Introductions
How to say “what is your name” in Chinese
“你叫什么名字？” (nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) is the usual way to ask someone's name. A polite way to ask is “请问您贵姓？” (qǐngwèn nín guì xìng?), which asks for the surname respectfully.
In Chinese
你叫什么名字？
nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
What's your name?
Other ways to say “what is your name”
-
请问您贵姓？
qǐngwèn nín guì xìng?
May I ask your honoured surname?
Very polite, for elders and business.
-
你叫什么？
nǐ jiào shénme?
What are you called?
Shorter and informal.
-
我可以知道你的名字吗？
wǒ kěyǐ zhīdào nǐ de míngzi ma?
May I know your name?
Polite and clear for a beginner.
-
他叫什么名字？
tā jiào shénme míngzi?
What is his name?
Use 她 (tā) for she.
Example sentences
-
你好，你叫什么名字？— 我叫小红。
nǐ hǎo, nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? — wǒ jiào xiǎohóng.
Hello, what's your name? — My name is Xiaohong.
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请问您贵姓？— 我姓张。
qǐngwèn nín guì xìng? — wǒ xìng zhāng.
May I ask your surname? — My surname is Zhang.
-
你的朋友叫什么名字？
nǐ de péngyou jiào shénme míngzi?
What is your friend's name?
How to reply
我叫...
wǒ jiào...
My name is...
Good to know
- “贵姓” is honorific: only ask “您贵姓” about the other person, never use “贵” about yourself.
- To answer a formal “您贵姓”, say “我姓...” (my surname is...) and give your full name afterwards if you like.
Questions about “what is your name” in Chinese
How do you say “what is your name” in Chinese?
“what is your name” in Chinese is “你叫什么名字？” (What's your name?). It is written in pinyin as nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?. You can also say “请问您贵姓？”, “你叫什么？”, “我可以知道你的名字吗？”.
How do you pronounce “你叫什么名字？” in Chinese?
“你叫什么名字？” is pronounced nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?. Tap the speaker on this page to hear it.
What are other ways to say “what is your name” in Chinese?
“请问您贵姓？” (May I ask your honoured surname?): very polite, for elders and business. “你叫什么？” (What are you called?): shorter and informal. “我可以知道你的名字吗？” (May I know your name?): polite and clear for a beginner. “他叫什么名字？” (What is his name?): use 她 (tā) for she.
How do you reply to “你叫什么名字？”?
A natural reply is “我叫...” (My name is...).
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