ich heiße …
The German phrase for "my name is" can be expressed as ich heiße … or 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 to others when introducing yourself.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ich heiße … literally means "I am called" in English.
Which one should you use?
The most common way to introduce yourself is using ich heiße … In contrast, mein Name ist … is a slightly more formal way to say "my name is" and is often used in professional or official contexts.
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 singular subject ich.
What mistakes should you avoid?
While ich bin … (I am …) is grammatically correct for introducing yourself, do not assume it is the only way to say "my name is" in German.
Did you know?
- The verb heißen can also be used to define what a word means. For example, Was heißt das? means 'What does that mean?' rather than 'What is that called?'
- In very formal German settings, such as when answering a phone call in a business, it is common to state your last name first before your first name.
- In many German-speaking regions, if you use mein Name ist … in a casual setting like a pub, you might actually sound too stiff or distant.
Example sentences for German are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “my name is” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
