Ich heiße
The German phrase for "I am called" is Ich heiße.
This phrase is used to introduce yourself by stating your name.
What does it mean word for word?
The word heiße comes from the infinitive verb heißen, which literally means "to be called".
Which one should you use?
While Ich heiße means "I am called", you can also use Ich bin as a more direct way to say "I am" when introducing yourself.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using Ich bin genannt as a literal translation of "I am called". This is not a natural way to introduce oneself in German.
Did you know?
- The verb heißen is used not only for names but also to define terms, as in Das heißt, which means 'that means'.
- The letter 'ß' in heiße is actually a ligature, a combination of two characters, which historically evolved from a long 's' and a 'z'.
- The word ich shares an ancient root with the English word 'I' and the Latin 'ego', all tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European form *éǵh₂óm.
Examples in context
- Ich heiße Juan.I am called Juan.This example shows how to use Ich heiße to state a name.Tatoeba #9927502 by Laoan, translation #7782948 by sharris123
- Ich heiße John.I am called John.Tatoeba #406787 by MUIRIEL, translation #253929 by CN
- Ich heiße Sara.I am called Sara.Tatoeba #477619 by mamat, translation #436321 by lukaszpp
- Mein Name ist AnnaI am called Anna
- Ich bin ThomasI am called Thomas
- Ich heiße eigentlich Thomas, aber alle nennen mich TomI'm actually called Thomas, but everyone calls me Tom
- Guten Tag! Ich heiße Anna.Good day! I am called Anna.
Example conversation
A group of people meeting at a party.
- SarahHallo, ich heiße Sarah.Hello, my name is Sarah.
- FelixFreut mich, Sarah. Ich heiße Felix.Nice to meet you, Sarah. I am called Felix.
- SarahWoher kommst du, Felix?Where are you from, Felix?
- FelixIch komme aus Berlin.I come from Berlin.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Ich, ich, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
