classes for Adults
• Chinese Reading Course (Newspaper, Magazines and Internet)
• Learn Chinese through Movies and TV Programs
• C.TEST (Test of Practical Chinese) Prep Course
• BCT (Business Chinese Test) Prep Course
• Regular Chinese Lessons for Teens
• Chinese Lessons for Adoptive Families
• AP Chinese Lessons and Test Prep
• IB Chinese Tutorial Course
• SAT Ⅱ Chinese Test Preparation Course
• GCSE/IGCSE Chinese Lessons and Test Prep
• Chinese Courses for VCE Examinees
• YCT Writing Test Prep Course
• YCT Speaking Test Prep Course
• Learn Chinese through Cartoons, Movies and TV Programs
• Chinese Lessons for Heritage Learners
• Customized Chinese Lessons for Teens
• For Parents
• Regular Chinese Lessons for Kids
• Learn Chinese through Cartoons
• Customized Chinese Lessons for Kids
• Summer Chinese Program
• Solutions for Educational Institutions
• Corporate Training
• Chinese Immersion Program
• Free Assessment
• Our Students
• Teaching Method
• Certificates
• Partnerships
• How It Works
• Media Coverage
• Ask Jennifer
• Testimonials
• Third-Party Reviews for eChineseLearning
• "Family and Friends" Referral Program
• Test Prep Courses
• Videos by Students and Teachers
• Mandarin Resources
• Affiliate Program
• Chinese Input Method
• Email Inquiries: [email protected]
• Skype: service_eChineseLearning
• WeChat: eChineseLearningAC2

• Download eChineseLearning App

Top 7 ways for making self-introduction in Chinese

This lesson will teach you the 7 most common ways for making self-introduction in Chinese.

Let’s look at the following examples together, shall we?

    Wǒ xìng… 1. 我姓… My last name is…

Wǒ xìng Wáng. 我姓王。 My last name is Wang.    

Wǒ jiào… 2. 我叫… My first name is…

Wǒ jiào Xiǎohóng. 我叫小红。 My first name is Xiaohong.    

Wǒ jīnnián… suì. 3. 我今年…岁 This year I’m… years old.

Wǒ jīnnián èrshí suì. 我今年…岁。 This year I’m 20 years old.

    Wǒ lái zì… 4. 我来自… I’m from…

Wǒ lái zì Zhōngguó. 我来自中国。 I’m from China.

    Wǒ jiā yǒu… ge rén: … 5. 我家有…个 人：… My family has…members: …

Wǒ jiā yǒu sì ge rén: bàba, māma, dìdi hé wǒ. 我家有四个人：爸爸、妈妈、弟弟 和我。 My family has four members: dad, mum, young brother and me.

How to Talk About Your Family in Chinese?

    Wǒ shì yì míng… (zhíyè) 6. 我是一名…（职业） I’m a… (occupation)

Wǒ shì yì míng dàxuésheng. 我是一名大学生。 I’m a college student.

    Wǒ de àihào shì… 7. 我的爱好是… My hobbies are…

Wǒ de àihào shì chànggē, tiàowǔ hé lǚxíng. 我的爱好是唱歌、跳舞和旅行。 My hobbies are: singing, dancing and traveling.

Vocabulary:

职业 ( zhíyè ): n. occupation

爱好 ( àihào ): n. hobby How to Talk About Hobbies in Chinese?

旅行 ( lǚxíng ): n. travel A Step-by-Step Guide Video – How to Introduce Yourself in Chinese

Take a Quiz Now: Introducing Yourself – My Name Is Yao Ming. Bonus: Why Are Chinese Surnames So “贵(Guì)” Expensive? General Chinese (Beginner Level) General Chinese (Intermediate Level)

Related Posts

Chinese culture: origin of “元旦 (yuándàn) new year’s day”, china’s most valuable brand, a glimpse of china’s real estate market: a kfc story, mini-test answer: skirt (beginner), when hip-hop meets chinese stilts (beginner), a movie:《唐山大地震》(tángshān dà dìzhèn) tangshan earthquake (beginner), chinese character: 春 (chūn) spring (beginner), a chinese nursery rhyme for kids: the baby is sleeping (beginner), “harry potter” has a chinese name, do you (beginner), 商务座次礼仪 seating arrangement etiquette, 12 thoughts on “top 7 ways for making self-introduction in chinese”.

Thank you for sharing this article regarding making self introduction in Chinese! Loving it!

Nihao, laoshi. I am learning Zhongwen and I find this article very useful. Now I can make self introduction in Chinese. Thx! But my question is: are there any other ways to make self introduction in Chinese?

I have an essay competition in Chinese characters. I hope this helps me get the award. thank you

Thank you for sharing this article

Hi Prantush. Thank you for the comment. I’m glad you like this article. (*^__^*)

Hello chinese

Excellent method!!!

Like to learn chinese

I keep getting the information that my ID is wrong

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

The Guide to Writing Your First Mandarin Essay

When you want to be able to make writing your first Mandarin essay nice and easy, it pays to put plenty of thought and effort into the preparation. As the old saying goes ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail.’ To give you plenty of food for thought we’ve put together everything you need to know to get things moving. All you need to do is work through the following steps, and you’ll be submitting your essay in no time at all.

Check you understand the basics

There are so many things you have to think about when writing an essay, particularly when it’s not in your native language. But as with any cognitively demanding task, the process for getting started is always the same. Check you understand the following basics and you’ll be heading in the right direction:

• Do you know what the question means?
• Have you made a note of the final submission date?
• Make sure you read some past examples to get a feel for what’s expected of you
• Do you understand the question that has been set?
• Do you know who you can talk to if you need advice along the way?
• Are there any restrictions on the dialect you should be aware of?

Once you can write the answers to the above down on a single side of the paper, you are ready to tackle the main part of the problem: putting pen to paper.

Set aside time to write

The chances are that you’re not going to be able to pen the entire essay in a single sitting, and that’s okay. It’s nothing to be ashamed of or to worry about, and it’s natural that you need to work across multiple days when writing your first essay.

If you want to be able to make great progress, the most important thing is sticking to a routine. You need to have consistency in your application, and you need to be able to know when you are at your most productive. It’s no good staying up late one night and then carrying on early the next morning. You’d be far better off writing for the same amount of time but on two successive afternoons. Think about how your studies fit in with the rest of your daily life, and then choose the time that seems most appropriate. If you box it off and decide it’s only for writing, you’ll be in a great routine before you even know it.

Clear space so you can focus

As well as having time to write each day, you need a place to write too. The world is full of distractions (most of them are digital and social) so that means you’re going to want to keep yourself to yourself, and your phone in a different room. It might seem a little boring or uncomfortable at first, but you need to practice the habit of deep work. It’s what will allow you to create the most in the shortest time — ideal if you want to have plenty of time leftover to spend doing the other things that matter to you.

Have a daily word count in mind

Telling yourself that you want to write an essay today is one thing, but if you’re really going to push yourself to stick to your goal then you need to get quantitative. If you have a word count in mind that you need to hit, then it will prevent you from giving up and throwing in the towel the minute you start having to think and concentrate more than feels normal. Just like working out in the gym, it’s the temporary moments of extra effort that really drive the big differences. It’s when you’ll see the biggest improvement in your writing ability, and the lessons you teach yourself will stay with you for years to come. Ideal if you want to become a fluent Mandarin writer, as well as an engaging face-to-face speaker.

Read widely to provide context

When you’re immersed in an essay it can be all too easy to become blinkered and fail to pay attention to everything else that’s going on around you. Of course, you want to be focused on the task at hand, but you don’t want to be single-minded to the point of ignoring other great learning resources that are just a click away.

Reading widely is one of the best ways to improve your essay writing because it exposes you to techniques and approaches used by the best of the best. You’re not expected to be able to instantly write like a native speaker after an hour of reading. But what you will be able to do with consistent application is build up confidence and familiarity with written Mandarin. Over time this will reflect on the quality and depth of your writing as you gradually improve and take onboard lessons you’ve learned.

Take a break before you proofread

Last but not least, you need to remember that essay writing is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s all about taking the time to get things written before you hand them in, not racing through to try and finish on time. If you want to get the most out of your writing you need to take a day off between finishing your draft and proofing it. That way your brain will have had plenty of time to reflect on the work you’ve produced, and you’ll be able to spot many more little mistakes and places for improvement than you would if you proofed right away.

Final Thoughts

Writing Mandarin is a challenging task that will test your language skills and make you think hard about how to apply what you’ve learned so far. It might be slow going to begin with, but that’s great as it means you’re pushing your limits and building on your existing skills. If you want to be able to master Mandarin, you need to persevere and stay the course. Once you do, you’ll start to improve a lot faster than you expect.

By Diana Adjadj | A Super Chineasian

You may also like

Explore Earth: 10 Must-Know Chinese Words

Exploring 10 Food Words: Chinese Mandarin vs. Taiwanese Mandarin

A Cultural Journey: Exploring 5 Chinese Words Related To Qingming Festival

Tell your chineasy stories.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Copyright © 2024 Chineasy. All rights reserved.

Simple Self-introduction in Chinese

In this Chinese lesson, we’re going to go through a self-introduction template, which will cover the most common expressions you’ll need to introduce yourself.

Greetings & Opening remarks

(Lit. You good.)

One to a group

Hello everyone.

(Lit. Everyone good.)

Lead-in before your self-introduction

下面我来介绍一下我自己。

Xiàmiàn wǒ lái jièshào yíxià wǒ zìjǐ.

Next let me introduce (a little bit) myself.

Name or nickname

我 叫 + name。

Wǒ jiào + name.

My name is ___.

(Lit. I to be called__.)

Wǒ jiào Joyce.

My name is Joyce.

你/你们可以叫我 + nickname。

Nǐ/ Nǐmen kěyǐ jiào wǒ + nickname.

You can call me ___.

(Lit. You/ You(plural) can call me.)

Nǐmen kěyǐ jiào wǒ Jiājiā.

You can call me Jiajia.

大家都叫我 + nickname。

Dàjiā dōu jiào wǒ + nickname.

Everyone calls me ___.

(Lit. Everyone all calls me___.)

Dàjiā dōu jiào wǒ Jiā jiā.

Everyone calls me Jiajia.

我是 ___ + nationality ___ 。

Wǒ shì + nationality ___.

I am______.

Wǒ shì Zhōngguó rén.

I am Chinese.

Wǒ shì Měiguó rén.

I'm American.

我来自+ place。

Wǒ láizì + place.

I come from_____.

Wǒ láizì Shǎnxī Xī'ān.

I am from Xi'an, Shaanxi.

Wǒ láizì Měiguó Niǔyuē.

I am from New York, USA.

我在 + place + 出生，但是我在 + place + 长大。

Wǒ zài + place + chūshēng, dànshì wǒ zài + place + zhǎngdà.

I was born in ____, but I grew up in___.

(Lit. I in ___to be born, but I in _____grow up.)

我在美国出生，但是我在澳大利亚长大。

Wǒ zài Měiguó chūshēng, dànshì wǒ zài Àodàlìyà zhǎngdà.

I was born in the United States, but I grew up in Australia.

(Lit. I in the United States to be born, but I in Australia to grow up.)

我在 + place + 住了+ time period +了。

Wǒ zài + place + zhùle + time period + le.

I’ve been living in___for___.

(Lit. I in___have lived____.)

Wǒ zài Xiānggǎng zhùle shí nián le.

I’ve lived in Hong Kong for 10 years.

Education Background

我 在+ place + 读 + degree。

Wǒ zài + place + dú + degree.

I’m studying___in____.

(Lit. I in/at____to read___.)

Wǒ zài Zhōngguó dú dàxué.

I’m studying for a bachelor degree in China.

(Lit. I in China read university.)

Wǒ zài Měiguó dú yánjiūshēng.

I’m studying for a master’s degree in the United States.

(Lit. I in the United States read master degree.)

Wǒ xuéxí ___ zhuānyè.

I major in___.

(Lit. I study____major.)

Wǒ xuéxí jiàoyù zhuānyè.

I major in Education.

(Lit. I study Education major.)

Wǒ xuéxí jīnróng zhuānyè.

I major in Finance.

(Lit. I study Finance major.)

Current Job

我在 + place + 做 + occupation。

Wǒ zài + place + zuò + occupation.

I work as___in___.

(Lit. I at___to do___.)

Wǒ zài lǚxíngshè zuò dǎoyóu.

I work as a tour guide in a travel agency.

(Lit. I at travel agency do tour guide.)

Wǒ zài cāntīng zuò fúwùyuán.

I work as a waiter in a restaurant.

(Lit. I at restaurant do waiter.)

我是做 + sth. + 的。

Wǒ shì zuò + sth. + de.

I work as___.

(Lit. I do___.)

Wǒ shì zu xiāoshòu de.

I work in sales.

(Lit. I do sales.)

Wǒ shì zu jīnróng de.

I’m in the finance industry.

(Lit. I do finance.)

我是一名 + occupation。

Wǒ shì yì míng + occupation.

I’m a_____.

E.g. 我是一名汉语老师。

Wǒ shì yì míng Hànyǔ lǎoshī.

I’m a Chinese teacher.

Wǒ shì yì míng gōngchéngshī.

I’m an engineer.

Interests and Hobbies

我（超级/特别/最）喜欢_noun / verb_。

Wǒ (chāojí/tèbié/zuì) xǐhuan ___.

I like___very much.

Lit. I (super/particularly/ the most) like ___.

Wǒ chāojí xǐhuan xuéxí wàiyǔ.

I like learning foreign languages very much.

Wǒ tèbié xǐhuan jiāo péngyou.

I particularly like to make friends.

Wǒ zuì xǐhuan zuò fàn.

I like cooking the most.

我对__sth._很感兴趣。

Wǒ duì ___ hěn gǎn xìngqù.

I’m interested in__.

Lit. I towards ___ very interested.

Wǒ duì yìshù hěn gǎn xìngqù.

I’m very interested in art.

(Lit. I towards art very interested.)

我对中国历史很感兴趣。

Wǒ duì Zhōngguó lìshǐ hěn gǎn xìngqù.

I’m very interested in history.

(Lit. I towards Chinese history very interested.)

Self-evaluation

我是一个 _description_ 的人。

Wǒ shì yíge _description_ de rén.

Lit. I am a ______ person.

Wǒ shì yíge hěn kāilǎng de rén.

I’m an extroverted person.

Wǒ shì yí ge hěn hàixiū de rén.

I’m a shy person.

我的朋友们都说______。

Wǒ de péngyoumen dōu shuō ______。

My friends all say that_____.

我的朋友们都说我是一个很害羞的人。

Wǒ de péngyoumen dōu shuō wǒ shì yí ge hěn hàixiū de rén.

My friends all say that I’m a shy person.

Concluding words

很高兴认识你/你们/大家。

Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ/nǐmen/dàjiā.

Nice to meet you/you(plural)/everyone.

Qǐng duōduō zhǐjiào.

Please do give me some guidance.

One possible self-introduction template, creat your own from now on!

大家好。我叫 + name。我的朋友们都叫我 + nickname。我来自+ place。

Dàjiā hǎo. Wǒ jiào___. Wǒ de péngyoumen dōu jiào wǒ__.  Wǒ láizì ____.

Hello everyone. My name is__. My friends call me__. I come from______.

