Introducing yourself in Italian: phrases, vocabulary and exercises

In Italian, a short introduction combines a greeting, a name, and a piece of information about yourself. The structure changes depending on the register, formal or informal. A few set phrases are enough to build a complete introduction.

Greeting before introducing yourself

The greeting always opens the exchange. The choice depends on the time of day and the degree of familiarity with the person you are speaking to.

Phrase	Time	Register
Buongiorno	Morning, early afternoon	Formal and neutral
Buon pomeriggio	Afternoon	Formal, uncommon
Buonasera	Late afternoon, evening	Formal and neutral
Ciao	Anytime, between close friends	Informal
Salve	Anytime, with a stranger	Semi-formal

This choice directly precedes the introduction, with regional nuances covered by the different ways to say hello in Italian.

Saying your name

Two structures are most often used to give your name. Each is correct, but their usage differs slightly in spoken language.

Form	Example	Translation
Mi chiamo	Mi chiamo Laura.	My name is Laura.
Sono	Sono Marco.	I am Marco.
Il mio nome è	Il mio nome è Sara.	My name is Sara.

Mi chiamo remains the most common form in spoken language, regardless of the register. Il mio nome è appears mainly in writing or in a very formal setting.

Adapting the register, formal or informal

Italian distinguishes between the informal you (tu) and the formal you (Lei) in an introduction. This choice modifies the politeness formulas and certain verb endings.

Context	Phrase	Translation
Informal (tu)	Ciao, sono Luca. Piacere!	Hi, I’m Luca. Nice to meet you!
Formal (Lei)	Buongiorno, mi chiamo Luca Rossi. È un piacere conoscerLa.	Good morning, my name is Luca Rossi. Pleased to meet you.

This distinction also affects pronouns and certain agreements, at the heart of the formal address in Italian as a whole.

Specifying your origin and place of residence

Three prepositions describe origin or residence, each associated with a specific verb.

Preposition	Verb	Example	Meaning
di	essere	Sono di Torino.	City of origin
da	venire	Vengo da Torino.	Provenance
a	abitare	Abito a Milano.	Current residence

A sentence like “Sono di Torino, ma abito a Milano” distinguishes origin from current residence. These three prepositions are not freely interchangeable.

Giving your age and nationality

Age is constructed with the verb avere, never with essere as in English.

Form	Example	Translation
Ho [number] anni	Ho 25 anni.	I am 25 years old.

A good knowledge of numbers in Italian makes this step of the introduction easier.

The nationality adjective agrees in gender with the person speaking.

Masculine	Feminine	Translation
italiano	italiana	Italian
francese	francese	French (invariable)
spagnolo	spagnola	Spanish

These agreements follow the broader logic of adjectives to know in Italian, beyond just nationalities.

Mentioning your profession or studies

The profession is introduced with essere, without an article before the job title.

Form	Example	Translation
Sono + job	Sono insegnante.	I am a teacher.
Lavoro come	Lavoro come cuoco.	I work as a cook.
Studio + subject	Studio medicina.	I study medicine.

The absence of an article before the job title distinguishes Italian from English on this specific point.

Using the verb essere in the present tense

The verb essere structures most of an introduction, from name to nationality.

Pronoun	Form	Example
Io	sono	Io sono Marco.
Tu	sei	Tu sei simpatico.
Lui / Lei	è	Lei è italiana.
Noi	siamo	Noi siamo amici.
Voi	siete	Voi siete studenti.
Loro	sono	Loro sono professori.

The present tense is only one part of the conjugation of the verb to be in Italian, useful as soon as an introduction extends to the past or future.

Answering common questions about yourself

An introduction often leads to questions in return. These phrases help continue the exchange.

Question	Translation
Di dove sei?	Where are you from?
Che lavoro fai?	What is your job?
Da quanto tempo studi l’italiano?	How long have you been studying Italian?
Quali sono i tuoi hobby?	What are your hobbies?

Example of an introduction dialogue

A short dialogue illustrates the natural flow of these phrases.

Anna: Ciao! Sono Anna. Di dove sei?
Hi! I’m Anna. Where are you from?

Marco: Ciao Anna! Mi chiamo Marco, sono di Firenze ma abito a Bologna.
Hi Anna! My name is Marco, I’m from Florence but I live in Bologna.

Anna: Che lavoro fai?
What is your job?

Marco: Sono fotografo. E tu?
I am a photographer. And you?

Anna: Studio ingegneria all’università.
I study engineering at university.