Real-Life Self-Introductions in Mandarin Chinese

In Chinese by Skritter

In this blog, we explore four authentic self-introductions in Chinese, complete with small talk. You’ll first hear dialogues with Iona and then we’ll break down key words and phrases.

Dialogue Themes:

  1. Meeting someone at a bar
  2. Discussing professions
  3. Talking about horoscopes
  4. Family life

Key Phrases:

  • How to ask someone to repeat themselves
  • Casual ways to discuss age and professions
  • Using slang and idiomatic expressions
  • Talking about horoscopes and family dynamics
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Age

嗨,我很喜欢你的衣服,很好看!
嗨,我很喜歡你的衣服,很好看!   
Hāi, wǒ hěn xǐhuan nǐ de yīfu, hěn hǎokàn!
Hi, I really like your clothes, they look great

谢谢,我也喜欢你的衣服!
謝謝,我也喜歡你的衣服!
Xièxiè, wǒ yě xǐhuan nǐ de yīfu!    
Thank you, I also like your clothes!  

我叫小明,你叫什么?  
我叫小明,你叫什麼?
Wǒ jiào Xiǎomíng, nǐ jiào shénme?
My name is Xiaoming, what’s your name?   

我叫花花!
Wǒ jiào Huāhuā!  
My name is Huahua!

不好意思,我没听清楚,可以再说一遍吗?
不好意思,我沒聽清楚,可以再說一遍嗎?
Bù hǎoyìsi, wǒ méi tīng qīngchu, kěyǐ zài shuō yī biàn ma?  
Sorry, I didn’t hear clearly, can you say it again?

我叫花花,你几岁呀? 
我叫花花,你幾歲呀?  
Wǒ jiào Huāhuā, nǐ jǐ suì ya?
My name is Huahua, how old are you?

二十七,你呢? 
Èrshíqī, nǐ ne?  
Twenty-seven, and you?

你猜猜看!   
Nǐ cāi cāi kàn!  
Have a guess!

哇,你看起来很小,二十一?
哇,你看起來很小,二十一?
Wā, nǐ kànqilai hěn xiǎo, èrshíyī?  
Wow, you look very young, twenty-one?


Jobs

你是做什么工作的?
你是做什麼工作的?
Nǐ shì zuò shénme gōngzuò de?
What do you do for work?

我是设计师。你呢?你是做什么的?
我是設計師。你呢?你是做什麼的?
Wǒ shì shèjìshī. Nǐ ne? Nǐ shì zuò shénme de?
I am a designer. What about you? What do you do?

我是工程师。
我是工程師。
Wǒ shì gōngchéngshī.
I am an engineer.

感觉很有趣耶!
感覺很有趣耶!
Gǎnjué hěn yǒuqù yé!
Sounds interesting!

是吗?我觉得很无聊,你的工作比较好玩。
是嗎?我覺得很無聊,你的工作比較好玩。
Shì ma? Wǒ juéde hěn wúliáo, nǐ de gōngzuò bǐjiào hǎowán.
Really? I think it’s boring, your job is more fun.

没有啦,你不喜欢你的工作吗?
沒有啦,你不喜歡你的工作嗎?
Méiyǒu la, nǐ bù xǐhuan nǐ de gōngzuò ma?
Not really, don’t you like your job?

喜欢,只是觉得没有设计师那么有趣。
喜歡,只是覺得沒有設計師那麼有趣。
Xǐhuan, zhǐshì juéde méiyǒu shèjìshī nàme yǒuqù.
I do, but I think it’s not as interesting as being a designer.

还好啦,反正我们都只是社畜。
還好啦,反正我們都只是社畜。
Hái hǎo la, fǎnzhèng wǒmen dōu zhǐshì shèchù.
It’s okay, we are just corporate slaves anyway.

也是啦哈哈哈!
Yě shì la hāhāhā!
That’s true, hahaha!

Star Signs

你是什么星座?
你是什麼星座?
Nǐ shì shénme xīngzuò?
What is your zodiac sign?

我是巨蟹座。
Wǒ shì Jùxièzuò.
I am a Cancer.

哇,那你很爱家喔!
哇,那你很愛家喔!
Wā, nà nǐ hěn ài jiā o!
Wow, then you must love your home!

爱啊,谁不爱家!
愛啊,誰不愛家!
Ài a, shéi bù ài jiā!
Yes, who doesn’t love home!

也是吼,我是天秤座,我也很爱家。
也是吼,我是天秤座,我也很愛家。
Yě shì hǒu, wǒ shì Tiānchēngzuò, wǒ yě hěn ài jiā.
True, I am a Libra, I also love home.

天秤好像朋友很多耶,你是这样的吗?
天秤好像朋友很多耶,你是這樣的嗎?
Tiānchēng hǎoxiàng péngyǒu hěn duō yé, nǐ shì zhèyàng de ma?
Libras seem to have a lot of friends, are you like that?

蛮多的,所以我觉得星座很准。你相信星座吗?
蠻多的,所以我覺得星座很準。你相信星座嗎?
Mán duō de, suǒyǐ wǒ juéde xīngzuò hěn zhǔn. Nǐ xiāngxìn xīngzuò ma?
Quite a lot, so I think zodiac signs are accurate. Do you believe in zodiac signs?

还好耶,但我觉得那是一种心理暗示,所以如果对方相信,对方就会像那个星座。
還好耶,但我覺得那是一種心理暗示,所以如果對方相信,對方就會像那個星座。
Hái hǎo yé, dàn wǒ juéde nà shì yī zhǒng xīnlǐ ànshì, suǒyǐ rúguǒ duìfāng xiāngxìn, duìfāng jiù huì xiàng nàgè xīngzuò.
Not really, but I think it’s a kind of psychological suggestion, so if the other person believes, they will act like that sign.

你很会说话耶。
你很會說話耶。
Nǐ hěn huì shuōhuà yé.
You are very eloquent.

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Family

你有兄弟姐妹吗?
你有兄弟姐妹嗎?
Nǐ yǒu xiōngdì jiěmèi ma?
Do you have siblings?

我有一个哥哥,一个妹妹。
我有一個哥哥,一個妹妹。
Wǒ yǒu yī gè gēgē, yī gè mèimei.
I have an older brother and a younger sister.

好好喔,我是独生女。
好好喔,我是獨生女。
Hǎohǎo o, wǒ shì dúshēngnǚ.
How nice, I am an only daughter.

才不好咧,我跟我哥没什么感情,然后我妹整天跟我吵架。
才不好咧,我跟我哥沒什麼感情,然後我妹整天跟我吵架。
Cái bù hǎo lie, wǒ gēn wǒ gē méi shénme gǎnqíng, ránhòu wǒ mèimei zhěngtiān gēn wǒ chǎojià.
Not really, I don’t have much of a relationship with my brother, and my sister argues with me all the time.

你跟你家人住一起吗?
你跟你家人住一起嗎?
Nǐ gēn nǐ jiārén zhù yīqǐ ma?
Do you live with your family?

对啊,所以常常吵架,超想搬出去。
對啊,所以常常吵架,超想搬出去。
Duì a, suǒyǐ chángcháng chǎojià, chāo xiǎng bān chūqù.
Yes, so we argue a lot, I really want to move out.

距离产生美,通常搬出去之后跟家人感情会变好。
距離產生美,通常搬出去之後跟家人感情會變好。
Jùlí chǎnshēng měi, tōngcháng bān chūqù zhīhòu gēn jiārén gǎnqíng huì biàn hǎo.
Distance creates beauty, usually relationships with family improve after moving out.

真的。
Zhēn de.
Really.

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