Get your offer

Self-Introduction in English: How to Present Yourself and Describe Who You Are

Insights & Interviews

Description and self-introduction in English: here's how to do it and what to say | When studying a foreign language, it's important to learn how to introduce yourself. Talking about yourself, your passions, and your habits is a great way to make new friends during travel and study trips, but providing some information about your work and life in general is also a crucial step during an interview.
 

On this Sprachcaffe page, we talk about self-introduction in English , and how to talk about yourself in any context and with any person. Naturally, by learning to talk about yourself, you'll also be able to understand others when they share information about their lives, allowing you to carry on interesting conversations without any problems.

How to Introduce Yourself in English with Your Name, Age, and Home Country

You probably learned in school that the basics of personal introduction in English are your first name, last name, and age, as well as your city (or country). There are different ways to provide this information to your interlocutors, which vary depending on the context. For example, if you're in a classroom or at work, it's best to introduce yourself formally, while with other students or people your age, you might prefer more informal and colloquial expressions and terms.

First things first: greetings, which in English are "Hello," "Good morning," or even a more informal "Hi." Choose the one that seems most appropriate for the circumstances:

Hello / Hi / Hey = Hello

Good morning = Good morning

Good afternoon = Good afternoon

Good evening = Good evening

Furthermore, in Italy, when introducing yourself for the first time, we're used to saying "It's a pleasure to meet you" or simply "Piacere." In English, the same expressions can be translated as "Nice to meet you" or "Pleasure to meet you." You can follow up by asking "Come stai?" or "Come va?", which in English can be translated as the classic "How are you?", but in more informal contexts, you can decide to use "How are you doing (today)?". Here are two more useful expressions for introducing yourself to someone for the first time:

Let me introduce myself = Let me introduce myself

I don't think we've met, I am [name] = I don't think we've met, I am [name]

Typical Personal-information Questions Include:

What's your name? = What is your name?

How old are you? = How old are you?

Where are you from? = Where are you from?

These questions are followed by more or less formal answers, such as:

What's your name?

  • My name is [name and surname] = My name is [name and surname]
  • I'm [name and surname] = My name is [name and surname]

How old are you?

  • I'm [age] years old = I'm [age] years old
  • I'm [age] = I'm [age] years old

Where are you from?

  • I come from [city or country] = I come from [city or country]
  • I am from [city or country] = I come from [city or country]

Personal Description in English

Personal descriptions in English don't end with your name and age but can also include other areas such as physical and character traits, interests and hobbies, and, of course, your job. In school and during online English courses, teachers often teach students to talk about their family.

To practice, you can start by saying how many brothers or sisters you have, their ages, and briefly describe them. Then you can talk about your parents' jobs, and so on. Let's look at some practical examples:

Do you have any brothers or sisters? = Do you have brothers or sisters?

  • Yes, I have two sisters = Yes, I have two sisters
  • Yes, I have a younger brother = Yes, I have a younger brother
  • No, I'm an only child = No, I'm an only child

What does your mother / father do? = What does your mother / father do?

  • My mother is a [job] = My mother is a [profession]
  • My father has retired = My father is retired

What does your brother look like? = What does your brother look like?

  • My brother has green eyes = My brother has green eyes
  • He is taller than me = He is taller than me

To describe yourself and others physically, it's important to learn some basic terms, such as "long" and "short" (meaning "long" and "short" respectively), or "tall" and "thin." Studying colors, for example, helps you provide accurate information about eyes, hair, and clothing. When it comes to personality, adjectives like "introverted" and "extroverted," "friendly" or "shy," "loyal," "bold," and many others can help.

As you learn the language, you'll gradually expand your vocabulary and be able to express yourself better. Also remember that adjectives in English follow a certain order, which is as follows: opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose.

Useful Phrases for Self-descriptions in English

As we've mentioned in previous paragraphs, there's no single way to ask for information. Questions vary depending on the context, and so do the terms and expressions used. Below, we've provided more examples of questions and their answers to provide more information to your interlocutors, as well as useful expressions for informal conversations.

Where do you live? = Where do you live?

  • I live in [city or country] = I live in [city or country]

What do you do? = What job do you do?

  • I am a [job] = I am a [profession]

What is your favorite sport? = What is your favorite sport?

  • I really like [sport] = I really like [sport]

What do you do in your free time? = What do you do in your free time?

