You meet someone new at a hostel, café, event, class or while travelling.
You do not need an amazing opening line.
Start simple:
“Hi, I’m Colin. Nice to meet you.”
认识新朋友时，不需要说很复杂的英语。
一个简单自然的开场就够了：
“Hi, I’m Colin. Nice to meet you.”
意思是：
“你好，我叫 Colin。很高兴认识你。”
Then do something important:
give the other person somewhere to take the conversation.
Ask one friendly question and listen to the answer.
“Nice to meet you too.”
Great. Continue naturally:
“Where are you from?”
“I’m here for a few days.”
Now you have something to talk about:
“Nice! What are you planning to see?”
10 useful English phrases for meeting people
| English | Chinese meaning / 中文 |
|---|---|
| Hi, I’m Colin. | 你好，我叫 Colin。 Nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào Colin. |
| Nice to meet you. | 很高兴认识你。 Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ. |
| Where are you from? | 你来自哪里？ Nǐ láizì nǎlǐ? |
| What brings you here? | 你为什么来这里？ Nǐ wèishénme lái zhèlǐ? |
| Is this your first time here? | 这是你第一次来这里吗？ Zhè shì nǐ dì-yī cì lái zhèlǐ ma? |
| How long are you staying? | 你会在这里待多久？ Nǐ huì zài zhèlǐ dāi duōjiǔ? |
| What do you do? | 你是做什么工作的？ Nǐ shì zuò shénme gōngzuò de? |
| That’s interesting! | 真有意思！ Zhēn yǒuyìsi! |
| Would you like to grab a coffee? | 要不要一起喝杯咖啡？ Yào bú yào yìqǐ hē bēi kāfēi? |
| Let’s stay in touch. | 我们保持联系吧。 Wǒmen bǎochí liánxì ba. |
Start small and find common ground
Fictional practice dialogue / 对话练习
Anna: “Hi! I’m Anna. Nice to meet you.”
Anna:
“你好！我叫 Anna。很高兴认识你。”
Ken: “Nice to meet you too. I’m Ken.”
Anna: “Where are you from?”
Ken: “I’m from Korea. How about you?”
Anna: “I’m from the U.S. Is this your first time here?”
Ken: “Yeah. I arrived yesterday.”
Anna: “Nice! How long are you staying?”
Ken: “About a week.”
Notice what they are not doing:
interviewing each other with twenty questions.
One answer creates the next natural question.
A simple introduction you can copy
“Hi, I’m Colin. Nice to meet you. Where are you from?”
“你好，我叫 Colin。很高兴认识你。你来自哪里？”
Problem → Need → Request
Problem:
I want to talk to someone new, but I do not know how to start.
Need:
I need a simple introduction and one friendly question.
Request:
“Hi, I’m Colin. Nice to meet you. Where are you from?”
问题： 我想认识新朋友，但不知道怎么开始。
需要： 我需要一个简单的自我介绍和一个友好的问题。
开场： “你好，我叫 Colin。很高兴认识你。你来自哪里？”
Use what is already around you
You do not always need a clever question.
The situation can give you the conversation.
- “Is this your first time here?”
- “What did you order?”
- “Where are you travelling next?”
- “How do you know everyone here?”
- “That’s a great jacket.”
And yes — if there is a friendly dog involved:
“Your dog is adorable! What’s his name?”
is a perfectly good conversation starter. 😝
Keep the conversation balanced
A conversation is not a questionnaire.
Ask something, listen, then share something about yourself.
You:
“Where are you from?”
Them:
“Japan.”
You:
“Nice! I lived in Japan for several years. Which part are you from?”
Now the conversation has become an exchange rather than an interview.
Before you meet people
- Prepare one simple introduction.
- Have two easy questions ready.
- Listen to the answer.
- Share something about yourself too.
- Do not worry about perfect grammar.
- If the conversation goes well, suggest staying in touch.
Your three-round speaking mission
-
Introduce yourself:
“Hi, my name is _____. Nice to meet you.” -
Ask one question:
“Where are you from?”
or
“What brings you here?” -
Find common ground:
Respond to their answer with one thing about yourself.
Then ask one natural follow-up question.
Swap roles and repeat with different backgrounds, jobs and travel plans.
Surprise round:
A friendly dog walks over.
Start the conversation with:
“Your dog is adorable! What’s his name?”
Then keep it going.
A few useful answers
Is “Where are you from?” okay?
Yes. It is extremely common when travellers or international groups meet.
As always, pay attention to whether the other person seems comfortable continuing the topic.
What if I forget what to say next?
Use their last answer.
If they say they are staying for five days, ask:
“What are you planning to see?”
Should I tell them about myself too?
Absolutely.
Good conversation goes both ways.
Ask, listen, then contribute.
How do I end the conversation?
Try:
“It was great meeting you.”
If you want to stay connected:
“Let’s stay in touch.”
