come si chiama?
The Italian phrase for "what is his name?" is come si chiama?
come si chiama? is the standard way to ask for the name of a male person.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, come si chiama? translates to "how does he call himself?"
Which one should you use?
The phrase come si chiama? is used for both "what is his name?" and "what is her name?" because the reflexive pronoun si is gender-neutral in this context.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use qual è il suo nome? as a literal translation of "what is his name?", but you should use come si chiama? instead as it is the natural way to ask for a name in Italian.
Did you know?
- If you use the more formal Come si chiama? when addressing someone directly, you are actually using the 'Lei' form, which uses the third person to show respect.
- If you are asking for someone's name in a professional context, it is common to ask for their cognome first. This refers specifically to the family name, as nome only refers to the given name.
- The word come in this phrase is inherited from the Late Latin word quōmodo, which meant 'in what manner'.
Examples in context
- Ciao! Come si chiama lui?Hi! What is his name?
- Lo vedo spesso, ma come si chiama?I see him often, but what is his name?
Example conversation
Sofia is asking Francesco about a new colleague.
- SofiaC'è un nuovo collega in ufficio. Come si chiama?There is a new colleague in the office. What is his name?
- FrancescoSi chiama Marco.His name is Marco.
- SofiaÈ di qui o viene da fuori?Is he from here or does he come from outside?
- FrancescoViene da Milano.He comes from Milan.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chiama, come, si, CC BY-SA 4.0.
