Whether you are a beginner or have already mastered the basics of Italian, there is always room to move up to the next level. This applies not only to advanced conversations, but also to simple conversations, such as the process of introducing yourself in Italian. In meetings with native speakers, you can demonstrate your true potential.
So what are some simple Italian phrases worth learning? Let’s take a look at them now along with some formal forms in case you need them at some point in the future.
An easy way to introduce yourself in Italian
The standard way to introduce yourself in Italian is very simple. First, you can do this by saying “Hello”.You can use common greetings such as goodbye or ointment For example. After that, you can say your name.Alternatively, you can use the term pleasure, similar to “my pleasure” in English. Here is a practical example:
Antonio: Hi, (I’m) Antonio! Nice to meet you.
Sarah: Hi, (I’m) Sarah and it’s my pleasure!
Antonio: Hi, I’m Antonio!Nice to meet you.
Sarah: Hi, I’m Sarah, nice to meet you too.
This basic form can have different variations, just like in English.For example, don’t use the verb I am (I am), you can choose a different one, e.g. call (Call up). In this case, the structure of the sentence is slightly different because the verb is reflexive.
Let’s consider this conversation:
Francisco: Good morning, my name is Francisco, nice to meet you!
Roberta: Good morning, (I) am Roberta and it’s my pleasure!
Francisco: Hello, my name is Francisco, nice to meet you!
Roberta: Hello, my name is Roberta, nice to meet you too!
The first difference that might catch your attention here is the change in the way we speak Hello.Francisco started with good morning (good morning / Goodbye / formal Hello), which can easily be replaced by the greeting good evening (good evening) or ointment (Another way of saying this is “Hello“).
notes: ointment more polite than goodbye, so you might hear it used between coworkers or strangers. That said, many adults also use it informally: it all depends on the tone.
Francisco then used my name is… you can translate it as my name is… or My name is… in English.But you can also choose my name is (literally “my name is”). Both variations are used to introduce yourself in Italian without affecting its meaning at all.
notes: my name is Literally means “I call myself”.
A formal way to introduce yourself in Italian
Now let’s take a closer look at how to introduce yourself in a formal Italian setting.
To better understand the difference, it may be useful to refer to the previous example and convert it into its formal equivalent:
Francisco: Good morning, my name is Francisco, nice to meet you!
Roberta: Good morning Francisco, (I) am Roberta, nice to meet you!
Francisco: Hello, my name is Francisco, nice to meet you!
Roberta: Hello Francisco, my name is Roberta, nice to meet you!
In formal situations, a good rule of thumb is to use good morning or good evening rather than with goodbye. As mentioned just now, ointment A bit like the Joker Card, it can be used for both informal and formal introductions. this is your choice.
After the greeting, at the end of the first sentence, Francisco uses the expression Nice to meet you.By examining this language fragment you can see that the term pleasure Used as in informal examples.But here, it is followed by a preposition and a verb Know (to understand).The verb ends with a personal pronoun thisformally referring to the other party.
This ending means in Italian thunder, which is a personal pronoun used in polite forms. It is widely used when talking to authorities, senior citizens or in any other formal situation such as a job interview. You should know that Italians behave in an old-fashioned way. In fact, older people are especially likely to be offended if people don’t address them as expected (although they will certainly be more tolerant of language learners). So, knowing this personal pronoun will definitely give you a head start.
In formal contexts, you can also use other expressions, such as:
- very happy (very happy)
- Nice to meet you (Nice to meet you)
- I’m happy to say you’re welcome (My pleasure)
- Happiness is all mine (Happiness is all mine)
In Roberta’s answer you can see how she uses the word good morning Next comes the name of the other interlocutor. In this way, she shows respect and puts the other person above herself. This way, she can remember the new name better by repeating it, killing two birds with one stone. Only then did Roberta go on to introduce herself.
Before concluding this article, it is important to note the perspective on the use of these formulas in these liturgies, known in Italy as “liturgies”. etiquette. In fact, if you religiously follow the “also known as” good toneyou shouldn’t really use pleasure When you meet someone for the first time.
The reason is simple: if you don’t know someone yet, how can it be a pleasure to meet them? If there is any joy, it will come later, so using it from the beginning can be seen as the worst sign of insincerity. Have you ever thought about it before?
But don’t worry, in most cases no one in Italy cares and these expressions are used and appreciated by most Italians. So feel free to use them just like you would in English!
How to introduce someone in Italian
In most cases, Italians are very direct when you are introducing someone in Italian to another person you already know. There isn’t much room for imagination. To better understand how they do this, here’s a practical example:
Antonio: Hi Francisco, how are you?
Francisco: Hi Antonio, everything is fine, thank you.
Antonio: This is Anna, my partner.
Francisco: Hi Anna, nice to meet you.
Anna: Hello, I’m very happy.
Antonio: Hi Francisco, how are you?
Francisco: Hi Antonio, I’m fine, thank you.
Antonio: This is Anna, my girlfriend.
Francisco: Hi Anna, nice to meet you.
Anna: Hello, nice to meet you too.
As you can see, the dialogue is brief.Note that in Italian they use the following form He, she and… (meaning is He/she is…) replace This is… When introducing another person.You’ll never hear an Italian say This/this is… Next is the person’s name. After a brief introduction, they can already start talking about their ideas.
However, things are a little different when you want to introduce someone in Italian in a formal setting. In this case, the conversation will follow the same structure as the formal conversation we saw before, but with some small practical changes. Suppose nurse Rosa wants to introduce her husband to doctor Elisa in the same medical department:
Rosa: Good evening, Dr. Elisa.
Elisa: Good evening, Ross.
Rosa: I would like to introduce you to my husband Francisco.
Elisa: Nice to meet you Francisco.
Francisco: My pleasure.
Rosa: Good evening Dr. Elisa, I would like to introduce you to my husband Francesco.
Elisa: Good evening Rosa, nice to meet you Francisco.
Francisco: All happiness is mine.
Right away, we can see that Rosa uses a more formal greeting good evening, as Elisa did in her response. Although Rosa knew Elisa, she first mentioned her title of doctor when addressing her colleagues to show respect for her position.Furthermore, she continues to use polite personal pronouns this This means thunder.
Unlike what happens in informal settings, she uses the following form I would like to introduce them… meaning is I would like to introduce to you….In her answer, Elisa maintains a formal tone using the following forms Nice to meet you Francisco (Nice to meet you, Francisco).
Now that you know how to introduce yourself and others in Italian, are you ready to try these phrases out in the wild? We certainly hope so!
About the author: Fabio Guarino
As linguists and language experts, Freelance content writer and SEO marketer Allowing me to combine my passions and interests with my career. My favorite thing about working with language is playing with words. This is something I have dreamed of ever since I started traveling the world and learning languages.