我在+place+ 住了+ time period + 了。我是一名+ occupation。我特别喜欢+ interests。

Dàjiā hǎo. Wǒ jiào___. Wǒ de péngyoumen dōu jiào wǒ____. Wǒ láizì ____.

I’ve been living in____for____. I’m a_____. I particularly like______.

我的朋友们都说 + description by your friends。很高兴认识你们。请多多指教。

Wǒ de péngyǒumen dōu shuō_______. Hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐmen. Qǐng duōduō zhǐjiào.

My friends all say that______. Nice to meet you all. I'd highly appreciate your kind guidance.

You Might Also Like

Chinese Lesson: Shopping for Clothes in Chinese – Speak Chinese Fluently

HSK 2 Vocabulary List (Full Lesson): 150 Basic Chinese Words Review

13 Ways to Say No in Chinese Like a Native Speaker

6 Chinese Words and Structures for Self-Introduction

Apr 19, 2022 | Chinese Language

The Most Useful Chinese Words and Structures to Introduce Yourself in Chinese

Imagine such a scenario, you’ve just arrived in China and you want to make some Chinese friends in order to know more about local people’s daily lives. As we all know, in order to make friends with other people, you will first need to introduce yourself. Well, if you would like to make friends with Chinese people, it will be a good idea to learn how to introduce yourself in Chinese so that you could more or less impress your “potential friends”. In this article, we would like to teach you six words and structures you need in order to introduce yourself in Chinese.

Chinese Words and Structures to Introduce Yourself

1. Greetings

你好! Nǐ hǎo Hello!You can start with the word “你好 (nǐ hǎo)” if you would like to learn how to introduce yourself in Chinese. This is the most common word Chinese people use when they start to introduce themselves. In this word, “你 (nǐ)” means “you”, and “好 (hǎo)” means “good”. Hence, the literal meaning of this Chinese word is “you good”. What’s hidden behind this word is probably that when Chinese people say hi to you, they also hope everything is going well with you.

2. I am …

我是 … Wǒ shì … I am + name

This is the key structure that you need in order to introduce yourself in Chinese. The character “是 (shì)” means “am/is/are”, and the meaning of this structure is “I am……”. You can add your name to this structure when you want to introduce yourself in Chinese. Here is an example to help you better understand how to use this structure:

我是Andy。 Wǒ shì Andy. I’m Andy.

What you need to bear in mind is that Chinese people state their full names (surname + given name) instead of just saying their given names when they introduce themselves. In addition, a person’s surname comes before his or her given name. For example:

我是李强。 Wǒ shì Lǐ Qiáng. I’m Li Qiang.

In the name “李强 (Lǐ Qiáng)”, “李 (Lǐ)” is this person’s surname, whereas “强 (Qiáng)” stands for the given name.

3. My name is …

我叫 … Wǒ jiào … My name is + name

This is another way to tell other people your name when you introduce yourself in Chinese. “叫 (jiào)” means “to call”, therefore, the literal meaning of this structure is “I’m called/My name is……”. Again you can directly add your name to this structure when you introduce yourself in Chinese.

你好，我叫Emily。 Nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào Emily。 Hello, my name is Emily.

4. I’m from …

我是 … Wǒ shì … I’m + nationality.

When you introduce yourself in Chinese, you probably also want to tell other people where you come from. In Chinese, “name of the country + 人 (rén)” represents a person’s nationality, and the character “人 (rén)” means “people”. Let’s take a look at some examples to help you better understand this structure:

我是美国人。 Wǒ shì Měi guó rén. I’m American.

我是英国人。 Wǒ shì Yīng guó rén. I’m British.

我是日本人。 Wǒ shì Rì běn rén. I’m Japanese.

In these three examples, “美国 (Měiguó)”, “英国 (Yīngguó)” and “日本 (Rìběn)” mean “America”, “Britain” and “Japan” respectively.

Chinese Words and Structures to Talk About Your Occupation and Age

1. My occupation

我是 … Wǒ shì … I’m a + profession

Sometimes you might also want to tell other people what you do for a living when you introduce yourself in Chinese. It’s very similar to how you tell others your nationality, and what you need to do is replace your nationality by your profession.

我是老师。 Wǒ shì lǎoshī. I’m a teacher.

我是工程师。 Wǒ shì gōngchéngshī. I’m an engineer. Vocabulary:

老师 lǎoshī teacher

工程师 gōngchéngshī engineer

我 + … + 岁 。 Wǒ + … + suì. I’m … years old.

It’s not acceptable to ask people’s age in most western countries. However, you can use this structure in case you want to mention your age when you introduce yourself in Chinese. The word “岁 (suì)” can be translated as “year(s) old”.

我二十岁。 Wǒ èrshí suì. I’m twenty years old.

I hope you’ve learned a little bit more about self-introduction. To find out more interesting and useful vocabulary, check out one of our blog posts 7 Things About Chinese Culture First-time Travelers Should Know

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Submit Comment

Other posts you might like

5 Small Talk Phrases in Chinese

Apr 27, 2022 | Chinese Language

Some of the Chinese phrases people use are a bit different from what you might’ve expected. Learn 5 most useful small talk phrases in Chinese.

How to Describe 5 Types of Weather in Chinese

Apr 21, 2022 | Chinese Language

Useful Vocabulary to Describe 5 Types of Weather in ChinesePeople from Britain often start a conversation by talking about the weather 天气 (tiānqì). Chinese people are not partial to discussions related to the weather. However, what might surprise you is that the...

7 Common Chinese Phrases to Express Wishes

Useful Common Chinese Phrases to Express Wishes Courtesy plays an important role in Chinese culture. Chinese people express wishes to their friends and relatives during the New Year holiday. Meanwhile, they also do that on different festival-related occasions. As many...

Get 2-week FREE Chinese Classes

Original Price:  ¥ 600

30+ Ways To Know How To Introduce Yourself In Chinese For Any Occasion

The ability to present yourself effectively forms the bedrock of successful communication, making it an indispensable tool in your linguistic arsenal.

If the question, 'How to introduce yourself in Chinese,' has been on your mind, you have arrived at the right place.

This comprehensive guide is designed to help you grasp the basics and understand the subtle nuances that make self-introduction in Chinese a fascinating skill to learn and master.

Whether you're starting with ' nǐ hǎo ' (你好) or are an advanced learner, this guide will provide invaluable insights that will have you impress your new Chinese friends. With consistent practice, patience, and this guide, you will soon be able to introduce yourself in Chinese easily and confidently.

Without further ado, let's get started!

Build up your Chinese vocabulary 📈 Level up your Chinese skills with Pandanese's SRS and mnemonic-powered flashcards Let’s get started

The script: how to introduce yourself in Chinese

Step 1. Say a Chinese greeting

Start any conversation with a friendly greeting. A common and versatile way to say "hello" in Chinese is 你好 ( Nǐ hǎo ), which translates to "you're good." It's equivalent to the English "hi" or "hello."

We actually have a whole article about greetings in Chinese, so take a look for a more in-depth conversation: Chinese Greetings—The Complete Guide to Greeting Anyone at Any Time in Chinese .

Here’s a common Chinese introduction script to say hi, your name, and where you’re from

Step 2. Say your name in Chinese

When asked, "What's your name?" in Chinese, you can reply with "我叫..." ( Wǒ jiào ... ) followed by your name. For example, " 我叫 威廉" ( Wǒ jiào Wēi lián ) means " My name is William."

For a more formal introduction, use "我的名字叫..." ( Wǒ de míngzi jiào ... ) before stating your name.

Alternatively, you can say, "我是..." ( Wǒ shì .. .) followed by your name, which translates to " I am .. ." and is an easier way to introduce yourself.

Then to ask for the other person's name, you can use "你呢？" ( nǐ ne ) for informal situations or “您呢？” ( nín ne ) for formal situations, both meaning "and you?"

Step 3. Express pleasure to meet them

After exchanging names, express your delight in meeting the person by saying "很高兴认识你" ( Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ ), which means "Nice to meet you." 

For a more formal setting, use "很高兴认识您" ( Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nín ).

Remember to smile, maintain eye contact, and offer a firm handshake to show your friendliness and respect.

10 unique phrases to introduce yourself in Chinese

Mastering the art of 'how to introduce yourself in Chinese' is more than merely uttering your name or age. It's an integral step in Chinese culture as it's your first step to fostering relationships and earning mutual respect.

Next, let's move on to more complete ways that will help you complete a self-introduction.

In a general context, let's dive into 10 handy sentences that can equip you to introduce yourself in Chinese with finesse:

1. " Nǐ hǎo, wǒ de míngzi shì ..." (你好，我的名字是...)

Start with the basic greeting " nǐ hǎo " (你好), which means "hello." Then follow it up with " wǒ de míngzi shì " (我的名字是), meaning "my name is."

For example, " Nǐ hǎo, wǒ de míngzi shì Tom " translates to "Hello, my name is Tom."

2. " Wǒ lái zì... " (我来自...)

When you want to share where you're from, use " wǒ lái zì " (我来自) followed by your hometown or country.

If you are from America, you can say, " Wǒ lái zì Měiguó " (我来自美国).

3. " Wǒ shì yì míng ..." (我是一名...)

This phrase is perfect for stating your profession.

For instance, " Wǒ shì yì míng yīshēng " (我是一名医生) translates to "I am a doctor."

4. " Wǒ zài...xuéxí " (我在...学习)

To express where you're studying, use the phrase " wǒ zài...xuéxí " (我在...学习).

So if you're studying at Beijing University, you'd say, " Wǒ zài Běijīng dàxué xuéxí " (我在北京大学学习).

5. " Wǒ de àihào shì ..." (我的爱好是...)

This phrase is to share your hobbies. Say, " wǒ de àihào shì " (我的爱好是), followed by your hobby.

For example, " Wǒ de àihào shì tīng yīnyuè " (我的爱好是听音乐) means "My hobby is listening to music."

6. " Wǒ xìng ..." (我姓...)

In Chinese, the family name or surname comes first, which is why the phrase " wǒ xìng " (我姓), followed by your surname, is a crucial part of introductions.

For instance, " Wǒ xìng Li " (我姓李) translates to "My surname is Li."

7. " Wǒ zài...gōngzuò " (我在...工作)

This phrase allows you to share your work location. It can also be used to express the company that you are working at.

For example, " Wǒ zài Yīngguó gōngzuò " (我在英国工作) means "I work in England."

8. " Wǒ shì...suì " (我是...岁)

To share your age, use " Wǒ shì...suì " (我是...岁) and any Chinese numbers .

So if you're 25, you'd say, " Wǒ shì 25 suì " (我是25岁).

9. " Wǒ shì ..." (我是...)

" Wǒ shì " (我是) can also be used to specify your gender. " Wǒ shì nǚshēng " (我是女生) means "I am a female."

10. " Wǒ shì...rén " (我是...人)

Indicate your nationality using this phrase.

For example, " Wǒ shì zhōngguó rén " (我是中国人) means "I am a Chinese person."

General notes on Chinese introductions

Now that you have the basic information on how to introduce yourself in Chinese, it's crucial to understand cultural contexts.

a. Age plays an information rule.

In contrast to many Western cultures, it's not uncommon for someone to ask about your age early in a conversation. 

In Chinese society, age plays a pivotal role in defining the hierarchical structure of relationships, influencing the respect one should show to another. Consequently, such questions are optional but necessary for establishing rapport and respect.

b. Be patient and polite.

Patience and politeness are integral aspects of introducing yourself in Chinese.

Building a conversation requires time, so it's essential to exercise patience when trying to make a good impression. On the other hand, politeness can be reflected in how you listen attentively, show respect towards the other person's opinions, and express gratitude for their time and attention.

c. Be aware of any cultural sensitivity and insights.

Developing a basic understanding of Chinese culture will significantly improve your communication with Chinese friends. 

This understanding can range from knowing when to bow or shake hands, understanding how to address someone by their correct title, to showing appreciation for Chinese traditions and history.

d. Know the non-verbal cues.

Body language is another crucial factor to consider. Maintaining eye contact while speaking, giving affirmative nods to show that you are listening, and having a relaxed yet respectful posture can positively influence your interactions.

13 phrases to introduce yourself for a Chinese date

If you are preparing for a date and you want to introduce yourself in Chinese, here are 13 sentences to help you impress:

1. " Nǐ hǎo, hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ " (你好，很高兴认识你)

When introducing yourself on a date, this phrase adds a bit of charm to your greeting.

For example, " Nǐ hǎo, hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ " (你好，很高兴认识你) translates to "Hello, nice to meet you."

2. " Wǒ ài..., nǐ ne ?" (我爱...，你呢？)

This phrase is useful when you want to share your likes and ask your date about their preferences.

" Wǒ ài pǔtáojiǔ, nǐ ne? " (我爱葡萄酒，你呢？) translates to "I love wine, and you?"

3. " Wǒ lái zì..., nǐ ne? " (我来自...，你呢？)

Talking about where you come from can be a great conversation starter. " Wǒ lái zì Fǎguó, nǐ ne? " (我来自法国，你呢？) means "I come from France, and you?"

4. " Wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ yìqǐ cānguān zhège bówùguǎn " (我想跟你一起参观这个博物馆)

If you're planning to visit a museum with your date, you can say, " Wǒ xiǎng gēn nǐ yìqǐ cānguān zhège bówùguǎn " (我想跟你一起参观这个博物馆), which means "I would like to visit this museum with you."

5. " Nǐ xǐhuān kàn diànyǐng ma? " (你喜欢看电影吗?)

This phrase is great for asking your date if they enjoy watching movies.

" Nǐ xǐhuān kàn diànyǐng ma? " (你喜欢看电影吗?) means "Do you like watching movies?"

6. " Nǐ xǐhuān tīng shénme yīnyuè? " (你喜欢听什么音乐?)

Music can be a great conversation starter. Use this phrase to ask your date what kind of music they like. It means, "What kind of music do you like?"

7. " Wǒ kěyǐ qǐng nǐ hē yì bēi kāfēi ma? " (我可以请你喝一杯咖啡吗?)

This phrase is perfect for inviting your date for a cup of coffee.

" Wǒ kěyǐ qǐng nǐ hē yì bēi kāfēi ma? " (我可以请你喝一杯咖啡吗?) translates to "May I invite you for a cup of coffee?"

8. " Wǒ kěyǐ qǐng nǐ wǎncān ma? " (我可以请你晚餐吗?)

This phrase is ideal for asking your date to dinner. It translates to "May I invite you for dinner?"

9. " Nǐ yǒu shénme tèbié de àihào? " (你有什么特别的爱好?)

Hobbies can tell a lot about a person. Use this phrase to ask about your date's unique hobbies. It means, "What special hobbies do you have?"

10. "Nǐ xǐhuān kàn shénme shū?" (你喜欢看什么书?)

This phrase can be useful if you are interested in your date's reading preferences. It translates to "What kind of books do you like?"

11. " Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? " (你叫什么名字?)

After introducing your name, you can also ask the other party for their name.

This phrase translates to "What is your name?"

12. " Nǐ zhù zài nǎli? " (你住在哪里?)

To know where someone is staying, you can ask them this phrase: "Nǐ zhù zài nǎli?" (你住在哪里?) which roughly translates to "Where do you stay?" 

If you ask this question through online dating platforms, the other person will likely reply with the city they stay in.

13. " Nǐ zuò shénme gōngzuò? " (你做什么工作?)

