Mikä sinun nimesi on?
The English phrase "what is your name?" is expressed in Finnish as Mikä sinun nimesi on?
This phrase is used to ask someone for their name. While English uses "who" to ask about people, Finnish uses the word mikä (what) to ask for a name. To answer the question, the standard response is Minun nimeni on… followed by your name.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Mikä sinun nimesi on? literally breaks down as "What your name is?", where mikä means "what" and nimi means "name".
Which one should you use?
In Finnish, you use mikä (what) rather than kuka (who) when asking for a name.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form Mikä sinun nimesi on? uses the singular possessive sinun (your), which is used when addressing one person. To be polite or to address a group of people, the plural/polite form teidän nimenne is used instead of sinun nimesi.
When do people say it?
To be extra polite when asking for someone's name, you can add anteeksi (sorry) before the question. Common responses or well-wishes you might encounter include Kiitos (thank you) and onnea matkaan (good luck).
Did you know?
- Finnish uses a complex system of suffixes for possession, meaning the -si at the end of nimesi already means 'your', making the word sinun technically redundant.
- The word mikä traces its roots back to the Proto-Uralic word *mi, making it a linguistic relative of the Hungarian word mi, which also means 'what'.
- In Finnish culture, people often introduce themselves by their first name only, even in professional settings, which makes the formal plural teidän nimenne less common than in English.
Examples in context
- Mikä on teidän nimenne?What are your names?
- Nimesi on?What's your name?
- Anteeksi, mikä on teidän nimenne?Sorry, what is your name?
- Anteeksi, mikä sinun nimesi on?Excuse me, what is your name?
- Voisinko kysyä, mikä sinun nimesi on?Could I ask what your name is?
Example conversation
Antti and Laura meet at a language school.
- AnttiHei, mikä sinun nimesi on?Hi, what is your name?
- LauraMinun nimeni on Laura.My name is Laura.
- AnttiHauska tutustua, Laura.Nice to meet you, Laura.
- LauraKiitos, hauska tutustua myös sinuun, Antti.Thank you, nice to meet you too, Antti.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mikä, CC BY-SA 4.0.
