mijn naam is…
The English phrase "my name is" can be said in Dutch as mijn naam is… Wiktionary also lists ik heet…
Meaning: a way to identify oneself (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA |
|---|---|
| mijn naam is… | |
| ik heet… | /ɪk ɦeːt/ (stressed, word by word) |
These phrases are used to identify yourself during an introduction. While mijn naam is… is a direct way to state your name, you may also use ik ben… to say "I am…" followed by your name.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase mijn naam is…, mijn is the possessive pronoun for "my" and naam is the noun for "name".
Which one should you use?
The phrase ik heet… literally translates to "I am called…" or "I am named…" rather than a literal "my name is".
Did you know?
- The word mijn is also used as a verb meaning 'to buy at a Dutch auction' by shouting 'mine' to claim an item.
- In certain traditional Dutch regions, it was historically common to be identified by a 'nickname' or 'house name' rather than a formal family name.
- In very formal Dutch introductions, people may use the polite form of address u when asking for someone else's name, which differs from the informal je.
Examples in context
- Mijn naam is Sophie.My name is Sophie.
- Ik heet Thomas.I am called Thomas.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “my name is” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ik, heet) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries heet, ik, mijn, naam, CC BY-SA 4.0.