Asking a potential partner's profession is also common during the first date.

This sentence "你做什么工作?" translates to "What is your profession?"

Notes on Chinese dating etiquette

In the context of a date, understanding Chinese dating etiquette is vital. Men are often expected to take the lead in asking questions, planning the date, and paying the bill.

However, these expectations can vary based on personal preferences and modern dating norms. Politeness, honesty, and modesty are universally valued in the Chinese dating scene .

Avoid controversial topics, respect their customs and family, and show genuine interest in getting to know them.

a. Taking initiative

Men are often expected to take the lead in various aspects of the date. This action could involve asking questions to keep the conversation flowing, planning the date, and even paying the bill. However, these traditional expectations are not hard and fast rules and can vary based on personal preferences and modern dating norms.

b. Respect their customs and family:

Chinese culture holds family values in high regard. Therefore, it's essential to be respectful of their customs and family. This action could mean showing interest when they speak about their family or understanding their participation in traditional family gatherings and celebrations.

c. Show genuine interest:

Finally, show genuine interest in getting to know them. This action could involve asking about their hobbies using phrases like " Nǐ xǐhuān zuò shénme " (你喜欢做什么?), meaning "What do you like to do?" or expressing curiosity about their preferences in music, food, or books.

Revamp Your Flashcard Experience👾 Break down characters, create mnemonics, and conquer Mandarin like a pro! Explore Now

9 professional phrases to introduce yourself in Chinese in a business setting

Understanding how to introduce yourself in Chinese in a business environment is crucial. Here are 10 business phrases to help introduce yourself and network:

1. " Nǐn hǎo, wǒ de míngzi shì... " (您好，我的名字是...)

Politeness is paramount in a professional setting. Use the formal " nǐn hǎo " (您好), meaning "hello," instead of the more casual " nǐ hǎo ."

For example, " Nǐn hǎo, wǒ de míngzi shì James " (您好，我的名字是James) translates to "Hello, my name is James."

2. " Wǒ shì...gōngsī de... " (我是...公司的...)

It's often important to mention your company affiliation and role within it.

So, " Wǒ shì Apple gōngsī de CEO " (我是Apple公司的CEO) translates to "I am the CEO of Apple."

3. " Wǒ zài...fēn gōngsī gōngzuò " (我在...分公司工作)

To specify your work location, use " Wǒ zài...fēn gōngsī gōngzuò " (我在...分公司工作).

For example, " Wǒ zài Zhōngguó fēn gōngsī gōngzuò " (我在中国分公司工作) means "I work in the China branch."

4. " Wǒ de gōngsī wèiyú... " (我的公司位于...)

To express the location of your company, use " Wǒ de gōngsī wèiyú... " (我的公司位于...).

For example, " Wǒ de gōngsī wèiyú Shànghǎi " (我的公司位于上海) means "My company is located in Shanghai."

5. " Wǒmén gōngsī zhuānyè yú... " (我们公司专业于...)

To express your company's area of expertise, use " Wǒmén gōngsī zhuānyè yú... " (我们公司专业于...).

For example, " Wǒmén gōngsī zhuānyè yú jìsuànjī kēxué " (我们公司专业于计算机科学) means "Our company specializes in computer science."

6. " Wǒmén gōngsī de zhǔyào chǎnpǐn shì... " (我们公司的主要产品是...)

When talking about your company's main product, use " Wǒmén gōngsī de zhǔyào chǎnpǐn shì... " (我们公司的主要产品是...).

For instance, " Wǒmen gōngsī de zhǔyào chǎnpǐn shì diànnǎo " (我们公司的主要产品是电脑) translates to "Our company's main product is computers."

7. " Wǒ de zhuānyè shì... " (我的专业是...)

When discussing your field of expertise, use " Wǒ de zhuānyè shì... " (我的专业是...).

For instance, " Wǒ de zhuānyè shì jìsuànjī kēxué " (我的专业是计算机科学) means "My specialty is computer science."

8. " Wǒ de yèwù fànchóu bāokuò... " (我的业务范畴包括...)

This phrase allows you to detail the scope of your work.

" Wǒ de yèwù fànchóu bāokuò... " (我的业务范畴包括...) translates to "My business scope includes..."

9. " Wǒ yǐqián gōngzuò zài... " (我以前工作在...)

This phrase allows you to discuss your past work experience.

It translates to "I used to work at..."

5 Chinese business etiquette notes

Navigating Chinese business introductions requires a blend of cultural knowledge, linguistic ability, and an understanding of professional etiquette .

Here are some critical points to consider while making business introductions:

a. Use formal language:

In Chinese business culture, formal language is often used to show respect. This action includes using formal versions of sentences, professional titles, and polite expressions.

Remember, the phrase " wǒ shì " (我是), meaning "I am," is usually followed by your professional title and full name.

b. Exchange of business cards:

Business cards are highly valued in China, and their exchange is a significant part of the introduction process. When receiving a business card, use both hands to show respect. Please take a moment to read it carefully before placing it in a cardholder or a safe place.

c. Respect the hierarchy:

Like the general cultural norm, age, and hierarchical position significantly influence interactions in Chinese business culture. Make sure to greet the senior-most person first and always show due respect to individuals with higher positions.

d. Achieve brevity and clarity:

While making self-introductions in business contexts, be concise and clear. Chinese business professionals appreciate brevity and directness. Hence, your introduction could include your name, your role, and the organization you represent, followed by a brief overview of your business goals.

e. Remember the importance of titles:

Chinese people often prefer being addressed by their titles instead of their first names, particularly in professional settings. Therefore, remember to use their correct titles, such as " lǎoshī " (老师) for a teacher or " zhǔrèn " (主任) for a director.

BONUS: Chinese vocabulary list related to introductions

General chinese introductions etiquette for first impressions.

Understanding Chinese culture can help when you introduce yourself in Chinese. Chinese people heavily value respect and formality during first-time introductions, which are usually accompanied by a handshake or, occasionally, a slight bow.

So, refrain from making prolonged eye contact as it might be perceived as challenging or disrespectful.

a. Emphasize respect

Expressing respect toward the other person is vital when introducing yourself in Chinese. This action can be done using polite phrases such as " qǐngwèn " (请问), which translates to "May I ask."

b. Practice humility

I n Chinese culture, humility is a prized trait. When introducing yourself, remember to downplay your achievements. Use phrases such as " wǒ hái zài xuéxí " (我还在学习), meaning "I am still learning," to express modesty.

c. Give compliments

Chinese culture encourages giving compliments during introductions. However, make sure your compliments are sincere and appropriately timed.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What is the common response after a self-introduction.

Typically, after someone introduces themselves, the other person responds with " hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ " (很高兴认识你), which translates to "nice to meet you."

Is it common to mention your age during introductions in China?

In casual settings, it might be common, especially among young people. However, mentioning age is only typical if relevant in a professional or formal business setting.

Should I bow when introducing myself in China?

In China, a slight nod or bow is common when greeting someone, especially in a formal setting. However, a handshake is also acceptable, especially in business settings.

How should I introduce myself to a group in China?

When introducing yourself to a group in China, start by greeting everyone and then introduce yourself. Remember to maintain eye contact with everyone as you speak.

For example, " Dàjiā hǎo, wǒ de míngzi shì... " (大家好，我的名字是...), which translates to "Hello everyone, my name is..."

Should I use my English name or Chinese name when introducing myself?

That depends on the situation. If you introduce yourself to Chinese individuals who may have difficulty pronouncing foreign names, you should use a Chinese name.

However, using your English name with Chinese pronunciation is also acceptable.

Wrapping it up

Congratulations ! Whether it's to meet new friends, go on a date, or for professional networking, knowing how to introduce yourself in Chinese is an important step to making connections and building up how to speak Chinese with confidence.

Practice these phrases to impress your colleagues and impress them with your Chinese language skills.

Each step in learning Chinese brings you closer to understanding a fascinating culture, making new Chinese friends, and gaining a valuable skill that opens up a world of opportunities.

Jing You is a Chinese native who grew up in the Fujian province and soaked in the Chinese culture while living with her grandparents. She later moved to Singapore to pursue further education. However, she has always been passionate about the Mandarin language despite being in an environment that speaks English predominantly. She was involved in multiple Mandarin and Chinese culture programmes in schools, and brought this passion forward by tutoring elementary school students Mandarin in her adulthood.

About Pandanese Learn over 6,000 Hanzi with Pandanese’s Chinese characters flashcards with our easy mnemonic stories and SRS system to build your Chinese vocabulary. Open the dashboard

The easiest way to learn Chinese & build vocabulary

Master Chinese Self-Introductions – The Casual & Formal Way!

In Beginner Tutorials , Common Chinese Questions , How to , Practical Chinese Phrases by Angel Huang March 9, 2023

Want to get better at introducing yourself in Chinese?

This lesson is for you!

Summary Of Self-Introductions  in Chinese  From The Video Above

Introduce yourself casually :.

hā lóu！ dà jiā hǎo！

Hello! Hi everyone!

wǒ jiào Angel ， zhōng wén míng jiào huáng tiān shǐ . nǐ men kě yǐ jiào wǒ tiān tiān .

我叫Angel，中文名叫黄天使. 你们可以叫我天天。

My name is Angel . My Chinese name is Huang Tianshi . You can call me Tiantian .

wǒ shì shàng hǎi rén . wǒ shì yú jiā chū jí zhě .

我是 上海人 。我是 瑜伽初级者 。

I'm Shanghainese . I am a beginner in yoga .

chú le zuò yú jiā ， wǒ hái xǐ huan hōng péi .

除了 做瑜伽 ，我还喜欢 烘培 。

Besides doing yoga , I also like to bake .

wǒ de péng you men dōu shuō wǒ zuò de tián diǎn hěn hǎo chī . xī wàng yǐ hòu yǒu jī huì ràng dà jiā lái cháng cháng wǒ zuò de tián diǎn .

我的朋友们都说 我做的甜点很好吃 。希望以后有机会 让大家来尝尝我做的甜点 。

My friends say my desserts are delicious . I hope that you will all have the chance to try my desserts in the future .

rèn shi dà jiā zhēn hǎo!

Nice to meet you!

Introduce yourself formally:

dà jiā hǎo！

wǒ xìng huáng . wǒ de míng zi jiào huáng tiān shǐ . nǐ men kě yǐ chēng hū wǒ huáng lǎo shī . wǒ shì jiào xué bù xīn lái de hàn yǔ lǎo shī .

我姓 黄 。我的名字叫 黄天使 。你们可以称呼我 黄老师 。我是 教学 部新来的 汉语老师 。

My surname is Huang . My name is Huang Tianshi . You can call me Ms. Huang . I am a new Chinese teacher in the teaching department.

wǒ lái zì zhōng guó shàng hǎi .

I am from Shanghai, China .

wǒ zài dà xué lǐ dú de zhuān yè shì duì wài hàn yǔ jiào yù .

我在大学里读的专业是 对外汉语教育 。

My major in university was teaching Chinese as a foreign language .

wǒ cóng shì hàn yǔ jiào xué gōng zuò shí duō nián le.

我从事 汉语教学 工作 十多 年了。

I have been teaching Chinese for more than ten years.

chú le hàn yǔ jiào xué ， wǒ hái duì lǐ cái tóu zī hěn gǎn xìng qù.

除了 汉语教学 ，我还对 理财投资 很感兴趣。

Besides teaching Chinese , I am also very interested in financial management and investment .

hěn gāo xìng rèn shí dà jiā.

Nice to meet you.

qǐng duō duō zhǐ jiào.

I appreciate your advice and guidance.

gǎn xiè dà jiā！

Thank you everyone!

You might also find these posts interesting:

23 Essential Chinese Question Words and 100 Super Common Questions to Fluency

What To Say When You Don’t Understand Someone In Mandarin Chinese

5 Funny Chinese Mistakes to Avoid – Chinese Pronunciation Lesson (Part 2)

Improve Chinese Essay Writing- A Complete How to Guide

• Last updated: June 6, 2019
• Learn Chinese

Writing can reflect a writer’s power of thought and language organization skills. It is critical to master Chinese writing  if you want to take your Chinese to the next level. How to write good Chinese essays? The following six steps will improve Chinese essay writing:

Before You Learn to Improve Chinese Essay Writing

Before you can write a good essay in Chinese, you must first be accustomed with Chinese characters. Unlike English letters, Chinese characters are hieroglyphs, and the individual strokes are different from each other. It is important to be comfortable with writing Chinese characters in order to write essays well in Chinese. Make sure to use Chinese essay writing format properly. After that, you will be ready to improve Chinese essay writing.

Increase Your Chinese Words Vocabulary

With approximately 100,000 words in the Chinese language, you will need to learn several thousand words just to know the most common words used. It is essential to learn as many Chinese words as possible if you wish to be a good writer. How can you enlarge your vocabulary? Try to accumulate words by reading daily and monthly. Memory is also very necessary for expanding vocabulary. We should form a good habit of exercising and reciting as more as we can so that to enlarge vocabulary. Remember to use what you have learned when you write in Chinese so that you will continually be progressing in your language-learning efforts.

Acquire Grammar,Sentence Patterns and Function Words

In order to hone your Chinese writing skills , you must learn the grammar and sentence patterns. Grammar involves words, phrases, and the structure of the sentences you form. There are two different categories of Chinese words: functional and lexical. Chinese phrases can be categorized as subject-predicate phrases (SP), verb-object phrases (VO), and co-ordinate phrases (CO). Regarding sentence structure, each Chinese sentence includes predicate, object, subject, and adverbial attributes. In addition, function words play an important role in Chinese semantic understanding, so try to master the Chinese conjunction, such as conjunction、Adverbs、Preposition as much as you can. If you wish to become proficient at writing in Chinese, you must study all of the aspects of grammar mentioned in this section.

Keep a Diary Regularly to Note Down Chinese Words,Chinese Letters

Another thing that will aid you in becoming a better writer is keeping a journal in Chinese. Even if you are not interested in expanding your writing skills, you will find that it is beneficial for many day-to-day tasks, such as completing work reports or composing an email. Journaling on a regular basis will help you form the habit of writing, which will make it feel less like a chore. You may enjoy expressing yourself in various ways by writing; for instance, you might write poetry in your journal. On a more practical side of things, you might prefer to simply use your journal as a way to purposely build your vocabulary .

Persistence in Reading Everyday

In addition to expanding your view of the world and yourself, reading can help you improve your writing. Reading allows you to learn by example; if you read Chinese daily, you will find that it is easier to write in Chinese because you have a greater scope of what you can do with the vocabulary that you’ve learned. Choose one favorite Chinese reading , Read it for an hour or 2,000 words or so in length each day.

Whenever you come across words or phrases in your reading that you don’t understand, take the time to check them in your dictionary and solidify your understanding of them. In your notebook, write the new word or phrase and create an example sentence using that new addition to your vocabulary. If you are unsure how to use it in a sentence, you can simply copy the sample sentence in your dictionary.

Reviewing the new vocabulary word is a good way to improve your memory of it; do this often to become familiar with these new words. The content of reading can be very broad. It can be from novels, or newspapers, and it can be about subjects like economics or psychology. Remember you should read about things you are interested in. After a certain period of accumulation by reading, you will greatly improve your Chinese writing.

