ich heiße …
In German, "my name is" can be expressed as ich heiße … Wiktionary also lists mein Name ist …
Meaning: a way to identify oneself (phrase)
Ways to say it
| German |
|---|
| ich heiße … |
| mein Name ist … |
These phrases are used to identify yourself when introducing your name to others.
Which one should you use?
ich heiße … literally means "I am called …" and is the most common way to introduce yourself. mein Name ist … is a direct translation of "my name is …" and is used in more formal settings. ich bin … means "I am …".
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the phrase ich heiße …, the verb heißen must be conjugated to heiße to match the first-person pronoun ich.
What mistakes should you avoid?
While English speakers may attempt to translate "My name is" literally as Mein Name ist, using ich heiße … is generally more natural in everyday German conversation.
Did you know?
- The verb heißen can also be used to define the meaning of a word, such as saying 'this word means' using das heißt.
- In very formal German business culture, you might be introduced by your last name and title rather than your first name.
- The abbreviation d.h. stands for das heißt, which is used like 'i.e.' or 'that is' in English writing.
Example sentences for German are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “my name is” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
