ich heiße …
The English phrase 'my name is' can be expressed in German 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 when meeting someone.
Which one should you use?
ich heiße … literally translates to 'I am called …' and is the most common way to introduce yourself in German. mein Name ist … translates to 'my name is …' and is used in slightly more formal or official contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
ich heiße is the first-person singular conjugation of the verb heißen, which means 'to be called'.
Did you know?
- While English speakers often ask 'What is your name?', Germans frequently use the verb heißen to ask 'How are you called?', which can feel counterintuitive to English ears.
- While ich heiße is the standard, in some southern German and Austrian dialects, people might use i hoaß, which sounds quite different from the high German version.
- The word ich comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *eǵh₂óm, which is the ancient ancestor of the English word 'I'.
Examples in context
- Mein Name ist Anna.My name is Anna.
- Ich heiße Thomas.I am called Thomas.
- Darf ich mich vorstellen? Ich bin Laura.May I introduce myself? I am Laura.
- Ich bin Max.I am Max.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “my name is” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Name, ich, mein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