Do Essay Writing Exercise on a Variety of Subjects

As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” In order to improve your China Essay Writing , you should engage in a variety of writing exercises. For beginners, you should start with basic topics such as your favorite hobby, future plans, favorite vacation spot, or any other topic that you can write about without difficulty.

For example :《我的一天》( Wǒ de yì tiān, my whole day’s life  ),《我喜欢的食物》( Wǒ xǐhuan de shíwù, my favorite food  ),《一次难忘的旅行》( yí cì nánwàng de lǚxíng, an unforgettable trip  ) etc.

Generally the writing topics can be classified into these categories: a recount of an incident,a description of something/someone, a letter, formulate your own opinion on an issue based on some quote or picture etc.

Takeaway to Improve Chinese Essay Writing

Keep an excel spreadsheet of 口语(Kǒuyǔ, spoken Chinese) –书面语(Shūmiànyǔ, written Chinese) pairs and quotes of sentences that you like. You should also be marking up books and articles that you read looking for new ways of expressing ideas. Using Chinese-Chinese dictionaries is really good for learning how to describe things in Chinese.

Online Chinese Tutors

• 1:1 online tutoring
• 100% native professional tutors
• For all levels
• Flexible schedule
• More effective

Qin Chen focuses on teaching Chinese and language acquisition. She is willing to introduce more about Chinese learning ways and skills. Now, she is working as Mandarin teacher at All Mandarin .

You May Also Like

This Post Has 3 Comments

When I used the service of pro essay reviews, I was expecting to have the work which is completely error free and have best quality. I asked them to show me the working samples they have and also their term and condition. They provided me the best samples and i was ready to hire them for my work then.

This is fascinating article, thank you!

Thank you so much for sharing this type of content. That’s really useful for people who want to start learning chinese language. I hope that you will continue sharing your experience.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• Free Resources
• 1-800-567-9619
• Subscribe to the blog Thank you! Please check your inbox for your confirmation email. You must click the link in the email to verify your request.
• Explore Archive
• Explore Language & Culture Blogs

Beginner Chinese – Self-Introduction Posted by sasha on Feb 21, 2013 in Vocabulary

When learning a new language, one of the first things you need to learn how to do is introduce yourself. It’s also a good idea to learn how to ask questions to others so you can get to know them. Today I’ll provide a basic guide for how to do so.

• Q: What’s your name? (你叫什么名字？nǐ jiào shén me míng zì)

A: My name is… (我叫… – wǒ jiào…) OR (我的名字是… – wǒ de míng zì shì…)

This is a very common and informal way to ask someone’s name. Both answers can be used, but it’s probably easier and more common to use the first one. Sometimes, less is more. This is the equivalent of asking someone’s first name in English.

• Q: What’s your surname? (您贵姓? – nín guì xìng)

A: My surname is… (我姓… –  wǒ xìng…)

This is a more formal and polite way to ask someone’s name. Note the use of 您 as opposed to 你 – it is a more formal way to say “you” in Chinese. Think when you’re talking to an elder, a teacher, or someone you should show respect to.

• Q: Which country are you from? (你是哪国人? – nǐ shì nǎ guó rén)

A: I’m from… (我是… 人 – wǒ shì… rén)

Since you’re a foreigner in China, this is the most common way someone will ask you where you’re from. To answer, simply insert the Chinese name for your country into the phrase “我是… 人.” For example, I would answer “ I’m American ” (我是美国人 – wǒ shì měi guó rén).

• Q: Where are you from? (你是哪里的人 – nǐ shì nǎ lǐ de rén)

A: I’m from… (我是… 的 – wǒ shì… de)

This is the question you can ask a Chinese person to find out where they are from in this massive country. You may hear an answer like, “ I’m a Beijinger ” (我是北京的 – wǒ shì běi jīng de).

• Q: What’s your job? (你做什么工作? – nǐ zuò shén me gōng zuò)

A: I’m a/an… (我是… – wǒ shì…)

Just learn the Chinese word for your job title and add it to the end of your answer. For example, “ I’m an English teacher ” (我是英语老师 – wǒ shì yīng yǔ lǎo shī). This post I wrote about my job includes in Chinese should help you learn to talk about yours.

• Q: How old are you? (你多大? – nǐ duō dà)

A: I’m… years old. (我… 岁 – wǒ… suì)

To answer this one, just insert the number for your age. As for myself, I’d currently answer, “‘ I’m 27 years old ” (我二十七岁 – wǒ èr shí qī suì). Of course, you might not want to ask a lady older than you for her age. It’s not such a stigma here in China as it is in Western cultures, but it is catching on a little and some women might not want to answer this one.

• Q: How many people are in your family? (你家有几个人? – nǐ jiā yǒu jǐ gè rén)

A: There are… people in my family. (我家有… 个人 – wǒ jiā yǒu… gè rén)

Just add the number of people into the middle of the sentence. To answer this question, I say, “ There are 9 people in my family ” (我家有九个人 – wǒ jiā yǒu jiǔ gè rén). To learn more detailed vocabulary and grammar structures for talking about family, you can read this post I made in Chinese about my family .

• Q: Are you married? (你结婚了吗? – nǐ jié hūn le ma)

A: Yes, I’m married. (我结婚了 – wǒ jié hūn le); No, I’m not. (没有 – méi yǒu)

• Q: Do you have children? (你有孩子吗? – nǐ yǒu hái zi ma)

A: Yes, I do. (有 – yǒu); No, I don’t. (没有 – méi yǒu)

If you do have kids, you might want to learn a few more words, such as “ son ” (儿子 – Ér zi) and “ daughter ” (女儿 – nǚ’ér).

• Q: What are your hobbies? (你的爱好是什么? – nǐ de ài hào shì shén me)

A: My hobbies are… (我的爱好是… – wǒ de ài hào shì…)

Of course there are tons of words you could learn on the topic of hobbies. To help you out more with that one, here’s an article I wrote in Chinese about my hobbies .

All of the information from this post condensed into a short video.

Well, there you go. Use these questions and practice introducing yourself. Get out there and meet someone else who speaks Chinese and try them out. Once you’ve introduced yourself and met a new person, you can say “ I’m pleased to meet you ” (我很高兴认识你 – wǒ hěn gāo xìng rèn shi nǐ). To review all of the vocabulary and phrases from this post, check out a post I made a while back introducing myself in Chinese .

Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.

About the Author: sasha

Sasha is an English teacher, writer, photographer, and videographer from the great state of Michigan. Upon graduating from Michigan State University, he moved to China and spent 5+ years living, working, studying, and traveling there. He also studied Indonesian Language & Culture in Bali for a year. He and his wife run the travel blog Grateful Gypsies, and they're currently trying the digital nomad lifestyle across Latin America.

Thanks a lot!

I had a meeting with clients from Shanghai and I followed your video to introduce myself in Chinese to them. It really went the distance! You made it really easy to follow. Thanks again!

joyful zvandaziva:

quiet clear for beginners.xiexie

Good job this really helped me I am so impressed that you have such fluent Chinese appreciate the work done

Anand Kumar:

It was very best and simple self introduction in Chinese. I get much Knowledge from that. xie xie

way of this teach is very useful to me .hope I can get more chance to listen more here .

I like the introduction. Its very clear and simple.

Leave a comment:

Start Learning Chinese in the next 30 Seconds with a Free Lifetime Account

Level Basic: Beginner Chinese Course

Beginner lesson 1.1 – self-introduction.

Preview Vocabulary →

Self-Introduction In Chinese For Beginners

• Greeting: say "Hi" in Chinese
• Self-introduction in Chinese with your first name
• Self-introduction in Chinese with your last name
• Self-introduction in Chinese with your full name

EXPRESSIONS

Grammar 1: hello in chinese · hsk 1.

When we want to say hi or hello in Chinese, we say 你好. Literally, it means, "you; good". Many people wonder why we use 你好 to mean hello in Chinese. This is because it's like we're saying "I bet you're doing good today".

Grammar 2: Names in Chinese · HSK 1

In Chinese, people's last name goes before their first name. The last name is usually one character, while the first name is usually one or two characters.

Grammar 3: Self-introduction in Chinese with 叫 · HSK 1

wǒ jiào...  我叫…… I am called...  / My name is... 

You can use this structure to introduce your (1)full name; (2) first name or nick name. For example,

• wǒ jiào Dàwèi  我叫大卫。 my name is David
• wǒ jiào Chéng Lóng  我叫成龙。 my name is Cheng Long
• wǒ jiào Lǐ Xiǎolóng  我叫李小龙。 my name is Li Xiaolong

Be very careful that 叫 usually is not followed by a first name that is one-character . For example the sentence below can be considered incorrect.

wǒ jiào lóng ✗ 我叫龙。 my name is Long

Grammar 4.  Self-introduction in Chinese with 姓 · HSK 1

wǒ xìng...   我姓…… My last name is... 

You can use this structure to introduce your last name. For example:

• wǒ xìng Lǐ  我姓李。 my last name is Li
• wǒ xìng Wáng 我姓王。 my last name is Wang

你好 ！ 我 叫 莎若 ^^

你好，莉莉和查克。我的美国名字是迈克尔·安东尼·瑞尔。我是一名医生和退役陆军上校。我是猴年。我的中文名字应该是什么。

你应该按中国人的习惯取一个中文名，就象我们中国人都有一个英文名字一样。

ni hao wo xing hao wo jiao hao jie

你好,我叫 Menna . 謝謝 老師

你好，我姓Okams 我叫Justice

你好。 我行 Vu 我叫 Bao Uyen

你好， 我姓Vu，我叫Thi Oanh

My first lesson was very interesting learned 1 new character 姓 which I am happy about.

I want to learn the Chinese language, but I do not speak English. I can speak the Arabic language because I am from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In my country, it has become important to learn the Chinese language, so I use Google Translator and YouTube to know the course. I wish to translate all the courses because there are not many courses in Arabic. Thank you

Wo jiao Beness

Hi Lily and Chuck, I am a native Swede, but grew up in Switzerland and the US as well. So Swedish, German, Swiss German, and English. I stated with Pinyin, Tones and just finished the hands on Characters writing , and today was the big day. Beginner day 1 wow. I am taking every course step by step. I am enjoying and learning while driving my big rig truck cross country , as long as the cell towers work, no one covers 99% lol It would be useful to be able to download off line for when there is no signal for premium students of course. The coolest thing I have discovered is that Chinese words are in all languages in one word or another, regardless if there is no past or future only the present. I say daily “This is now “, to remind myself of the importance of the moment which is the only real thing we have. Thank you so very much, Staffan:)

Dear Staffan, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We’re thrilled to hear that you’re enjoying and learning from our course, even while driving your big rig truck cross country. It’s amazing to hear that you’re taking each course step by step and mastering Pinyin, Tones, and Characters writing. We appreciate your suggestion regarding the ability to download offline content for premium students, and we will consider it as we continue to improve our course offerings. Finally, we completely agree with you about the importance of living in the moment and appreciating the present. Your daily reminder to yourself is a wonderful practice that we can all learn from. Thank you again for your kind words and for being a part of our language learning community! Best regards, Chuck & Lili

Hello ! May I ask if what is my chinese name? my name is Leizel Legaspi. thank you for the response.

This is great

Nin hao ma ! Laoshi ?.. Wo hao. Wo xing Kelvin.. wo Jiao Anesu.. Ni Jiao shemne mingzi ma laoshi..

Hello! My sister and I are choosing are Chinese names. How do these sound to a native Chinese Speaker: 吴林 and 吴盛蔚?

Yes they are both very good names!

Hi, all. I would just like to be assisted by someone defining my Chinese name ‘李翰睿’. This name was given to me by my co-workers a few years back and I do not know the exact meaning and whether it’s suitable to use as a name for future introductory conversation with other Chinese speakers. Much appreciated.

It is a very good Chinese name. Both 翰 and 睿 are appropriate to be used in Chinese given names, and they both have very good meanings. 翰 means “writing brush” and is often associated with “having ability in literature”; and 睿 means “wise”. Your co-worker picked a very good name for you.

Since our name and last name are not in Chinese, do we still need to say our last name and then the first name? How to write our names since we don’t know the characters?

For jiao, if I didn’t have a Chinese name, would it be 我叫 Dylyn Dylyn

你好.我叫黹黹？is it good? Hi I’m titi

Hi im Samuel 

nihao yi er san si wuliu qa ba

ni hao, wo jiao mali , wo xing fahmi

Hello!! Thanks for these awesome courses, I just finished the ones related to pronunciation. Now I began this beginner course. My name is Mara González. How can I write my name and surname in Chinese?

你好。我姓白。我叫白恬雅。

hi am really enjoying the lessons

你好我叫 Ian Castillo

你 好! 我 叫 何 三 宝

hello how do you spell BardashiaJames chinese

我 叫 hussein

Hi I just wanted to know if using 是 is also allowed. Like in

Thank you 謝謝再见

ni hao i have a question if your name is american do you just say it in your own language or do you say it in Chinese

this was fun and really easy to understand Xièxiè

你好，我的名字是CARRION，我的名字是MILEYSHKA

Thank You miss LI

Are there any ways to introduce my first name if it consists only one character?

你好。我姓Williams, 我叫Jocelyn.

lilil is there a way can i email me saying it to you because i am not comfortable with people hearing my voice and i want to know if i am saying it right is that ok

thank you miss li 🙂

Hi, what is my Chinese name? First one, Estephany Last name, Cano. Thank you!

nihao. wo xing mcginnis, wo jiao roger

Hello Laoshi, Thank you for the lectures. I have 3 names; last name, first name and middle name. how do i introduce my middle name? Thanks in anticipation

ni hao,wo jiao son

Hello, I just want to know how can I differentiate between a one character word and a two character word?

Please refer to Lesson 1 of our Chinese Charactes Course .

I mean for names, how do I know if a particular name is a one character name or a two-character name for example the following names are a one character names or two-character names? 王明  李好 

The name has two characters in it so it’s a two-character name.

In this lesson “Beginner Lesson 5.1 – Ask and Say Age”. In the sentence “wo er shi yi sui” in the video, why the tone of yi is not following the yi tone rule which is second tone if it followed by a fourth tone and sui has a fourth tone?

Please refer to Tone Lesson 14 – Chinese Tone Change Rule: Character 一 (yī) .

There are three ways to pronounce Chinese character Yi 一. (1)  When 一 is by itself, meaning “the mathematical number one”, it is pronounced in  the First Tone  “ yī “. (2) When Character Yi 一 goes before the First, the Second and the Third Tone, it is pronounced in the Fourth Tone “ yì “;  (3)   When Character Yi 一 goes before the Fourth Tone, it is pronounced in the Second Tone “yí “. Now in the sentence ” wo er shi yi sui” , the character Yi 一 goes before the Fourth Tone which is “sui “. Why character Yi in this sentence does not follow rule number (3) above which is “When Character Yi 一 goes before the Fourth Tone, it is pronounced in  the Second Tone  “ yí “.? Thanks

The answer to your question is in the first rule “Mathematical number one”. In that sentence you quoted “yi” is being used as a mathematical number…so it doesn’t change tone to second tone. Hope that makes sense..

thank you for the lesson

Xie Xie Lili! Dhanyawaad for your help.

