How to Introduce Yourself in Russian: A Practical Guide

Introducing yourself is the first real conversation you'll have in Russian — at a meeting, on a trip, in your first lesson, in a coffee shop in Moscow. The good news: a complete self-introduction in Russian uses only about ten phrases, almost all of them CEFR A1. This guide gives you a script you can memorise in an evening, plus the cultural cues that matter.

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The Five Building Blocks of a Russian Introduction

A complete self-introduction includes:

1. Greeting
2. Your name
3. Where you're from (and/or nationality)
4. What you do (job, student, etc.)
5. A polite "nice to meet you"

You can stop at name and "nice to meet you" if it's brief, or expand all five for a full introduction. Let's break each down.

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Step 1: The Greeting

• Здра́вствуйте. (ZDRAH-stvuy-tye) — Hello. (formal, any time)
• До́брый день. (DOB-ryy dyen') — Good afternoon. (formal, neutral)
• Приве́т. (pree-VYET) — Hi. (informal)

Use Здра́вствуйте in any new or formal situation. Save Приве́т for friends and peers. We have a full guide to Russian greetings if you want to know all the variations.

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Step 2: Saying Your Name

There are two natural ways to say your name in Russian.

Option A: "Меня́ зову́т" (formal and informal — works always)

The most common way is literally "They call me [name]":

• Меня́ зову́т Анна. — My name is Anna.
• Меня́ зову́т Майкл. — My name is Michael.

This phrase is completely safe in any context — formal, informal, written, spoken.

Option B: "Я Анна" (casual, short)

Just "I'm Anna" — the simplest possible introduction:

• Я Анна. — I'm Anna.
• Я Майкл, прия́тно познако́миться. — I'm Michael, nice to meet you.

This is more casual. Russians use it in informal settings or after the initial Здравствуйте.

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Step 3: Where You're From

"I'm from..." — Я из + genitive case

Use Я из + country/city in the genitive case:

• Я из США. — I'm from the USA. (США is unchanging, an abbreviation)
• Я из А́нглии. — I'm from England.
• Я из Кана́ды. — I'm from Canada.
• Я из Герма́нии. — I'm from Germany.
• Я из Москвы́. — I'm from Moscow.
• Я из Нью-Йо́рка. — I'm from New York.

The -а ending changes to -ы (Кана́да → Кана́ды), and -я changes to -и (Англия → Англии). This is the genitive case after из. Don't worry about getting this perfect at first — saying Я из America will still be understood, just imperfectly.

"I am [nationality]" — Я + adjective

Russians often state nationality directly with a gendered adjective:

• Я америка́нец. (male) — I'm American. / Я америка́нка. (female)
• Я англича́нин. (male) — I'm English. / Я англича́нка. (female)
• Я не́мец. (male) — I'm German. / Я не́мка. (female)
• Я францу́з. (male) / Я францу́женка. (female) — I'm French.
• Я брази́лец. (male) / Я брази́льянка. (female) — I'm Brazilian.
• Я ру́сский. (male) / Я ру́сская. (female) — I'm Russian.

Меня́ зову́т Сара. Я из Австра́лии. Я австрали́йка. — My name is Sarah. I'm from Australia. I'm Australian.

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Step 4: What You Do

To say your profession or status, use Я + noun (no verb "to be" — Russian skips it in the present):

Common professions

• Я студе́нт / студе́нтка — I'm a student (university)
• Я шко́льник / шко́льница — I'm a student (school-age)
• Я учи́тель / учи́тельница — I'm a teacher
• Я инжене́р — I'm an engineer
• Я программи́ст — I'm a programmer
• Я врач — I'm a doctor
• Я медсестра́ (fem.) / Я медбра́т (masc.) — I'm a nurse
• Я юри́ст — I'm a lawyer
• Я бизнесме́н / бизнесву́мен — I'm a businessman/woman
• Я журнали́ст / журнали́стка — I'm a journalist
• Я худо́жник / худо́жница — I'm an artist
• Я повар — I'm a chef
• Я пенсионе́р / пенсионе́рка — I'm retired

Where you study or work

• Я учу́сь в университе́те. — I study at university.
• Я рабо́таю в ба́нке. — I work at a bank.
• Я рабо́таю в IT. — I work in IT.
• Я фрила́нсер. — I'm a freelancer.

Я инжене́р. Я рабо́таю в большо́й компа́нии. — I'm an engineer. I work for a big company.

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Step 5: "Nice to Meet You"

After exchanging names, the standard phrase is:

• Очень прия́тно. (O-chen' pree-YAT-na) — Very nice. (literally "Very pleasant")
• Прия́тно познако́миться. (pree-YAT-na paz-na-KO-mit-sa) — Nice to meet you. (literally "Pleasant to get acquainted")

Both are completely interchangeable and fit any situation, formal or informal. Russians often say just Очень приятно — short and warm.

