si chiama
The Italian phrase for "his name is" is si chiama.
si chiama is used to introduce a male person by stating his name.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, si chiama translates to "he calls himself".
How does it change in a sentence?
While the English phrase changes based on gender, si chiama is used for both "his name is" and "her name is" because the reflexive pronoun si is gender-neutral in this context. If you want to say "their names are", use the plural form si chiamano.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often attempt to translate the phrase literally as il suo nome è, but you should use si chiama instead, as it is the much more natural and common way to introduce someone in Italian.
Did you know?
- Italians often use come (meaning 'how') instead of 'what' when asking for a name with come si chiama?
- In Italian, if you forget someone's name, you might say mi sfugge il nome, which literally means the name 'is escaping me'.
- While si chiama is used for names, Italians use the verb essere and the word 'nome' when filling out official forms or legal documents.
Examples in context
- Non so come si chiama.I don't know what his name is.This sentence is useful for expressing that you do not know someone's name using si chiama.Tatoeba #3976233 by Guybrush88, translation #4404017 by space_badger
- Si chiama Tom, non John.His name is Tom, not John.This sentence is useful for correcting someone's assumption of a name using si chiama.Tatoeba #3511545 by Guybrush88, translation #3511540 by CK
- Indovina come si chiama.Guess what his name is.This sentence is useful for telling someone to guess a name using si chiama.Tatoeba #5191194 by Guybrush88, translation #4935549 by CK
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Chiara are at a party when Francesco introduces a new acquaintance.
- FrancescoChiara, lui è un mio amico.Chiara, he is a friend of mine.
- ChiaraPiacere di conoscerti!Nice to meet you!
- FrancescoLui si chiama Marco.His name is Marco.
- ChiaraCiao Marco, io sono Chiara.Hi Marco, I am Chiara.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
