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Mandarin phrase guide

How to say what is your name in Chinese

你叫什么名字？ is the standard conversational way to ask someone's name. 叫 means 'to be called' in this pattern.

Chinese

你叫什么名字？

你叫什麼名字？

Pinyin

nǐ jiào shén me míng zi

Sounds like

knee jyow shun muh ming dzuh

Read it piece by piece

你

nǐ

knee

English IPA /niː/

叫

jiào

jyow

English IPA /jyow/

什

shén

shun

English IPA /shun/

么

me

muh

English IPA /muh/

名

míng

ming

English IPA /ming/

字

zi

dzuh

English IPA /dzə/

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When to use 你叫什么名字？

Neutral
  • Use this in friendly introductions and informal first meetings.
  • In formal situations, 请问您怎么称呼？ is more respectful.

Other ways to say it

请问您怎么称呼？

請問您怎麼稱呼？

qǐng wèn nín zěn me chēng hu

May I ask how I should address you?

Formal and respectful

你叫什么？

你叫什麼？

nǐ jiào shén me

What are you called?

Casual

Example conversations

Hello, what is your name?

你好，你叫什么名字？

你好，你叫什麼名字？

nǐ hǎo, nǐ jiào shén me míng zi

May I ask your name?

请问，您怎么称呼？

請問，您怎麼稱呼？

qǐng wèn, nín zěn me chēng hu

Common mistakes

  • Avoid the literal structure 你的名字是什么 in casual introductions; it is grammatical but less natural than 你叫什么名字.

Related Chinese phrases

How to say my name is 我叫 · wǒ jiào How to say nice to meet you 很高兴认识你 · hěn gāo xìng rèn shi nǐ How to say hello 你好 · nǐ hǎo