你好 this lesson is very straightforward and easy to understand thank you. Can I say Wo Jiao Omar? Thanks

Hello ma’am. Its me Maqsood Ali from Pakistan I have just started a course here to learn Chinese language hope I will got it soon. Ni Hao

My name is Valentina, I was wondering if Valen or Tina are better as a Chinese name? Valen: 瓦伦 or Tina: 蒂娜

Hi! My name is Valentina (very long), I was wondering how I’d write it? Maybe Valen or Tina, which is better: 蒂娜 (Tina) or 瓦伦 (Valen)

I think Tina sounds much better

你好老师！ 我很高兴认识你。 I want to learn perfect pronunciation from this site. How and what can I get to it? 🙂

Ni hao Wo xing Gift.

Really like it so far reminds me a lot of being in school. How ever im having a small problem with introducing my name. I am from Iceland and here it goes “First name” “last name i gues you would call it” and then you’r fathers name and added son or daughter to the end. My name is Gunnar Smári Rögnvaldsson. Rögnvaldsson meaning son of Rögnvaldur, so when introducing myself what would be the best way to do so?.

Ni Hav wao Jiao Sdam Baig Thanks for your online chinese learning classs and i was amazed to see your mode of teaching that is awesome.This is my first yearin china and without having profound chinese language command its hard to survive in china

Nihao, Wo xing Akintan Wo jiao Alaba Thank you Lili for making the leaning easy. Looking forward to speak like native Chinese

Hey! I am a high school student interested in learning Chinese “seriously” and hopefully one day going to China to study abroad. I would like to know how I should start my Chinese Learning Journey and the most efficient way to do so. I would also love some tips on learning the language at an efficient pace as I would love to be able to start communicating in Chinese as fluently as possible and as soon as possible! Thanks, Nicole

We have a Learning Road Map, here’s a quick link→ .

Ni hao. Wo xing Lamphier. Wo jiao Connor.

I tried many websites and was convinced that I will never speak Chinese (i even quit trying to learn it for 8 months) then I found your site. I’m sure getting the premium.

你好. 我性 SIKA, 我叫 SIKA BRICE.

你好吗 我很好谢谢 我叫 Daniel, 我是国人

I’m really exciting about to learn Mandarin. I just found this website and I’m trying it. It seems to be very well designed and I’m looking for a tool like that to improve my learning.

Thanks. 谢谢 再见

I notice that some native Mandarin speakers—including Lili—pronounce the pinyin “ìng” vowel sound almost like “eeyung” (but quickly as one syllable), while others pronounce it more similarly to how an English speaker would pronounce an “ing” sound in English. Is this a regional difference? Which is the mostly widely used and versatile pronunciation?   Thank you.

You are right about the pronunciation differences. Generally in Norther China, “in” and “ing” are pronounced differently but in a lot of southern provinces, “ing” are pronounced in the same way as “in”.   If you haven’t checked our Pinyin Pronunciation Course , we recommend going through it along with this main course to help with the pronunciation and listening.   Finals “in” and “ing” are in Lesson 10 .  

hi teacher how i can learn how to write in chinees

Hi Lili and fellow students. Do you have any suggestions for writing the characters? I’m having some difficulty in this area. Thanks in advance for your tips.

Have you checked out our Chinese Characters Writing Course ? It starts from each single strokes, and then small character components and then discusses character structure and the ways how Chinese characters are created. It is highly recommended to go along with this course.

ni hao Lili Hao ni hao ma? wo shi manuel rivera laoshi ni duo da? nin, wo san shi yi sui

你好。我姓Higgins。Is it okay to also say 我的名字是sierra。

你好 Lili ! I’m French and joined your course a few days ago. I do enjoy your lessons. I’m a beginner and I’m discovering the Chinese language with great pleasure. What attracts me more is how writing the characters despite their difficulty. 谢谢你 Lili 。 Rosemarie.

你好Rosemarie, 不客气！ I’m really happy for you! Glad you enjoy learning Chinese! 加油！

Hi, teacher Li, I really like your chinese course and the way your teaching. Thanks alot..

Wo xing Buskas Wo jiao Tanya Hi Lili! I really like your course, and the way how you teaching. My first language is Russian, and English is my second language. I started to learn Chinese first time and I was very surprised how simple all the rules and grammar as compare Russian, English , French and other European languages. I found writing characters and listening and talking is difficult , but now I am enjoying to learn Chinese. I surprise that I can read some characters, and say some words and even sentences in Chinese.

thanks great very useful and helpful

This lesson is really helpful and it keeps me interacting a lot.

It’s good to know that you’re doing the practice along with the video and that you find this lesson was helpful for doing self-introduction in Chinese!

am new can you please help me.

I am happy that your course seems so clear as I have to translate American English to English English as well as learning Chinese. But seriously I thank you.

Hi David I’m so glad that you find our lesson on self-introduction in Chinese helpful! Wish you the best of luck learning Chinese!

I love the way you teach. I can understand easily what is your point of view. I am also basic Chinese student in Pakistan. Hope you will be very helpful for me to learn also. Xie xie ziajian

Great I really like it , it’s simple and clear . thanks a lot

你好郝力, 我叫艾伦 Alain, 我是加拿大人，我五十六岁, I really like your course and the way you present the materials, very logical, I Love it! Also presently taking Manderin level 1 at the University. 我真喜欢，谢谢你

谢谢你艾伦！很高兴你喜欢我们的课。 That’s awesome that you are taking Chinese classes at a university and that was a great self-introduction in Chinese. Wishing you the best of luck learning Chinese!

You can teach easily to get chinese langauge 谢谢。

it is so easy to understand. i never had this amazing lessons before that’s why i’m glad to have this. xiexie Lili. thanks a lot

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Registration confirmation will be emailed to you.

Chinese Reflexive Pronouns: Myself in Chinese – Ziji 自己, Ben Shen 本身 and Ben Ren 本人

Chinese Reflexive Pronouns

Myself in chinese – 自己 ziji, 本身 ben shen and  本人 ben ren.

In Mandarin, there are also Chinese Reflexive Pronouns –  自己  Zìjǐ , 本身  Běnshēn and 本人   Běnrén . They mean self ,  oneself , itself or rather, myself in Chinese.

In many cases, adding Chinese Reflexive Pronoun 自己   Zìjǐ is necessary to form a complete sentence such as “ Protect yourself – 保护自己 . In other contexts, the additional word of  自己   Zìjǐ is to emphasise on the subject mentioned.

In short, the word 自己 can also be made redundant in the sentences and still be correct after all － 我 自己 都不想去，怎么会叫他去? |   I , myself do not want to go, why would I want him to go?

We can substitute the word  自己 Zìjǐ with the term  本身  Běnshēn in some sentences. There are exceptions where words which are reflexive by nature, such as “ Protect yourself | 保护自己 ” is not replaceable by “ 本身 “. In summary, we do not say “ 保护本身 ” because it is the wrong use of the reflexive verb.

The table below will show you a generic placement of the words after the Subject Pronouns .

Table of English Reflexive Pronouns List

Table of chinese reflexive pronouns list.

Subject Pronoun + Reflexive Pronoun

Chinese Reflexive Pronouns with Ziji 自己

Here are some Chinese Reflexive Pronouns with  自己  Zìjǐ that are very commonly used by the Chinese people when giving advises to others or as a reminder to oneself.

Protect oneself. In a relationship, learn to protect yourself and not have too much hurt.

保护自己。 在感情上，要学着保护自己，不要受太多伤害。

Bǎo hù zì jǐ. Zài gǎn qíng shàng, yào xué zhe bǎo hù zì jǐ, bù yào shòu tài duō shāng hài.

Take care of oneself. When you are living overseas, remember to take care of yourself.

照顾自己。 你在国外住，记得照顾自己。

Zhào gù zì jǐ. Nǐ zài guó wài zhù, jì dé zhào gù zì jǐ.

Be yourself. Why live for others? Be yourself.

做回自己。 何必为别人而活？做回自己。

Zuò huí zì jǐ. Hé bì wèi bié rén ér huó? Zuò huí zì jǐ.

Take care of one’s image. Over there, do not talk nonsense. Take care of your image.

顾自己形象。 在那里，不要胡说八道，要顾自己形象。

Gù zì jǐ xíng xiàng. Zài nà lǐ, bù yào hú shuō bā dào, yào gù zì jǐ xíng xiàng.

Do not care about oneself. I do not care about myself. I care most about you (feeling related sentence).

不在乎自己。 我不在乎自己，最在乎的是你。

Bù zài hū zì jǐ. Wǒ bù zài hū zì jǐ, zuì zài hū de shì nǐ.

Grudge oneself. As a person, why do you have to make yourself suffer?

委屈自己。 做人何必委屈自己？

Wěi qu zì jǐ. Zuò rén hé bì wěi qu zì jǐ?

Chinese Reflexive Pronouns with 自己 Ziji or 本身 Ben Shen

The sentences below can use either 自己   Zìjǐ ,  本身  Běnshēn or both at the same time to further strengthen the emphasis of oneself. This interchanging of both the word order position is possible only when they come directly after the pronouns or the subject.

Pronouns / Subject + 自己 / 本身 + Information

*In such sentence construction, the Chinese reflexive pronouns can be dropped too. Grammatically, it is correct since the Chinese Reflexive Pronouns only act as a supplemental emphasis on the mentioned subject.

I, myself do not like to go to his house, how would I ask you (plural) to go?

我自己都不喜欢去他家，怎么可能叫你们去？ 我本身都不喜欢去他家，怎么可能叫你们去？

Wǒ zì jǐ dōu bù xǐ huān qù tā jiā, zěn me kě néng jiào nǐ men qù? Wǒ běn shēn dōu bù xǐ huān qù tā jiā, zěn me kě néng jiào nǐ men qù?

You, yourself are a Chinese teacher and do not need someone to teach your children Mandarin.

你自己是个中文老师，不需要请别人来教你的孩子中文。 你本身是个中文老师，不需要请别人来教你的孩子中文。

Nǐ zìjǐ shì gè zhōng wén lǎo shī, bù xū yào qǐng bié rén lái jiào nǐ de hái zi zhōng wén. Nǐ běn shēn shì gè zhōng wén lǎo shī, bù xū yào qǐng bié rén lái jiào nǐ de hái zi zhōng wén.

They, themselves know what to do.

他们自己知道该怎么做。 他们本身知道该怎么做。

Tā men zì jǐ zhī dào gāi zěn me zuò. Tā men běn shēn zhī dào gāi zěn me zuò.

My mother is a very thrifty person.

我妈妈自己是个很节俭的人。 我妈妈本身是个很节俭的人。

Wǒ mā mā zì jǐ shì gè hěn jié jiǎn de rén. Wǒ mā mā běn shēn shì gè hěn jié jiǎn de rén.

Bear in mind that both the pronouns are not in a fixed position. The words can be split up into a sentence most of the times. The next section will demonstrate this.

Chinese Reflexive Pronouns with 自己 Ziji  + Action Verb

When the Chinese Reflexive Pronouns have placed away from the Subject/Subject Pronouns (unlike the above) and accompanied by an action verb, the placement of 自己 Zìjǐ becomes mandatory in the Chinese sentence to form a complete sentence.

Pronouns / Subject + Info + 自己 + Verb + Info

From the sentences below, we do not use  本身 Běnshēn as a substitute for  自己   Zìjǐ as it is not correct. On the contrary, there are many instances where 本身 could be used to replace 自己 . I would say it takes some time for one to figure out at a higher Chinese level when we should deploy 本身 in the right sense.

Every day, the children walk to school by themselves (without accompany).

孩子们每天自己走去学校。 Hái zi men měi tiān zì jǐ zǒu qù xué xiào.

We travel and pay our own.

我们出国旅行是自己还钱的。 Wǒ men chū guó lǚ xíng shì zì jǐ hái qián de.

In order for practice speaking Chinese, I speak to myself.

为了练习讲中文，我对着自己说话。 Wèi le liàn xí jiǎng zhōng wén, wǒ duì zhe zì jǐ shuō huà.

The work efficiency in the organisation starts from oneself.

团体的工作效率要从自己做起。 团体的工作效率要从本身做起。 团体的工作效率要从自己本身做起。

Tuán tǐ de gōng zuò xiào lǜ yào cóng zì jǐ zuò qǐ. Tuán tǐ de gōng zuò xiào lǜ yào cóng běn shēn zuò qǐ. Tuán tǐ de gōng zuò xiào lǜ yào cóng zì jǐ běn shēn zuò qǐ.

Notice that the last sentence above uses both the two terms together? It is also very commonly used by the Chinese to highlight the point of “oneself”.

自己 Ziji  = Own / Possession

When making references to self-possession with the English word “ own + _(noun)_ “,  自己   Zìjǐ is used often with the word “ 的  de ” after it, then followed by a noun. For such examples, do not use “ 本身  Běnshēn ” because the word does not mean “own”.

自己 + 的  + Noun

The importance of “ 的   de ” also expresses other forms of possession such as the use of ‘My _ (noun) _’ and ‘Mine’. Read more about Possessive Determiners and Possessive Pronouns with “De 的” .

I hide in the room to do my own things.

我整天躲在房间里，做自己的事。 Wǒ zhěng tiān duǒ zài fáng jiān lǐ, zuò zì jǐ de shì.

She returned to her own house. (Means the person may be staying in more than one place and now, she is returning to her original residence)

她回自己的家去。 Tā huí zì jǐ de jiā qù.

You (plural) pack up your own stuff, tomorrow we are leaving here.

你们收拾一下自己的东西，明天我们离开这里。 Nǐ men shōu shí yī xià zì jǐ de dōng xī, míng tiān wǒ men lí kāi zhè lǐ.

Your own homework, do it yourself. Do not ask someone to do for you.

自己的功课自己做，不要叫别人帮你做。 Zì jǐ de gōng kè zì jǐ zuò, bù yào jiào bié rén bāng nǐ zuò.

Literally: All of us are our ‘own people’. Why be calculative? (Slang: Meaning from the same boat / same group / same association / same family)

我们大家都是自己人, 何必计较？ Wǒ men dà jiā dōu shì zì jǐ rén, hé bì jì jiào?

本身 Benshen and  自己  Ziji  = Itself

As you can read from the first set of examples above,  本身 Běnshēn and  自己   Zìjǐ are not only for people but also to express non-living things and concepts as “ itself “.

The article itself is rich in content.

这篇文章本身内容丰富。 Zhè piān wén zhāng běn shēn nèi róng fēng fù.

The design of the house itself has many flaws.

屋子的设计本身有很多缺点。 Wū zi de shè jì běn shēn yǒu hěn duō quē diǎn.

Life itself is complicated, interesting and exciting.

生活本身就是复杂、有趣和刺激。 Shēng huó běn shēn jiù shì fù zá, yǒu qù hé cì jī.

What are the characteristics of the 12 horoscope signs?

十二星座本身的特质是什么？ Shí’èr xīng zuò běn shēn de tè zhì shì shén me?

When the fruits are riped, they will drop down from the trees by themselves.

水果熟了，自己会从树上掉下来。 Shuǐ guǒ shú le, zì jǐ huì cóng shù shàng diào xià lái.

The balloon burst by itself.

气球自己破了。 Qì qiú zì jǐ pò le.

How can the table walk by itself?

桌子自己怎么会走？ Zhuō zǐ zì jǐ zěn me huì zǒu?