— Меня́ зову́т Анна. — Очень прия́тно. А меня́ — Дмитрий. ("My name is Anna." — "Nice to meet you. And I'm Dmitri.")

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Asking the Same Questions Back

After introducing yourself, it's polite to ask the other person about themselves. The standard questions:

Asking their name

• Как вас зову́т? — What's your name? (formal/plural)
• Как тебя́ зову́т? — What's your name? (informal)

Asking where they're from

• Отку́да вы? — Where are you from? (formal/plural)
• Отку́да ты? — Where are you from? (informal)

Asking about their profession

• Кем вы рабо́таете? — What do you do? (formal — literally "as whom do you work?")
• Где вы рабо́таете? — Where do you work? (formal)
• Чем ты занима́ешься? — What are you up to / What do you do? (informal)

Asking their age

• Ско́лько вам лет? — How old are you? (formal/plural)
• Ско́лько тебе́ лет? — How old are you? (informal)

— Ско́лько вам лет? — Мне три́дцать оди́н год. ("How old are you?" — "I'm 31.")

For a refresher on age and number agreement, see our Russian numbers guide.

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Sample Dialogues

A formal first meeting (e.g., at a business event)

— Здра́вствуйте! Меня́ зову́т Анна Петро́ва. — Здра́вствуйте, очень прия́тно. Меня́ зову́т Майкл Сми́т. — Прия́тно познако́миться, Майкл. Отку́да вы? — Я из США, из Нью-Йо́рка. А вы? — Я из Москвы́. Кем вы рабо́таете? — Я программи́ст. Я рабо́таю в IT. — Я тоже рабо́таю в IT! О́чень прия́тно.

An informal meeting (e.g., at a friend's party)

— Приве́т! Я Майкл. — Приве́т, я Анна. Очень прия́тно! — Отку́да ты, Анна? — Я из Москвы́. А ты? — Я из Нью-Йо́рка. Чем ты занима́ешься? — Я учу́сь в университе́те. А ты? — Я рабо́таю программи́стом.

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Cultural Notes That Matter

Patronymics — the middle name you may not have

In formal Russian society, people are often introduced by first name + patronymic (a name derived from the father's first name). For example, Влади́мир Влади́мирович Пу́тин — first name + patronymic + last name. Patronymics are used:

• In the workplace with senior colleagues
• With teachers, doctors, officials
• In any formal Russian setting where you'd use Mr./Ms. in English

Foreigners aren't expected to have patronymics, so when you introduce yourself, just use first name + last name. But you should be ready to address Russians by their first name + patronymic in formal contexts.

Handshakes

In professional settings, men typically shake hands when meeting and parting. Women may shake hands but more often nod or offer a verbal greeting. A man should not extend his hand to a woman first — wait for her to offer hers, or simply nod. Crossing the threshold of a doorway during a handshake is considered bad luck.

Eye contact

Russians give steady, direct eye contact when meeting. Looking away frequently can come across as evasive or untrustworthy. This isn't a stare-down — just calm, present attention.

"How are you?" is not just small talk

Asking Как дела? in Russian invites an actual answer — "great," "tired," "rough week." Russians find the English habit of asking "how are you?" without expecting an answer strange and slightly insincere. Either ask only when you mean it, or skip the question and go straight to the topic.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to learn a basic self-introduction?

A complete five-line introduction (name, origin, profession, age, "nice to meet you") can be memorised in one evening and used confidently in your first lesson or first day of a Russian trip. Customising it for your background takes a few extra hours of vocabulary work. It's one of the highest-leverage A1 skills you can learn — see our how to learn Russian quickly guide for more high-impact early phrases.

What's the difference between Очень прия́тно and Прия́тно познако́миться?

They're functionally identical in modern Russian. Очень прия́тно is shorter and more common in casual speech. Прия́тно познако́миться is slightly more formal and explicit ("nice to get acquainted"). Use either — Russians won't notice or judge.

Should I use вы or ты with someone my own age?

In an introduction, default to вы unless one of you offers to switch. Russians can be quite formal even with peers in professional contexts, and using ты immediately can feel pushy. The phrase Дава́й на ты — "Let's switch to ты" — is used to invite the switch later. Read more in our formal and informal Russian guide.

Do Russians introduce themselves with first name + last name?

In formal contexts (business, official events), yes — Я Анна Петрова. In casual contexts (parties, classes), usually just the first name. Russians never introduce themselves with their patronymic when meeting foreigners — that's reserved for formal Russian-to-Russian interactions.

What if I forget words mid-introduction?

Just pause and say "извини́те" ("excuse me / sorry") and restart the sentence. Russians are patient with foreigners learning their language and almost always respond positively to any effort. Don't switch to English unless they invite you to — finishing your introduction in Russian, even imperfectly, will earn more goodwill than a polished English version.

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The Bottom Line

The hardest part of introducing yourself isn't memorisation — it's the first time you actually do it with a stranger. The fastest way to clear that hurdle is to do it in a low-stakes setting first.