Ciao! Mi chiamo Emily
The English phrase "hi! My name is emily" is translated into Italian as Ciao! Mi chiamo Emily.
This phrase is a friendly greeting used when introducing oneself to another person. While you can use Il mio nome è to say "my name is", it is common to use Mi chiamo to mean "I am called" or "my name is".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Mi chiamo literally translates to "I call myself".
Which one should you use?
There are different ways to introduce yourself and greet others. Ciao! is used for an informal "hi", whereas Buongiorno! (Good day!) is a more formal or polite way to start an introduction during the day. To state your identity, you can also use the alternative Io sono Emily, which means "I am Emily".
How does it change in a sentence?
To express one's name, Italian uses the reflexive form of the verb chiamare (to call), which is chiamarsi (to call oneself).
Did you know?
- The friendly greeting Ciao! has an unlikely origin, evolving from the Venetian word s-ciao, which meant 'slave'. It originally functioned as a way to say 'I am your humble servant' or 'your slave' to show extreme politeness.
- While mi chiamo means 'I call myself', Italians rarely use the pronoun io (I) before it. Including io usually implies a strong emphasis or a correction of someone who got the name wrong.
- In some formal Italian settings, instead of just saying their name, a person might use the phrase mi presento, which means 'let me introduce myself'.
Examples in context
- Piacere, ciao! Mi chiamo Emily.Nice to meet you, hi! My name is Emily.
- Ciao! Mi chiamo Emily e sono nuova qui.Hi! My name is Emily and I am new here.
Example conversation
Sofia and Alessandro meet for the first time at a party.
- SofiaCiao! Mi chiamo Emily.Hi! My name is Emily.
- AlessandroCiao Emily, io sono Alessandro.Hi Emily, I am Alessandro.
- SofiaPiacere di conoscerti, Alessandro.Nice to meet you, Alessandro.
- AlessandroAnche piacere mio!My pleasure too!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ciao, mi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