I grew up in [city] but now I live in [city] = I grew up in [city] but now I live in [city]

I'm around your age = I'm around your age

When describing yourself in English, the expressions you use vary depending on what you're talking about, such as whether you're talking about your character and personality or your physical appearance. For example:

I weigh [weight] = I weigh [weight in kg]

I am [height] metres tall = I am tall [height in metres]

I have [adjective] hair and [adjective] eyes = I have [adjective] hair and [adjective] eyes

Introducing Yourself in English for a Job Interview

Here at Sprachcaffe, you can book study and work trips. During your stay abroad, you can decide to start working during the day and take evening courses, or find a part-time or weekend job to take more intensive courses during the day.

Whatever your choice, we offer a wide range of courses and stays to help you find the option that best suits your needs. For further helpful advice, you can contact us by filling out this online form. We'll get back to you as soon as possible for a personalized consultation.

Want to find a job in the UK and wondering how to introduce yourself in English for an interview? Very often, the person in front of you will ask you to introduce yourself, which in English is called "introduce yourself."

In this case, it's helpful to know how to translate your thoughts into words and to know the appropriate terms. You can start by talking about yourself by saying, "I consider myself a [adjective]," then using positive adjectives, such as:

organized = organized

rational = rational

creative = creative

friendly = friendly

adaptable = adaptable

open-minded = open-minded

disciplined = disciplined

ambitious = ambitious

reliable = trustworthy

So, prepare a short introduction that highlights your qualities and skills, focus on your strengths, and try to learn various English adjectives that might be useful in the interview. Here are some useful expressions:

I am very good at [skill] = I am very good at [skill]

I'm a really hard worker and a quick learner = I work hard and learn quickly

I am interested in this project = I am interested in this project

Another thing you may need to discuss is your career ambitions and goals. The employer might ask, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" or "What are your career goals?" You can end your interview by thanking the interviewer for their time, like this: "Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today."

Back

Related news

Learning & Grammer

12/12/2025
For vs. Since: Rules, Examples, and Practice Exercises
When to Use For and Since: Everything You Need to Know | The English language is rich in words, particles, and elements that help reinforce the meaning of verbs, or place actions in the time and space in which they occur.
Learning & Grammer

12/11/2025
How Shadowing Improves English Pronunciation and Reduces a German Accent
Is your German accent very strong when speaking the foreign language you're currently trying to improve, and do you finally want to change it and improve your pronunciation? Then the shadowing technique for improving your pronunciation is just what you need. You simply imitate the spoken words of native speakers and learn accent-free pronunciation in this way. Your language intuition and vocal apparatus are perfectly trained for the new demands of your foreign language.
Languages & Culture

12/10/2025
Popular English Idioms and their Meanings across English-Speaking Countries
There are countless English idioms that often surprise non-native speakers. Idioms, in particular, bring a great deal of variety to our conversations. These expressions in English are like undiscovered treasures that lend the English language a rich symbolism and depth of meaning. To help you better understand the meaning of some common English idioms, this article will provide definitions and examples. The use of idioms often depends on the specific English-speaking country. Therefore, we will first focus on country-specific English idioms and then delve deeper into topic-based idioms in the English language. First, however, we'll start with a definition of English idioms. This way, everyone is on the same page and understands what English idioms actually are.
Learning & Grammer

12/09/2025
Impress English Natives with these 40 Terms
Already speak some English and want to impress the native speakers with your knowledge? We've gone to the trouble of creating this list of everyday words and expressions that will finally help you achieve native-level fluency in your conversational English. So say "see you later" to "hello" and "yes", and say "'sup?" to "hey" and "yeah". Alright, time to "knock it off" and stop "faffing around".
Learning & Grammer

12/05/2025
Can, Could Be, Be Able to: Exercises and Differences
Easy Exercises to learn in English - Can, Could, Be able to | English verbs never cease to amaze and challenge: today you'll find out with the exercises on can, could, and be able to! If you're already taking the skills test, it means you've already studied their meanings and the cases in which they're used. But don't worry: in this lesson, before moving on to the exercises, we'll also review some theory, so you have the concepts fresh and avoid the risk of making trivial, careless mistakes.
Learning & Grammer

12/04/2025
Possessive Adjectives vs. Pronouns in English: Examples, Phrases & Practice Exercises
English possessive adjectives and pronouns: Examples, differences, and exercises | English possessive adjectives and pronouns are one of those fundamental topics to study right from the start, from the moment you first approach the English language. It's thanks to passages like these that you can take the first steps in forming simple but crucial sentences, like those you use to introduce and describe yourself.
Learning & Grammer

12/04/2025
When and How to Use Would, Should, and Could in English
A Guide to Using Could, Should, Would: Exercises and Explanation | Modal verbs are one of the most important elements of any language, especially English: in fact, they are widely used in everyday speech and serve to express possibility, necessity, intention, and even obligation.
Get the latest on travel, languages and culture