Introducing Yourself

Being able to introduce yourself is one of the most practical skills in any language. In this lesson, you will learn how to say your name, where you are from, your age, and what you do — in both informal and formal Italian. You will also learn how to ask others about themselves.

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Overview

Italian introductions follow a predictable structure. The key phrases involve:

1. Saying your name — Mi chiamo...
2. Saying where you are from — Sono di...
3. Saying your age — Ho ... anni
4. Saying your occupation — Sono ... / Faccio ...
5. Expressing pleasure at meeting someone — Piacere!

Each of these has both formal and informal versions, reflecting the tu/Lei distinction covered in Lesson 7.

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Saying Your Name

Mi chiamo... — My Name Is...

The most common way to state your name is Mi chiamo... (literally, "I call myself...").

Italian	Pronunciation	English
Mi chiamo Marco.	"mee KYAH-moh MAR-koh"	My name is Marco.
Mi chiamo Anna.	"mee KYAH-moh AHN-nah"	My name is Anna.

Sono... — I Am...

You can also simply say Sono... followed by your name:

• Sono Marco. — I'm Marco.
• Sono la signora Bianchi. — I'm Mrs Bianchi. (formal)

Il mio nome è... — My Name Is... (More Formal)

This construction is less common in conversation but you may encounter it:

• Il mio nome è Marco. — My name is Marco.

Tip: Mi chiamo is by far the most natural and common way to introduce yourself in Italian. Use it as your default.

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Asking Someone's Name

Situation	Italian	Pronunciation	English
Informal	Come ti chiami?	"KOH-meh tee KYAH-mee"	What's your name?
Formal	Come si chiama?	"KOH-meh see KYAH-mah"	What is your name?
Very formal	Qual è il Suo nome?	"kwahl eh eel SOO-oh NOH-meh"	What is your name?

Sample Exchange

Informal:

• Ciao! Come ti chiami? — Hi! What's your name?
• Mi chiamo Giulia. E tu? — My name is Giulia. And you?
• Mi chiamo David. Piacere! — My name is David. Nice to meet you!
• Piacere mio! — The pleasure is mine!

Formal:

• Buongiorno. Come si chiama? — Good morning. What is your name?
• Mi chiamo Roberto Rossi. E Lei? — My name is Roberto Rossi. And you?
• Mi chiamo Sarah Johnson. Piacere. — My name is Sarah Johnson. Pleased to meet you.
• Piacere di conoscerLa. — Pleased to meet you. (very formal)

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Saying Where You Are From

Sono di... — I'm From...

Use Sono di... followed by a city name:

• Sono di Londra. — I'm from London.
• Sono di Roma. — I'm from Rome.
• Sono di New York. — I'm from New York.

Sono... (Nationality)

Use Sono followed by your nationality adjective:

English	Italian (masculine)	Italian (feminine)
English	inglese	inglese
American	americano	americana
Australian	australiano	australiana
Irish	irlandese	irlandese
Scottish	scozzese	scozzese
Canadian	canadese	canadese
French	francese	francese
German	tedesco	tedesca
Spanish	spagnolo	spagnola
Italian	italiano	italiana

Examples:

• Sono inglese. — I'm English.
• Sono americana. — I'm American. (female speaker)
• Sono australiano. — I'm Australian. (male speaker)

Tip: Nationality adjectives in Italian are not capitalised (unlike English). Write inglese, not Inglese.

Vengo da... — I Come From...

For emphasis or variety, you can use Vengo da...:

• Vengo da Manchester. — I come from Manchester.
• Vengo dall'Italia. — I come from Italy.
• Vengo dagli Stati Uniti. — I come from the United States.

Asking Where Someone Is From

Situation	Italian	English
Informal	Di dove sei?	Where are you from?
Formal	Di dov'è?	Where are you from?
Alternative	Da dove vieni?	Where do you come from? (informal)
Alternative	Da dove viene?	Where do you come from? (formal)

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Saying Your Age

In Italian, you express your age using the verb avere (to have), not "to be." You literally say "I have X years."

Italian	Pronunciation	English
Ho venticinque anni.	"oh ven-tee-CHEEN-kweh AHN-nee"	I am 25 years old.
Ho trent'anni.	"oh tren-TAHN-nee"	I am 30 years old.
Ho diciotto anni.	"oh dee-CHOHT-toh AHN-nee"	I am 18 years old.

Asking Someone's Age