German - Meeting New People

Ich komme aus ___.

I'm from ___.

Meaning: I'm from ___.

When to use: Use this standard phrase to say where you come from. Add a country or city after the blank: e.g. Ich komme aus Deutschland. Use articles when needed: aus der Türkei, aus den USA.

Tip: Don't forget articles for some countries: say ‚aus der Türkei‘ (not ‚aus Türkei‘).

Freut mich, dich kennenzulernen.

Nice to meet you.

Meaning: Nice to meet you.

When to use: Say this when someone introduces themself. Use the informal ‚dich‘ with friends or peers; formally use ‚Sie‘.

Tip: Beginners sometimes mix informal and formal forms (dich vs. Sie). Match the formality to the situation.

Freut mich auch.

Nice to meet you too.

Meaning: Nice to meet you too.

When to use: A short, natural reply when someone says they are pleased to meet you.

Woher kennst du ___?

How do you know ___?

Meaning: How do you know ___?

When to use: Ask this when you hear someone mention another person and you want to know the connection. Informal with du; use Sie for formality.

Wir kennen uns von ___.

We know each other from ___.

Meaning: We know each other from ___.

When to use: Use this to explain where you and another person met: e.g. Wir kennen uns von der Arbeit, von der Schule oder von einem Kurs.

Bist du neu hier?

Are you new here?

Meaning: Are you new here?

When to use: Ask this in informal situations to find out if someone has just arrived at a place (school, office, neighborhood). Formal: Sind Sie neu hier?

Ich bin neu hier.

I'm new here.

Meaning: I'm new here.

When to use: A simple response to say you are new at a place like work, school, or the neighborhood.

Entschuldige, wie heißt du nochmal?

Sorry, what was your name again?

Meaning: Sorry, what was your name again?

When to use: Use this politely when you didn't catch or forgot someone's name. Informal with du; formal: Entschuldigung, wie heißen Sie nochmal?

Tip: Avoid sounding too blunt; adding Entschuldige makes it polite.

Ich stell mich kurz vor.

Let me introduce myself.

Meaning: Let me introduce myself.

When to use: Start a brief self-introduction. Slightly informal; more formal: Ich möchte mich kurz vorstellen.

Ich glaube, wir kennen uns noch nicht.

I don't think we've met.

Meaning: I don't think we've met.

When to use: Use this phrase when you want to say you haven't met the other person before; polite and natural.

Kennen wir uns schon?

Have we met before?

Meaning: Have we met before?

When to use: Ask this when someone seems familiar and you are unsure whether you've met before. Friendly and short.

Ich möchte dir ___ vorstellen.

I'd like you to meet ___.

Meaning: I'd like you to meet ___.

When to use: Use this when introducing one person to another: Ich möchte dir meinen Freund vorstellen / Ich möchte dir Frau Müller vorstellen.

Wie schreibt man deinen Namen?

How do you spell your name?

Meaning: How do you spell your name?

When to use: Ask this when you need the exact spelling of someone's name. Informal with du; formal: Wie schreibt man Ihren Namen?