他的名字是
tā de míngzi shì
The English phrase "his name is" is translated into Chinese as 他的名字是 (tā de míngzi shì).
他的名字是 is a common and straightforward way to say "His name is" in Chinese to introduce the name of a male person. You can also use the phrase 他是 to introduce someone's name by following it with the person's name.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 他的名字是 is composed of 他 (he/him), the possessive particle 的, 名字 (name) and 是 (is).
How does it change in a sentence?
In natural spoken Chinese, it is more common to use 他的名字叫 instead of 他的名字是 when introducing a person's name.
How do you pronounce it?
tā de míngzi shì
Did you know?
- While 名字 means 'name', Chinese culture often uses 'courtesy names' 字 in historical contexts. These were secondary names given in adulthood to be used by peers to show respect, as using a given name was considered too intimate.
- In Chinese, the character 他 for 'he' is a relatively modern invention. In classical Chinese, the same character was used for 'he', 'she' and 'it' without any distinction in writing.
- The character 名 in 名字 is a compound of the characters for 'mouth' and 'dark'. This reflects the ancient idea that a name is a label used to bring something out of the darkness and into recognition.
Examples in context
- 他的名字是眾所周知的。His name is known to all.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 他的名字是.Tatoeba #809810 by Martha, translation #809813 by Martha
Example conversation
Yuting is asking Haoran about a new classmate.
- 雨婷 Yuting那是誰？Nà shì shéi?Who is that?
- 浩然 Haoran他是我的新同學。Tā shì wǒ de xīn tóngxué.He is my new classmate.
- 雨婷 Yuting他的名字是什麼？Tā de míngzì shì shénme?What is his name?
- 浩然 Haoran他的名字是王明。Tā de míngzì shì Wáng Míng.His name is Wang Ming.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
