Wie heißt er?
The English phrase "what is his name?" is translated into German as Wie heißt er?
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Wie heißt er? literally translates to "How is he called?"
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Austria, one might say Wie heisst er? to mean "What is his name?"
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using Was ist sein Name? While this is grammatically possible, it is an anglicism that sounds unnatural to German speakers. Use Wie heißt er? instead.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Entschuldigen Sie bitte, wie ist sein Name?Excuse me, what is his name?
- Hey, wie ist sein Name?Hey, what is his name?
- Wie heißt er?What is his name?
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are talking about a new colleague.
- JuliaSchau mal, da ist der neue Kollege.Look, there is the new colleague.
- LukasJa, aber wie heißt er?Yes, but what is his name?
- JuliaIch glaube, er heißt Thomas.I think his name is Thomas.
- LukasDas klingt gut, danke Julia.That sounds good, thanks Julia.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries er, wie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