本人 Benren – Formal Word for Myself or Oneself

本人 | Běnrén is deemed as a more formal word for emphasising ‘ oneself ‘ or ‘ myself ‘ and not frequently heard in casual conversation. Some examples are situations where one is making a guarantee of something, reassurance or referring to someone of higher authority.

When one uses  本人 Běnrén , it gives individuality or perhaps, a feeling of isolation while trying to assert one’s point of view. It is best to avoid using this word for Chinese beginner level if you are not sure how to deploy it correctly.

When expressed in the wrong situation, it might create a sense of overestimation of oneself and can sound awkward. Imagine saying the sentence with  本人 Běnrén to your supervisor or boss, he might wonder who has a higher authority? You or him?

I, myself promise all of you not to deduct your salary.

我本人向你们保证，不会扣除你们的薪金。 Wǒ běn rén xiàng nǐ men bǎo zhèng, bù huì kòu chú nǐ men de xīn jīn.

The person who said all these is our boss.

说这番话的人，就是我们老板本人了。 Shuō zhè fān huà de rén, jiù shì wǒ men lǎo bǎn běn rén le.

The CEO personally promised to give me more opportunities to perform.

总裁本人答应我, 会多给我机会表现。 Zǒng cái běn rén dā yīng wǒ, huì duō gěi wǒ jī huì biǎo xiàn.

I adhere to my standpoint. Hence, I will not apologise to her.

我本人坚持我的立场，所以我不会向她道歉。 Wǒ běn rén jiān chí wǒ de lì chǎng, suǒ yǐ wǒ bù huì xiàng tā dào qiàn.

Both parties have to arrive on the spot to sign in order for the registration process to be valid.

双方本人必须到场签字，登记流程才有效。 Shuāng fāng běn rén bì xū dào chǎng qiān zì, dēng jì liú chéng cái yǒu xiào.

Similar to the Chinese Reflexive Pronouns, the next post will show you the use of “ Personally and Individually – 亲自 qin zi，亲手 qin shou，亲身 qin shen and 个人 ge ren “.

Related Articles

Chinese Demonstrative Pronouns & Adjectives: This, That, These, Those, This One, That One

How to Say “Personal” and “Individual” in Chinese? 个人 Ge Ren in Mandarin

How to Say “Personally” in Chinese? 亲自 Qinzi, 亲手 Qinshou & 亲身 Qinshen

Chinese Possessive Pronouns vs Possessive Determiners (Mine vs My) with “的 De”

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Please enter an answer in digits: 19 + 6 =

Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Crying Myself to Sleep on the Biggest Cruise Ship Ever

Seven agonizing nights aboard the Icon of the Seas

Listen to this article

Listen to more stories on curio

Updated at 2:44 p.m. ET on April 6, 2024.

This article was featured in the One Story to Read Today newsletter. Sign up for it here .

MY FIRST GLIMPSE of Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, from the window of an approaching Miami cab, brings on a feeling of vertigo, nausea, amazement, and distress. I shut my eyes in defense, as my brain tells my optic nerve to try again.

The ship makes no sense, vertically or horizontally. It makes no sense on sea, or on land, or in outer space. It looks like a hodgepodge of domes and minarets, tubes and canopies, like Istanbul had it been designed by idiots. Vibrant, oversignifying colors are stacked upon other such colors, decks perched over still more decks; the only comfort is a row of lifeboats ringing its perimeter. There is no imposed order, no cogent thought, and, for those who do not harbor a totalitarian sense of gigantomania, no visual mercy. This is the biggest cruise ship ever built, and I have been tasked with witnessing its inaugural voyage.

Explore the May 2024 Issue

Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.

“Author embarks on their first cruise-ship voyage” has been a staple of American essay writing for almost three decades, beginning with David Foster Wallace’s “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again,” which was first published in 1996 under the title “Shipping Out.” Since then, many admirable writers have widened and diversified the genre. Usually the essayist commissioned to take to the sea is in their first or second flush of youth and is ready to sharpen their wit against the hull of the offending vessel. I am 51, old and tired, having seen much of the world as a former travel journalist, and mostly what I do in both life and prose is shrug while muttering to my imaginary dachshund, “This too shall pass.” But the Icon of the Seas will not countenance a shrug. The Icon of the Seas is the Linda Loman of cruise ships, exclaiming that attention must be paid. And here I am in late January with my one piece of luggage and useless gray winter jacket and passport, zipping through the Port of Miami en route to the gangway that will separate me from the bulk of North America for more than seven days, ready to pay it in full.

The aforementioned gangway opens up directly onto a thriving mall (I will soon learn it is imperiously called the “Royal Promenade”), presently filled with yapping passengers beneath a ceiling studded with balloons ready to drop. Crew members from every part of the global South, as well as a few Balkans, are shepherding us along while pressing flutes of champagne into our hands. By a humming Starbucks, I drink as many of these as I can and prepare to find my cabin. I show my blue Suite Sky SeaPass Card (more on this later, much more) to a smiling woman from the Philippines, and she tells me to go “aft.” Which is where, now? As someone who has rarely sailed on a vessel grander than the Staten Island Ferry, I am confused. It turns out that the aft is the stern of the ship, or, for those of us who don’t know what a stern or an aft are, its ass. The nose of the ship, responsible for separating the waves before it, is also called a bow, and is marked for passengers as the FWD , or forward. The part of the contemporary sailing vessel where the malls are clustered is called the midship. I trust that you have enjoyed this nautical lesson.

I ascend via elevator to my suite on Deck 11. This is where I encounter my first terrible surprise. My suite windows and balcony do not face the ocean. Instead, they look out onto another shopping mall. This mall is the one that’s called Central Park, perhaps in homage to the Olmsted-designed bit of greenery in the middle of my hometown. Although on land I would be delighted to own a suite with Central Park views, here I am deeply depressed. To sail on a ship and not wake up to a vast blue carpet of ocean? Unthinkable.

Allow me a brief preamble here. The story you are reading was commissioned at a moment when most staterooms on the Icon were sold out. In fact, so enthralled by the prospect of this voyage were hard-core mariners that the ship’s entire inventory of guest rooms (the Icon can accommodate up to 7,600 passengers, but its inaugural journey was reduced to 5,000 or so for a less crowded experience) was almost immediately sold out. Hence, this publication was faced with the shocking prospect of paying nearly $19,000 to procure for this solitary passenger an entire suite—not including drinking expenses—all for the privilege of bringing you this article. But the suite in question doesn’t even have a view of the ocean! I sit down hard on my soft bed. Nineteen thousand dollars for this .

The viewless suite does have its pluses. In addition to all the Malin+Goetz products in my dual bathrooms, I am granted use of a dedicated Suite Deck lounge; access to Coastal Kitchen, a superior restaurant for Suites passengers; complimentary VOOM SM Surf & Stream (“the fastest Internet at Sea”) “for one device per person for the whole cruise duration”; a pair of bathrobes (one of which comes prestained with what looks like a large expectoration by the greenest lizard on Earth); and use of the Grove Suite Sun, an area on Decks 18 and 19 with food and deck chairs reserved exclusively for Suite passengers. I also get reserved seating for a performance of The Wizard of Oz , an ice-skating tribute to the periodic table, and similar provocations. The very color of my Suite Sky SeaPass Card, an oceanic blue as opposed to the cloying royal purple of the standard non-Suite passenger, will soon provoke envy and admiration. But as high as my status may be, there are those on board who have much higher status still, and I will soon learn to bow before them.

In preparation for sailing, I have “priced in,” as they say on Wall Street, the possibility that I may come from a somewhat different monde than many of the other cruisers. Without falling into stereotypes or preconceptions, I prepare myself for a friendly outspokenness on the part of my fellow seafarers that may not comply with modern DEI standards. I believe in meeting people halfway, and so the day before flying down to Miami, I visited what remains of Little Italy to purchase a popular T-shirt that reads DADDY’S LITTLE MEATBALL across the breast in the colors of the Italian flag. My wife recommended that I bring one of my many T-shirts featuring Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, as all Americans love the beagle and his friends. But I naively thought that my meatball T-shirt would be more suitable for conversation-starting. “Oh, and who is your ‘daddy’?” some might ask upon seeing it. “And how long have you been his ‘little meatball’?” And so on.

I put on my meatball T-shirt and head for one of the dining rooms to get a late lunch. In the elevator, I stick out my chest for all to read the funny legend upon it, but soon I realize that despite its burnished tricolor letters, no one takes note. More to the point, no one takes note of me. Despite my attempts at bridge building, the very sight of me (small, ethnic, without a cap bearing the name of a football team) elicits no reaction from other passengers. Most often, they will small-talk over me as if I don’t exist. This brings to mind the travails of David Foster Wallace , who felt so ostracized by his fellow passengers that he retreated to his cabin for much of his voyage. And Wallace was raised primarily in the Midwest and was a much larger, more American-looking meatball than I am. If he couldn’t talk to these people, how will I? What if I leave this ship without making any friends at all, despite my T-shirt? I am a social creature, and the prospect of seven days alone and apart is saddening. Wallace’s stateroom, at least, had a view of the ocean, a kind of cheap eternity.

Worse awaits me in the dining room. This is a large, multichandeliered room where I attended my safety training (I was shown how to put on a flotation vest; it is a very simple procedure). But the maître d’ politely refuses me entry in an English that seems to verge on another language. “I’m sorry, this is only for pendejos ,” he seems to be saying. I push back politely and he repeats himself. Pendejos ? Piranhas? There’s some kind of P-word to which I am not attuned. Meanwhile elderly passengers stream right past, powered by their limbs, walkers, and electric wheelchairs. “It is only pendejo dining today, sir.” “But I have a suite!” I say, already starting to catch on to the ship’s class system. He examines my card again. “But you are not a pendejo ,” he confirms. I am wearing a DADDY’S LITTLE MEATBALL T-shirt, I want to say to him. I am the essence of pendejo .

Eventually, I give up and head to the plebeian buffet on Deck 15, which has an aquatic-styled name I have now forgotten. Before gaining entry to this endless cornucopia of reheated food, one passes a washing station of many sinks and soap dispensers, and perhaps the most intriguing character on the entire ship. He is Mr. Washy Washy—or, according to his name tag, Nielbert of the Philippines—and he is dressed as a taco (on other occasions, I’ll see him dressed as a burger). Mr. Washy Washy performs an eponymous song in spirited, indeed flamboyant English: “Washy, washy, wash your hands, WASHY WASHY!” The dangers of norovirus and COVID on a cruise ship this size (a giant fellow ship was stricken with the former right after my voyage) makes Mr. Washy Washy an essential member of the crew. The problem lies with the food at the end of Washy’s rainbow. The buffet is groaning with what sounds like sophisticated dishes—marinated octopus, boiled egg with anchovy, chorizo, lobster claws—but every animal tastes tragically the same, as if there was only one creature available at the market, a “cruisipus” bred specifically for Royal Caribbean dining. The “vegetables” are no better. I pick up a tomato slice and look right through it. It tastes like cellophane. I sit alone, apart from the couples and parents with gaggles of children, as “We Are Family” echoes across the buffet space.

I may have failed to mention that all this time, the Icon of the Seas has not left port. As the fiery mango of the subtropical setting sun makes Miami’s condo skyline even more apocalyptic, the ship shoves off beneath a perfunctory display of fireworks. After the sun sets, in the far, dark distance, another circus-lit cruise ship ruptures the waves before us. We glance at it with pity, because it is by definition a smaller ship than our own. I am on Deck 15, outside the buffet and overlooking a bunch of pools (the Icon has seven of them), drinking a frilly drink that I got from one of the bars (the Icon has 15 of them), still too shy to speak to anyone, despite Sister Sledge’s assertion that all on the ship are somehow related.

Kim Brooks: On failing the family vacation

The ship’s passage away from Ron DeSantis’s Florida provides no frisson, no sense of developing “sea legs,” as the ship is too large to register the presence of waves unless a mighty wind adds significant chop. It is time for me to register the presence of the 5,000 passengers around me, even if they refuse to register mine. My fellow travelers have prepared for this trip with personally decorated T-shirts celebrating the importance of this voyage. The simplest ones say ICON INAUGURAL ’24 on the back and the family name on the front. Others attest to an over-the-top love of cruise ships: WARNING! MAY START TALKING ABOUT CRUISING . Still others are artisanally designed and celebrate lifetimes spent married while cruising (on ships, of course). A couple possibly in their 90s are wearing shirts whose backs feature a drawing of a cruise liner, two flamingos with ostensibly male and female characteristics, and the legend “ HUSBAND AND WIFE Cruising Partners FOR LIFE WE MAY NOT HAVE IT All Together BUT TOGETHER WE HAVE IT ALL .” (The words not in all caps have been written in cursive.) A real journalist or a more intrepid conversationalist would have gone up to the couple and asked them to explain the longevity of their marriage vis-à-vis their love of cruising. But instead I head to my mall suite, take off my meatball T-shirt, and allow the first tears of the cruise to roll down my cheeks slowly enough that I briefly fall asleep amid the moisture and salt.

I WAKE UP with a hangover. Oh God. Right. I cannot believe all of that happened last night. A name floats into my cobwebbed, nauseated brain: “Ayn Rand.” Jesus Christ.

I breakfast alone at the Coastal Kitchen. The coffee tastes fine and the eggs came out of a bird. The ship rolls slightly this morning; I can feel it in my thighs and my schlong, the parts of me that are most receptive to danger.

I had a dangerous conversation last night. After the sun set and we were at least 50 miles from shore (most modern cruise ships sail at about 23 miles an hour), I lay in bed softly hiccupping, my arms stretched out exactly like Jesus on the cross, the sound of the distant waves missing from my mall-facing suite, replaced by the hum of air-conditioning and children shouting in Spanish through the vents of my two bathrooms. I decided this passivity was unacceptable. As an immigrant, I feel duty-bound to complete the tasks I am paid for, which means reaching out and trying to understand my fellow cruisers. So I put on a normal James Perse T-shirt and headed for one of the bars on the Royal Promenade—the Schooner Bar, it was called, if memory serves correctly.

I sat at the bar for a martini and two Negronis. An old man with thick, hairy forearms drank next to me, very silent and Hemingwaylike, while a dreadlocked piano player tinkled out a series of excellent Elton John covers. To my right, a young white couple—he in floral shorts, she in a light, summery miniskirt with a fearsome diamond ring, neither of them in football regalia—chatted with an elderly couple. Do it , I commanded myself. Open your mouth. Speak! Speak without being spoken to. Initiate. A sentence fragment caught my ear from the young woman, “Cherry Hill.” This is a suburb of Philadelphia in New Jersey, and I had once been there for a reading at a synagogue. “Excuse me,” I said gently to her. “Did you just mention Cherry Hill? It’s a lovely place.”

As it turned out, the couple now lived in Fort Lauderdale (the number of Floridians on the cruise surprised me, given that Southern Florida is itself a kind of cruise ship, albeit one slowly sinking), but soon they were talking with me exclusively—the man potbellied, with a chin like a hard-boiled egg; the woman as svelte as if she were one of the many Ukrainian members of the crew—the elderly couple next to them forgotten. This felt as groundbreaking as the first time I dared to address an American in his native tongue, as a child on a bus in Queens (“On my foot you are standing, Mister”).

“I don’t want to talk politics,” the man said. “But they’re going to eighty-six Biden and put Michelle in.”

