お名前は何ですか？
O-namae wa nan desu ka?
お名前は何ですか？ (O-namae wa nan desu ka?) is the Japanese way to say "what is your name?"
This phrase is a question used to ask someone for their name. In very formal or business settings, asking お名前は何ですか？ can sometimes feel too direct. In such cases, お名前を伺ってもよろしいですか？ (May I ask your name?) is a more polite alternative.
What does it mean word for word?
The term お名前 (o-namae) is the polite way to refer to someone else's name. The particle は (wa) serves as a topic marker, marking お名前 as the topic of the sentence.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle は (wa) marks お名前 as the topic of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
O-namae wa nan desu ka?
When do people say it?
When asked for a name in Japan, it is common to provide your family name (myouji) first, followed by your given name.
Did you know?
- While お名前は何ですか？ is grammatically correct, it can be seen as an interrogation in high-context social settings. Instead, people often ask どちら様でしょうか？ which literally means 'who is the honorable person?'
- Historically, not everyone in Japan had a surname, as they were originally reserved for nobility and samurai. This is why the distinction between 苗字 (myouji) and 名前 (namae) remains culturally significant.
- When providing your own name in response, you should never use the polite prefix お (o). Using お名前 for yourself would be a mistake in Japanese etiquette, as that prefix is reserved for elevating the listener's qualities.
Examples in context
- Person A: お名前は何ですか？ Person B: 私の名前は太郎です。Person A: What is your name? Person B: My name is Tarō.
- 失礼ですが、お名前は何ですか？shitsurei desu ga, o-namae wa nan desu ka?Excuse me, but what is your name?
- すみません、お名前は何ですか？sumimasen, o-namae wa nan desu ka?Excuse me, what is your name?
- お名前は何ですか？教えてください。o-namae wa nan desu ka? oshiete kudasai.What is your name? Please tell me.
Example conversation
A student meeting a new classmate in the classroom.
- 陽太 Yotaはじめまして。お名前は何ですか？hajimemashite. o-namae wa nan desu ka?Nice to meet you. What is your name?
- 結衣 Yui結衣です。陽太さんは？yui desu. youta san wa?I'm Yui. How about you, Yota?
- 陽太 Yota僕は陽太です。boku wa youta desu.I'm Yota.
- 結衣 Yuiよろしくお願いします。yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Nice to meet you.
