A useful introduction gives the other person something to respond to. Practise saying your name, where you are from and where you live, then ask one question back. The people in this dialogue are fictional. Use invented details while rehearsing if you prefer.
A first meeting
| Γεια σου! Με λένε Άννα. Εσένα; | Hi! My name is Anna. And you? |
| Με λένε Νίκο. Χάρηκα! | My name is Nikos. Nice to meet you! |
| Κι εγώ. Από πού είσαι; | Me too. Where are you from? |
| Είμαι από την Ελλάδα, αλλά μένω στη Γερμανία. Εσύ; | I’m from Greece, but I live in Germany. And you? |
| Είμαι από τη Γαλλία και μένω στο Παρίσι. | I’m from France and I live in Paris. |
Give your name
Με λένε… is a common way to say “My name is…”. Another introduction is Είμαι ο Νίκος, “I’m Nikos”. Notice the different name form in Με λένε Νίκο. Learn the whole phrase for your chosen practice name instead of assuming that every name keeps exactly the same form in every sentence.
Separate origin from residence
Είμαι από… tells someone where you are from. Μένω… tells them where you live. In the dialogue, Nikos is from Greece but lives in Germany. These are two different facts. Άλλα is not the word used here: αλλά, with the stress on the final syllable, means “but”. The stress mark matters.
Use complete place phrases
Practise από την Ελλάδα, “from Greece”, από τη Γαλλία, “from France”, στη Γερμανία, “in Germany”, and στο Παρίσι, “in Paris”. The small words change with the place name. Keep them attached to the name while learning. You can start with one true or invented origin and one city of residence.
Ask something back
Εσύ; means “And you?” in this context. Από πού είσαι; asks where someone is from. The dialogue uses informal singular forms, appropriate for this friendly practice exchange. For a polite or plural question, use Από πού είστε; and Εσείς; rather than mixing forms without a reason.
Check the details
- What is the name of the first speaker?
- Is Nikos from Germany, or does he live there?
- Which phrase introduces where you live: είμαι από or μένω?
- Ask politely where someone is from.
See the answers
1. Anna. 2. He lives in Germany; he is from Greece. 3. Μένω. 4. Από πού είστε; The dialogue itself uses the informal Από πού είσαι;
Build your own introduction
Write three prompts: name, origin and home. Say a short introduction without reading the dialogue, then add Εσύ; or Εσείς; to invite a reply. Have a partner swap origin and residence in their summary. Correct the two facts using αλλά so you practise meaning as well as recall.
Other ways to give your name and greet
Με λένε… is the everyday choice. These alternatives are more formal, shorter or useful for asking the other person:
- Λέγομαι Άννα. — My name is Anna (slightly more formal).
- Το όνομά μου είναι Άννα. — My name is Anna (full, formal-sounding).
- Είμαι η Άννα. — I’m Anna (natural and short).
- Πώς σε λένε; — What’s your name? (informal)
- Πώς σας λένε; — What’s your name? (polite or plural)
- Χαίρω πολύ. — Pleased to meet you (polite).
- Χάρηκα πολύ. — Very nice to meet you.
Common mistakes
- Με λένε ο Νίκος. → Με λένε Νίκο.: after με λένε the name has no article and takes the object form.
- Είμαι Νίκος. → Είμαι ο Νίκος.: with είμαι, Greek normally puts the article before a name.
- Μένω σε Γερμανία. → Μένω στη Γερμανία.: countries and cities take σε plus the article, which merge into στη, στο or στην.
Questions about introductions in Greek
How do you say “my name is” in Greek? Say Με λένε followed by your name, or Λέγομαι. Some names change form after με λένε: Νίκος becomes Νίκο.
How do you say “nice to meet you” in Greek? Χάρηκα or, more formally, Χαίρω πολύ. A natural reply is Κι εγώ or Επίσης.
How do you ask “where are you from?” in Greek? Από πού είσαι; to one person you know well, Από πού είστε; to be polite or to ask several people.
Review Greek greetings. Ask someone to repeat a name or phrase.