I considered the contradictions of his opening conversational gambit, but decided to play along. “People like Michelle,” I said, testing the waters. The husband sneered, but the wife charitably put forward that the former first lady was “more personable” than Joe Biden. “They’re gonna eighty-six Biden,” the husband repeated. “He can’t put a sentence together.”

After I mentioned that I was a writer—though I presented myself as a writer of teleplays instead of novels and articles such as this one—the husband told me his favorite writer was Ayn Rand. “Ayn Rand, she came here with nothing,” the husband said. “I work with a lot of Cubans, so …” I wondered if I should mention what I usually do to ingratiate myself with Republicans or libertarians: the fact that my finances improved after pass-through corporations were taxed differently under Donald Trump. Instead, I ordered another drink and the couple did the same, and I told him that Rand and I were born in the same city, St. Petersburg/Leningrad, and that my family also came here with nothing. Now the bonding and drinking began in earnest, and several more rounds appeared. Until it all fell apart.

Read: Gary Shteyngart on watching Russian television for five days straight

My new friend, whom I will refer to as Ayn, called out to a buddy of his across the bar, and suddenly a young couple, both covered in tattoos, appeared next to us. “He fucking punked me,” Ayn’s frat-boy-like friend called out as he put his arm around Ayn, while his sizable partner sizzled up to Mrs. Rand. Both of them had a look I have never seen on land—their eyes projecting absence and enmity in equal measure. In the ’90s, I drank with Russian soldiers fresh from Chechnya and wandered the streets of wartime Zagreb, but I have never seen such undisguised hostility toward both me and perhaps the universe at large. I was briefly introduced to this psychopathic pair, but neither of them wanted to have anything to do with me, and the tattooed woman would not even reveal her Christian name to me (she pretended to have the same first name as Mrs. Rand). To impress his tattooed friends, Ayn made fun of the fact that as a television writer, I’d worked on the series Succession (which, it would turn out, practically nobody on the ship had watched), instead of the far more palatable, in his eyes, zombie drama of last year. And then my new friends drifted away from me into an angry private conversation—“He punked me!”—as I ordered another drink for myself, scared of the dead-eyed arrivals whose gaze never registered in the dim wattage of the Schooner Bar, whose terrifying voices and hollow laughs grated like unoiled gears against the crooning of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”

But today is a new day for me and my hangover. After breakfast, I explore the ship’s so-called neighborhoods . There’s the AquaDome, where one can find a food hall and an acrobatic sound-and-light aquatic show. Central Park has a premium steak house, a sushi joint, and a used Rolex that can be bought for $8,000 on land here proudly offered at $17,000. There’s the aforementioned Royal Promenade, where I had drunk with the Rands, and where a pair of dueling pianos duel well into the night. There’s Surfside, a kids’ neighborhood full of sugary garbage, which looks out onto the frothy trail that the behemoth leaves behind itself. Thrill Island refers to the collection of tubes that clutter the ass of the ship and offer passengers six waterslides and a surfing simulation. There’s the Hideaway, an adult zone that plays music from a vomit-slathered, Brit-filled Alicante nightclub circa 1996 and proves a big favorite with groups of young Latin American customers. And, most hurtfully, there’s the Suite Neighborhood.

I say hurtfully because as a Suite passenger I should be here, though my particular suite is far from the others. Whereas I am stuck amid the riffraff of Deck 11, this section is on the highborn Decks 16 and 17, and in passing, I peek into the spacious, tall-ceilinged staterooms from the hallway, dazzled by the glint of the waves and sun. For $75,000, one multifloor suite even comes with its own slide between floors, so that a family may enjoy this particular terror in private. There is a quiet splendor to the Suite Neighborhood. I see fewer stickers and signs and drawings than in my own neighborhood—for example, MIKE AND DIANA PROUDLY SERVED U.S. MARINE CORPS RETIRED . No one here needs to announce their branch of service or rank; they are simply Suites, and this is where they belong. Once again, despite my hard work and perseverance, I have been disallowed from the true American elite. Once again, I am “Not our class, dear.” I am reminded of watching The Love Boat on my grandmother’s Zenith, which either was given to her or we found in the trash (I get our many malfunctioning Zeniths confused) and whose tube got so hot, I would put little chunks of government cheese on a thin tissue atop it to give our welfare treat a pleasant, Reagan-era gooeyness. I could not understand English well enough then to catch the nuances of that seafaring program, but I knew that there were differences in the status of the passengers, and that sometimes those differences made them sad. Still, this ship, this plenty—every few steps, there are complimentary nachos or milkshakes or gyros on offer—was the fatty fuel of my childhood dreams. If only I had remained a child.

I walk around the outdoor decks looking for company. There is a middle-aged African American couple who always seem to be asleep in each other’s arms, probably exhausted from the late capitalism they regularly encounter on land. There is far more diversity on this ship than I expected. Many couples are a testament to Loving v. Virginia , and there is a large group of folks whose T-shirts read MELANIN AT SEA / IT’S THE MELANIN FOR ME . I smile when I see them, but then some young kids from the group makes Mr. Washy Washy do a cruel, caricatured “Burger Dance” (today he is in his burger getup), and I think, Well, so much for intersectionality .

At the infinity pool on Deck 17, I spot some elderly women who could be ethnic and from my part of the world, and so I jump in. I am proved correct! Many of them seem to be originally from Queens (“Corona was still great when it was all Italian”), though they are now spread across the tristate area. We bond over the way “Ron-kon-koma” sounds when announced in Penn Station.

“Everyone is here for a different reason,” one of them tells me. She and her ex-husband last sailed together four years ago to prove to themselves that their marriage was truly over. Her 15-year-old son lost his virginity to “an Irish young lady” while their ship was moored in Ravenna, Italy. The gaggle of old-timers competes to tell me their favorite cruising stories and tips. “A guy proposed in Central Park a couple of years ago”—many Royal Caribbean ships apparently have this ridiculous communal area—“and she ran away screaming!” “If you’re diamond-class, you get four drinks for free.” “A different kind of passenger sails out of Bayonne.” (This, perhaps, is racially coded.) “Sometimes, if you tip the bartender $5, your next drink will be free.”

“Everyone’s here for a different reason,” the woman whose marriage ended on a cruise tells me again. “Some people are here for bad reasons—the drinkers and the gamblers. Some people are here for medical reasons.” I have seen more than a few oxygen tanks and at least one woman clearly undergoing very serious chemo. Some T-shirts celebrate good news about a cancer diagnosis. This might be someone’s last cruise or week on Earth. For these women, who have spent months, if not years, at sea, cruising is a ritual as well as a life cycle: first love, last love, marriage, divorce, death.

Read: The last place on Earth any tourist should go

I have talked with these women for so long, tonight I promise myself that after a sad solitary dinner I will not try to seek out company at the bars in the mall or the adult-themed Hideaway. I have enough material to fulfill my duties to this publication. As I approach my orphaned suite, I run into the aggro young people who stole Mr. and Mrs. Rand away from me the night before. The tattooed apparitions pass me without a glance. She is singing something violent about “Stuttering Stanley” (a character in a popular horror movie, as I discover with my complimentary VOOM SM Surf & Stream Internet at Sea) and he’s loudly shouting about “all the money I’ve lost,” presumably at the casino in the bowels of the ship.

So these bent psychos out of a Cormac McCarthy novel are angrily inhabiting my deck. As I mewl myself to sleep, I envision a limited series for HBO or some other streamer, a kind of low-rent White Lotus , where several aggressive couples conspire to throw a shy intellectual interloper overboard. I type the scenario into my phone. As I fall asleep, I think of what the woman who recently divorced her husband and whose son became a man through the good offices of the Irish Republic told me while I was hoisting myself out of the infinity pool. “I’m here because I’m an explorer. I’m here because I’m trying something new.” What if I allowed myself to believe in her fantasy?

“YOU REALLY STARTED AT THE TOP,” they tell me. I’m at the Coastal Kitchen for my eggs and corned-beef hash, and the maître d’ has slotted me in between two couples. Fueled by coffee or perhaps intrigued by my relative youth, they strike up a conversation with me. As always, people are shocked that this is my first cruise. They contrast the Icon favorably with all the preceding liners in the Royal Caribbean fleet, usually commenting on the efficiency of the elevators that hurl us from deck to deck (as in many large corporate buildings, the elevators ask you to choose a floor and then direct you to one of many lifts). The couple to my right, from Palo Alto—he refers to his “porn mustache” and calls his wife “my cougar” because she is two years older—tell me they are “Pandemic Pinnacles.”

This is the day that my eyes will be opened. Pinnacles , it is explained to me over translucent cantaloupe, have sailed with Royal Caribbean for 700 ungodly nights. Pandemic Pinnacles took advantage of the two-for-one accrual rate of Pinnacle points during the pandemic, when sailing on a cruise ship was even more ill-advised, to catapult themselves into Pinnacle status.

Because of the importance of the inaugural voyage of the world’s largest cruise liner, more than 200 Pinnacles are on this ship, a startling number, it seems. Mrs. Palo Alto takes out a golden badge that I have seen affixed over many a breast, which reads CROWN AND ANCHOR SOCIETY along with her name. This is the coveted badge of the Pinnacle. “You should hear all the whining in Guest Services,” her husband tells me. Apparently, the Pinnacles who are not also Suites like us are all trying to use their status to get into Coastal Kitchen, our elite restaurant. Even a Pinnacle needs to be a Suite to access this level of corned-beef hash.

“We’re just baby Pinnacles,” Mrs. Palo Alto tells me, describing a kind of internal class struggle among the Pinnacle elite for ever higher status.

And now I understand what the maître d’ was saying to me on the first day of my cruise. He wasn’t saying “ pendejo .” He was saying “Pinnacle.” The dining room was for Pinnacles only, all those older people rolling in like the tide on their motorized scooters.

And now I understand something else: This whole thing is a cult. And like most cults, it can’t help but mirror the endless American fight for status. Like Keith Raniere’s NXIVM, where different-colored sashes were given out to connote rank among Raniere’s branded acolytes, this is an endless competition among Pinnacles, Suites, Diamond-Plusers, and facing-the-mall, no-balcony purple SeaPass Card peasants, not to mention the many distinctions within each category. The more you cruise, the higher your status. No wonder a section of the Royal Promenade is devoted to getting passengers to book their next cruise during the one they should be enjoying now. No wonder desperate Royal Caribbean offers (“FINAL HOURS”) crowded my email account weeks before I set sail. No wonder the ship’s jewelry store, the Royal Bling, is selling a $100,000 golden chalice that will entitle its owner to drink free on Royal Caribbean cruises for life. (One passenger was already gaming out whether her 28-year-old son was young enough to “just about earn out” on the chalice or if that ship had sailed.) No wonder this ship was sold out months before departure , and we had to pay $19,000 for a horrid suite away from the Suite Neighborhood. No wonder the most mythical hero of Royal Caribbean lore is someone named Super Mario, who has cruised so often, he now has his own working desk on many ships. This whole experience is part cult, part nautical pyramid scheme.

From the June 2014 issue: Ship of wonks

“The toilets are amazing,” the Palo Altos are telling me. “One flush and you’re done.” “They don’t understand how energy-efficient these ships are,” the husband of the other couple is telling me. “They got the LNG”—liquefied natural gas, which is supposed to make the Icon a boon to the environment (a concept widely disputed and sometimes ridiculed by environmentalists).

But I’m thinking along a different line of attack as I spear my last pallid slice of melon. For my streaming limited series, a Pinnacle would have to get killed by either an outright peasant or a Suite without an ocean view. I tell my breakfast companions my idea.

“Oh, for sure a Pinnacle would have to be killed,” Mr. Palo Alto, the Pandemic Pinnacle, says, touching his porn mustache thoughtfully as his wife nods.

“THAT’S RIGHT, IT’S your time, buddy!” Hubert, my fun-loving Panamanian cabin attendant, shouts as I step out of my suite in a robe. “Take it easy, buddy!”

I have come up with a new dressing strategy. Instead of trying to impress with my choice of T-shirts, I have decided to start wearing a robe, as one does at a resort property on land, with a proper spa and hammam. The response among my fellow cruisers has been ecstatic. “Look at you in the robe!” Mr. Rand cries out as we pass each other by the Thrill Island aqua park. “You’re living the cruise life! You know, you really drank me under the table that night.” I laugh as we part ways, but my soul cries out, Please spend more time with me, Mr. and Mrs. Rand; I so need the company .

In my white robe, I am a stately presence, a refugee from a better limited series, a one-man crossover episode. (Only Suites are granted these robes to begin with.) Today, I will try many of the activities these ships have on offer to provide their clientele with a sense of never-ceasing motion. Because I am already at Thrill Island, I decide to climb the staircase to what looks like a mast on an old-fashioned ship (terrified, because I am afraid of heights) to try a ride called “Storm Chasers,” which is part of the “Category 6” water park, named in honor of one of the storms that may someday do away with the Port of Miami entirely. Storm Chasers consists of falling from the “mast” down a long, twisting neon tube filled with water, like being the camera inside your own colonoscopy, as you hold on to the handles of a mat, hoping not to die. The tube then flops you down headfirst into a trough of water, a Royal Caribbean baptism. It both knocks my breath out and makes me sad.

In keeping with the aquatic theme, I attend a show at the AquaDome. To the sound of “Live and Let Die,” a man in a harness gyrates to and fro in the sultry air. I saw something very similar in the back rooms of the famed Berghain club in early-aughts Berlin. Soon another harnessed man is gyrating next to the first. Ja , I think to myself, I know how this ends. Now will come the fisting , natürlich . But the show soon devolves into the usual Marvel-film-grade nonsense, with too much light and sound signifying nichts . If any fisting is happening, it is probably in the Suite Neighborhood, inside a cabin marked with an upside-down pineapple, which I understand means a couple are ready to swing, and I will see none of it.

I go to the ice show, which is a kind of homage—if that’s possible—to the periodic table, done with the style and pomp and masterful precision that would please the likes of Kim Jong Un, if only he could afford Royal Caribbean talent. At one point, the dancers skate to the theme song of Succession . “See that!” I want to say to my fellow Suites—at “cultural” events, we have a special section reserved for us away from the commoners—“ Succession ! It’s even better than the zombie show! Open your minds!”

Finally, I visit a comedy revue in an enormous and too brightly lit version of an “intimate,” per Royal Caribbean literature, “Manhattan comedy club.” Many of the jokes are about the cruising life. “I’ve lived on ships for 20 years,” one of the middle-aged comedians says. “I can only see so many Filipino homosexuals dressed as a taco.” He pauses while the audience laughs. “I am so fired tonight,” he says. He segues into a Trump impression and then Biden falling asleep at the microphone, which gets the most laughs. “Anyone here from Fort Leonard Wood?” another comedian asks. Half the crowd seems to cheer. As I fall asleep that night, I realize another connection I have failed to make, and one that may explain some of the diversity on this vessel—many of its passengers have served in the military.

As a coddled passenger with a suite, I feel like I am starting to understand what it means to have a rank and be constantly reminded of it. There are many espresso makers , I think as I look across the expanse of my officer-grade quarters before closing my eyes, but this one is mine .

