Go in with a purpose.
You are meeting a new colleague before a business meeting. You need a short introduction and a clear understanding of when to begin.
Your goal: Give your name, respond to an introduction, and confirm one practical detail.
Before you speak
- Replace Anna with your own name. You do not need to invent a Chinese name to introduce yourself.
- Choose one useful detail to confirm, such as the meeting time.
- Keep a clarification phrase ready; understanding matters more than pretending to follow.
The conversation
您好，我叫安娜。
Nín hǎo, wǒ jiào Ānnà.
Hello, my name is Anna.
您好，我姓王。
Nín hǎo, wǒ xìng Wáng.
Hello, my surname is Wang.
很高兴认识您。
Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nín.
It’s a pleasure to meet you.
我也很高兴认识您。
Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshi nín.
It’s a pleasure to meet you too.
请问，会议几点开始？
Qǐngwèn, huìyì jǐ diǎn kāishǐ?
May I ask what time the meeting starts?
会议十点开始。
Huìyì shí diǎn kāishǐ.
The meeting starts at ten.
不好意思，请再说一遍。
Bù hǎoyìsi, qǐng zài shuō yí biàn.
Excuse me, please say that again.
十点。
Shí diǎn.
Ten o’clock.
我明白了，谢谢。
Wǒ míngbai le, xièxie.
I understand, thank you.
Change a detail, keep the structure.
我叫…
Wǒ jiào…My name is…Put your given name or full name after 叫. Use 我姓… when giving only your family name.
请问，…？
Qǐngwèn, …?May I ask…?Use this as a courteous opening, then ask the practical question. It does not replace the question itself.
请再说一遍。
Qǐng zài shuō yí biàn.Please say that again.Ask for repetition when the missing detail matters, especially a time, amount or name.
Understand more than the script.
A greeting is a choice, not a script
您好 uses the respectful 您 (nín). It is useful in a formal first introduction; 你好 is also common. Follow the other person’s preferred level of formality rather than treating every meeting as a ceremony.
Distinguish a name from a surname
姓 (xìng) introduces a family name; 叫 (jiào) introduces what you are called. If a colleague says 我姓王, you have learned the surname Wang, not their full name.
Confirm before acting
Listen for the number and 点 (diǎn) in the reply. 十点 means ten o’clock, not ten minutes. If you miss it, ask again; a polite repair is more useful than a memorised greeting.
Language reference: Oxford CTCFL · Meeting a friend. Dialogues and teaching notes are original examples.