Sich vorstellen (Introducing yourself)
Name, country, city, languages — and du or Sie.
12 minutes · A free lesson from A1: Erste Schritte (first steps) · Roman and Urdu pronunciation guides and English meanings are shown under each phrase
Introducing yourself
Name
- Ich heiße …Say: ikh haisuhاِخ ہائسَMeans: My name is … (literally: I am called …)
- Mein Name ist …Say: main naamuh istمائن نامَ اِستMeans: My name is …
- Wie heißen Sie? / Wie heißt du?Say: vee haisuhn zee? vee haist doo?وی ہائسَن زی? وی ہائست دُو?Means: What is your name? (formal / informal)
Country and city
- Ich komme aus Pakistan.Say: ikh ko-muh ows pah-kis-tahnاِخ کومَہ آؤس پاکستانMeans: I come from Pakistan.
- Ich wohne in Lahore.Say: ikh vohnuh in laaohruh.اِخ وونَ اِن لاورَ.Means: I live in Lahore.
- Woher kommen Sie?Say: vohhehr komuhn zee?ووہےر کومَن زی?Means: Where are you from? (formal)
Languages and work
- Ich spreche Urdu und Englisch.Say: ikh shprehkhuh uuhdoo unt ehnglish.اِخ شپرےخَ اَُدُو اُنت اےنگلِش.Means: I speak Urdu and English.
- Ich lerne Deutsch.Say: ikh lehrnuh doych.اِخ لےرنَ دوئچ.Means: I am learning German.
- Ich bin Ingenieur. / Ich bin Lehrerin.Say: ikh bin injuhnyoer. ikh bin lehruhrin.اِخ بِن اِنجَنیوےر. اِخ بِن لےرَرِن.Means: I am an engineer. / I am a teacher (woman).
du is informal (friends, family, children, often colleagues); Sie is formal (strangers, officials, customers). Sie is always written with a capital S.
| du | Say doo | دُو | Means: you (informal) |
| Sie | Say zee | زی | Means: you (formal) |
Ein Gespräch
Sign in to play the recording. The transcript:
- Anna: Hallo! Ich heiße Anna. Wie heißt du?Say: haloh! ikh haisuh anaa. vee haist doo?ہالو! اِخ ہائسَ انا. وی ہائست دُو?Means: Hello! My name is Anna. What's your name?
- Omar: Ich heiße Omar. Ich komme aus Pakistan.Say: ikh haisuh ohmaar. ikh komuh ows paakistaan.اِخ ہائسَ اومار. اِخ کومَ آؤس پاکِستان.Means: My name is Omar. I come from Pakistan.
- Anna: Und wo wohnst du?Say: unt voh vohnst doo?اُنت وو وونست دُو?Means: And where do you live?
- Omar: Ich wohne jetzt in Frankfurt.Say: ikh vohnuh yehtst in frankfuuht.اِخ وونَ یےتست اِن فرانکفَُت.Means: I live in Frankfurt now.
Say it out loud (45 seconds): Stellen Sie sich vor: Name, Land, Wohnort, Sprachen.Say: shtehluhn zee zikh for. naamuh, lant, vohnort, shpraakhuhn.شتےلَن زی زِخ فور. نامَ, لانت, وونورت, شپراخَن.Means: Introduce yourself: name, country, where you live, languages.
A model answer
Ich heiße Omar. Ich komme aus Pakistan und wohne jetzt in Frankfurt. Ich spreche Urdu, Englisch und ein bisschen Deutsch.Say: ikh haisuh ohmaar. ikh komuh ows paakistaan unt vohnuh yehtst in frankfuuht. ikh shprehkhuh uuhdoo, ehnglish unt ain biskhuhn doych.اِخ ہائسَ اومار. اِخ کومَ آؤس پاکِستان اُنت وونَ یےتست اِن فرانکفَُت. اِخ شپرےخَ اَُدُو, اےنگلِش اُنت آئن بِسخَن دوئچ.Means: My name is Omar. I come from Pakistan and now live in Frankfurt. I speak Urdu, English and a little German.
Lesson quiz
Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.
Quick check: Which question asks where someone comes from?
- Wo wohnst du?
- Woher kommen Sie?
- Was machst du?
Show the answer
B: Woher kommen Sie? — Woher kommen Sie? asks where you come from. Wo wohnst du? asks where you live now.
Quick check: Which sentence says which languages you speak?
- Ich spreche Urdu und Englisch.
- Ich lerne Deutsch.
- Ich wohne in Lahore.
Show the answer
A: Ich spreche Urdu und Englisch. — sprechen means to speak. Ich lerne Deutsch means I am learning German.
Quick check: Which person do you call “Sie”?
- Your brother
- A small child
- A stranger, an official or a customer
Show the answer
C: A stranger, an official or a customer — Sie is formal, for people you do not know well. du is for friends, family and children.
Quick check: How is the formal “Sie” always written?
- With a small s
- With a capital S
- In capitals: SIE
Show the answer
B: With a capital S — Formal Sie always takes a capital S, even in the middle of a sentence.
Marked as soon as you finish — free with an account.Practise now