“What’s your name” in Chinese: how to say it and how to write it
What’s your name?
“What’s your name?” in Chinese is 你叫什么名字？, nǐ jiào shénme míngzi — roughly “nee jyow shun-muh ming-dzuh”. Word for word: “you are called what name?” It is the everyday way to ask, with a classmate, a new colleague or someone you meet at a party.
What each word means
- 你nǐyou
- 叫jiàoto be called
- 什么shénmewhat, which
- 名字míngziname
English moves “what” to the front of the question. Chinese doesn’t: the question word sits exactly where the answer will go. “You are called what name?” — “I am called Anna.” So once you know the question, you already know the answer’s word order. 叫 means “to be called”, 什么 is “what”, 名字 is “name”.
How to pronounce 你叫什么名字
nǐ is third tone, low. jiào is fourth, falling sharply; the j is close to the “j” in “jeep”, but lighter, with the tongue tip behind the lower teeth. shén rises (second tone) and sounds like “shun”, not “shen”. míng rises too. The second syllables of 什么 and 名字 are light: me and zi are short, quick and toneless — “muh” and “dzuh”. Don’t stress them the way English stresses the end of a question.
How to answer: “My name is…”
- 我叫安娜。wǒjiàoĀnnàmy name is Anna
- 认识你很高兴。rènshinǐhěngāoxìngnice to meet you
In the answer you simply swap the question word for your name: 我叫… — “I am called…”. Then add 认识你很高兴, literally “knowing you, (I’m) very happy”. To bounce the question back, say 你呢？ (nǐ ne) — “and you?”. More on introducing yourself is on the page “My name is” in Chinese, and how to write your own name in characters is shown in “Your name in Chinese”.
The polite way to ask someone’s name
- 请问，您叫什么名字？qǐngwèn,nínjiàoshénmemíngziexcuse me, what is your name?
- 您贵姓？nínguìxìngmay I ask your surname?
您 is the respectful “you”, and 请问 means “may I ask”. Use them with older people, teachers and anyone you meet at work. 您贵姓 literally means “your honorable surname?” — the standard question at a business meeting. You answer without the “honorable”: . 姓 is “to be surnamed”.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “what’s your name” in Chinese?
“What’s your name” in Chinese is 你叫什么名字, in pinyin nǐ jiào shénme míngzi.
How do you pronounce 你叫什么名字?
你叫什么名字 is read nǐ jiào shénme míngzi. The marks over the vowels are the tones: each syllable has its own melody, so listen to the recording on this page and repeat it.
How do you write “what’s your name” in Chinese characters?
你叫什么名字 is 6 characters. What each one means and how the phrase is put together is explained on this page.
What does 你叫什么名字 mean?
你叫什么名字 (nǐ jiào shénme míngzi) means “what’s your name”.
Ask someone’s name out loud
In the first lessons you ask people’s names and answer in short dialogues, and hear right away whether you hit the tones. Free during the beta.
Start for free