A shocking sight greets me beyond the pools of Deck 17 as I saunter over to the Coastal Kitchen for my morning intake of slightly sour Americanos. A tiny city beneath a series of perfectly pressed green mountains. Land! We have docked for a brief respite in Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts and Nevis. I wolf down my egg scramble to be one of the first passengers off the ship. Once past the gangway, I barely refrain from kissing the ground. I rush into the sights and sounds of this scruffy island city, sampling incredible conch curry and buckets of non-Starbucks coffee. How wonderful it is to be where God intended humans to be: on land. After all, I am neither a fish nor a mall rat. This is my natural environment. Basseterre may not be Havana, but there are signs of human ingenuity and desire everywhere you look. The Black Table Grill Has been Relocated to Soho Village, Market Street, Directly Behind of, Gary’s Fruits and Flower Shop. Signed. THE PORK MAN reads a sign stuck to a wall. Now, that is how you write a sign. A real sign, not the come-ons for overpriced Rolexes that blink across the screens of the Royal Promenade.

“Hey, tie your shoestring!” a pair of laughing ladies shout to me across the street.

“Thank you!” I shout back. Shoestring! “Thank you very much.”

A man in Independence Square Park comes by and asks if I want to play with his monkey. I haven’t heard that pickup line since the Penn Station of the 1980s. But then he pulls a real monkey out of a bag. The monkey is wearing a diaper and looks insane. Wonderful , I think, just wonderful! There is so much life here. I email my editor asking if I can remain on St. Kitts and allow the Icon to sail off into the horizon without me. I have even priced a flight home at less than $300, and I have enough material from the first four days on the cruise to write the entire story. “It would be funny …” my editor replies. “Now get on the boat.”

As I slink back to the ship after my brief jailbreak, the locals stand under umbrellas to gaze at and photograph the boat that towers over their small capital city. The limousines of the prime minister and his lackeys are parked beside the gangway. St. Kitts, I’ve been told, is one of the few islands that would allow a ship of this size to dock.

“We hear about all the waterslides,” a sweet young server in one of the cafés told me. “We wish we could go on the ship, but we have to work.”

“I want to stay on your island,” I replied. “I love it here.”

But she didn’t understand how I could possibly mean that.

“WASHY, WASHY, so you don’t get stinky, stinky!” kids are singing outside the AquaDome, while their adult minders look on in disapproval, perhaps worried that Mr. Washy Washy is grooming them into a life of gayness. I heard a southern couple skip the buffet entirely out of fear of Mr. Washy Washy.

Meanwhile, I have found a new watering hole for myself, the Swim & Tonic, the biggest swim-up bar on any cruise ship in the world. Drinking next to full-size, nearly naked Americans takes away one’s own self-consciousness. The men have curvaceous mom bodies. The women are equally un-shy about their sprawling physiques.

Today I’ve befriended a bald man with many children who tells me that all of the little trinkets that Royal Caribbean has left us in our staterooms and suites are worth a fortune on eBay. “Eighty dollars for the water bottle, 60 for the lanyard,” the man says. “This is a cult.”

“Tell me about it,” I say. There is, however, a clientele for whom this cruise makes perfect sense. For a large middle-class family (he works in “supply chains”), seven days in a lower-tier cabin—which starts at $1,800 a person—allow the parents to drop off their children in Surfside, where I imagine many young Filipina crew members will take care of them, while the parents are free to get drunk at a swim-up bar and maybe even get intimate in their cabin. Cruise ships have become, for a certain kind of hardworking family, a form of subsidized child care.

There is another man I would like to befriend at the Swim & Tonic, a tall, bald fellow who is perpetually inebriated and who wears a necklace studded with little rubber duckies in sunglasses, which, I am told, is a sort of secret handshake for cruise aficionados. Tomorrow, I will spend more time with him, but first the ship docks at St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Charlotte Amalie, the capital, is more charming in name than in presence, but I still all but jump off the ship to score a juicy oxtail and plantains at the well-known Petite Pump Room, overlooking the harbor. From one of the highest points in the small city, the Icon of the Seas appears bigger than the surrounding hills.

I usually tan very evenly, but something about the discombobulation of life at sea makes me forget the regular application of sunscreen. As I walk down the streets of Charlotte Amalie in my fluorescent Icon of the Seas cap, an old Rastafarian stares me down. “Redneck,” he hisses.

“No,” I want to tell him, as I bring a hand up to my red neck, “that’s not who I am at all. On my island, Mannahatta, as Whitman would have it, I am an interesting person living within an engaging artistic milieu. I do not wish to use the Caribbean as a dumping ground for the cruise-ship industry. I love the work of Derek Walcott. You don’t understand. I am not a redneck. And if I am, they did this to me.” They meaning Royal Caribbean? Its passengers? The Rands?

“They did this to me!”

Back on the Icon, some older matrons are muttering about a run-in with passengers from the Celebrity cruise ship docked next to us, the Celebrity Apex. Although Celebrity Cruises is also owned by Royal Caribbean, I am made to understand that there is a deep fratricidal beef between passengers of the two lines. “We met a woman from the Apex,” one matron says, “and she says it was a small ship and there was nothing to do. Her face was as tight as a 19-year-old’s, she had so much surgery.” With those words, and beneath a cloudy sky, humidity shrouding our weathered faces and red necks, we set sail once again, hopefully in the direction of home.

THERE ARE BARELY 48 HOURS LEFT to the cruise, and the Icon of the Seas’ passengers are salty. They know how to work the elevators. They know the Washy Washy song by heart. They understand that the chicken gyro at “Feta Mediterranean,” in the AquaDome Market, is the least problematic form of chicken on the ship.

The passengers have shed their INAUGURAL CRUISE T-shirts and are now starting to evince political opinions. There are caps pledging to make America great again and T-shirts that celebrate words sometimes attributed to Patrick Henry: “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people; it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.” With their preponderance of FAMILY FLAG FAITH FRIENDS FIREARMS T-shirts, the tables by the crepe station sometimes resemble the Capitol Rotunda on January 6. The Real Anthony Fauci , by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., appears to be a popular form of literature, especially among young men with very complicated versions of the American flag on their T-shirts. Other opinions blend the personal and the political. “Someone needs to kill Washy guy, right?” a well-dressed man in the elevator tells me, his gray eyes radiating nothing. “Just beat him to death. Am I right?” I overhear the male member of a young couple whisper, “There goes that freak” as I saunter by in my white spa robe, and I decide to retire it for the rest of the cruise.

I visit the Royal Bling to see up close the $100,000 golden chalice that entitles you to free drinks on Royal Caribbean forever. The pleasant Serbian saleslady explains that the chalice is actually gold-plated and covered in white zirconia instead of diamonds, as it would otherwise cost $1 million. “If you already have everything,” she explains, “this is one more thing you can get.”

I believe that anyone who works for Royal Caribbean should be entitled to immediate American citizenship. They already speak English better than most of the passengers and, per the Serbian lady’s sales pitch above, better understand what America is as well. Crew members like my Panamanian cabin attendant seem to work 24 hours a day. A waiter from New Delhi tells me that his contract is six months and three weeks long. After a cruise ends, he says, “in a few hours, we start again for the next cruise.” At the end of the half a year at sea, he is allowed a two-to-three-month stay at home with his family. As of 2019, the median income for crew members was somewhere in the vicinity of $20,000, according to a major business publication. Royal Caribbean would not share the current median salary for its crew members, but I am certain that it amounts to a fraction of the cost of a Royal Bling gold-plated, zirconia-studded chalice.

And because most of the Icon’s hyper-sanitized spaces are just a frittata away from being a Delta lounge, one forgets that there are actual sailors on this ship, charged with the herculean task of docking it in port. “Having driven 100,000-ton aircraft carriers throughout my career,” retired Admiral James G. Stavridis, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, writes to me, “I’m not sure I would even know where to begin with trying to control a sea monster like this one nearly three times the size.” (I first met Stavridis while touring Army bases in Germany more than a decade ago.)

Today, I decide to head to the hot tub near Swim & Tonic, where some of the ship’s drunkest reprobates seem to gather (the other tubs are filled with families and couples). The talk here, like everywhere else on the ship, concerns football, a sport about which I know nothing. It is apparent that four teams have recently competed in some kind of finals for the year, and that two of them will now face off in the championship. Often when people on the Icon speak, I will try to repeat the last thing they said with a laugh or a nod of disbelief. “Yes, 20-yard line! Ha!” “Oh my God, of course, scrimmage.”

Soon we are joined in the hot tub by the late-middle-age drunk guy with the duck necklace. He is wearing a bucket hat with the legend HAWKEYES , which, I soon gather, is yet another football team. “All right, who turned me in?” Duck Necklace says as he plops into the tub beside us. “I get a call in the morning,” he says. “It’s security. Can you come down to the dining room by 10 a.m.? You need to stay away from the members of this religious family.” Apparently, the gregarious Duck Necklace had photobombed the wrong people. There are several families who present as evangelical Christians or practicing Muslims on the ship. One man, evidently, was not happy that Duck Necklace had made contact with his relatives. “It’s because of religious stuff; he was offended. I put my arm around 20 people a day.”

Everyone laughs. “They asked me three times if I needed medication,” he says of the security people who apparently interrogated him in full view of others having breakfast.

Another hot-tub denizen suggests that he should have asked for fentanyl. After a few more drinks, Duck Necklace begins to muse about what it would be like to fall off the ship. “I’m 62 and I’m ready to go,” he says. “I just don’t want a shark to eat me. I’m a huge God guy. I’m a Bible guy. There’s some Mayan theory squaring science stuff with religion. There is so much more to life on Earth.” We all nod into our Red Stripes.

“I never get off the ship when we dock,” he says. He tells us he lost $6,000 in the casino the other day. Later, I look him up, and it appears that on land, he’s a financial adviser in a crisp gray suit, probably a pillar of his North Chicago community.

THE OCEAN IS TEEMING with fascinating life, but on the surface it has little to teach us. The waves come and go. The horizon remains ever far away.

I am constantly told by my fellow passengers that “everybody here has a story.” Yes, I want to reply, but everybody everywhere has a story. You, the reader of this essay, have a story, and yet you’re not inclined to jump on a cruise ship and, like Duck Necklace, tell your story to others at great pitch and volume. Maybe what they’re saying is that everybody on this ship wants to have a bigger, more coherent, more interesting story than the one they’ve been given. Maybe that’s why there’s so much signage on the doors around me attesting to marriages spent on the sea. Maybe that’s why the Royal Caribbean newsletter slipped under my door tells me that “this isn’t a vacation day spent—it’s bragging rights earned.” Maybe that’s why I’m so lonely.

Today is a big day for Icon passengers. Today the ship docks at Royal Caribbean’s own Bahamian island, the Perfect Day at CocoCay. (This appears to be the actual name of the island.) A comedian at the nightclub opined on what his perfect day at CocoCay would look like—receiving oral sex while learning that his ex-wife had been killed in a car crash (big laughter). But the reality of the island is far less humorous than that.

One of the ethnic tristate ladies in the infinity pool told me that she loved CocoCay because it had exactly the same things that could be found on the ship itself. This proves to be correct. It is like the Icon, but with sand. The same tired burgers, the same colorful tubes conveying children and water from Point A to B. The same swim-up bar at its Hideaway ($140 for admittance, no children allowed; Royal Caribbean must be printing money off its clientele). “There was almost a fight at The Wizard of Oz ,” I overhear an elderly woman tell her companion on a chaise lounge. Apparently one of the passengers began recording Royal Caribbean’s intellectual property and “three guys came after him.”

I walk down a pathway to the center of the island, where a sign reads DO NOT ENTER: YOU HAVE REACHED THE BOUNDARY OF ADVENTURE . I hear an animal scampering in the bushes. A Royal Caribbean worker in an enormous golf cart soon chases me down and takes me back to the Hideaway, where I run into Mrs. Rand in a bikini. She becomes livid telling me about an altercation she had the other day with a woman over a towel and a deck chair. We Suites have special towel privileges; we do not have to hand over our SeaPass Card to score a towel. But the Rands are not Suites. “People are so entitled here,” Mrs. Rand says. “It’s like the airport with all its classes.” “You see,” I want to say, “this is where your husband’s love of Ayn Rand runs into the cruelties and arbitrary indignities of unbridled capitalism.” Instead we make plans to meet for a final drink in the Schooner Bar tonight (the Rands will stand me up).

Back on the ship, I try to do laps, but the pool (the largest on any cruise ship, naturally) is fully trashed with the detritus of American life: candy wrappers, a slowly dissolving tortilla chip, napkins. I take an extra-long shower in my suite, then walk around the perimeter of the ship on a kind of exercise track, past all the alluring lifeboats in their yellow-and-white livery. Maybe there is a dystopian angle to the HBO series that I will surely end up pitching, one with shades of WALL-E or Snowpiercer . In a collapsed world, a Royal Caribbean–like cruise liner sails from port to port, collecting new shipmates and supplies in exchange for the precious energy it has on board. (The actual Icon features a new technology that converts passengers’ poop into enough energy to power the waterslides . In the series, this shitty technology would be greatly expanded.) A very young woman (18? 19?), smart and lonely, who has only known life on the ship, walks along the same track as I do now, contemplating jumping off into the surf left by its wake. I picture reusing Duck Necklace’s words in the opening shot of the pilot. The girl is walking around the track, her eyes on the horizon; maybe she’s highborn—a Suite—and we hear the voice-over: “I’m 19 and I’m ready to go. I just don’t want a shark to eat me.”

Before the cruise is finished, I talk to Mr. Washy Washy, or Nielbert of the Philippines. He is a sweet, gentle man, and I thank him for the earworm of a song he has given me and for keeping us safe from the dreaded norovirus. “This is very important to me, getting people to wash their hands,” he tells me in his burger getup. He has dreams, as an artist and a performer, but they are limited in scope. One day he wants to dress up as a piece of bacon for the morning shift.

THE MAIDEN VOYAGE OF THE TITANIC (the Icon of the Seas is five times as large as that doomed vessel) at least offered its passengers an exciting ending to their cruise, but when I wake up on the eighth day, all I see are the gray ghosts that populate Miami’s condo skyline. Throughout my voyage, my writer friends wrote in to commiserate with me. Sloane Crosley, who once covered a three-day spa mini-cruise for Vogue , tells me she felt “so very alone … I found it very untethering.” Gideon Lewis-Kraus writes in an Instagram comment: “When Gary is done I think it’s time this genre was taken out back and shot.” And he is right. To badly paraphrase Adorno: After this, no more cruise stories. It is unfair to put a thinking person on a cruise ship. Writers typically have difficult childhoods, and it is cruel to remind them of the inherent loneliness that drove them to writing in the first place. It is also unseemly to write about the kind of people who go on cruises. Our country does not provide the education and upbringing that allow its citizens an interior life. For the creative class to point fingers at the large, breasty gentlemen adrift in tortilla-chip-laden pools of water is to gather a sour harvest of low-hanging fruit.

A day or two before I got off the ship, I decided to make use of my balcony, which I had avoided because I thought the view would only depress me further. What I found shocked me. My suite did not look out on Central Park after all. This entire time, I had been living in the ship’s Disneyland, Surfside, the neighborhood full of screaming toddlers consuming milkshakes and candy. And as I leaned out over my balcony, I beheld a slight vista of the sea and surf that I thought I had been missing. It had been there all along. The sea was frothy and infinite and blue-green beneath the span of a seagull’s wing. And though it had been trod hard by the world’s largest cruise ship, it remained.

This article appears in the May 2024 print edition with the headline “A Meatball at Sea.” When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.