Hva heter du?
Hva heter du? is the Norwegian way to say "what is your name?"
This phrase is a question used to ask someone for their name. While English speakers ask what a person's name "is", Norwegian speakers ask what a person "is called".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Hva heter du? literally translates to "What are you called?" It consists of hva (what), heter (are called) and du (you).
Which one should you use?
In English, the question "What is your name?" typically uses the verb "to be" (is). In contrast, Norwegian uses the verb å hete, which means "to be called".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Hva heter du? is the informal way to ask for someone's name. For a highly formal setting, you may use Hva heter De?, which uses the polite pronoun De, though this is rarely used in modern spoken Norwegian except in very specific formal settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word heter is the singular present tense of the verb å hete, meaning "to be called" or "to be named".
Did you know?
- In Nynorsk, one of the two official written standards of Norwegian, the word hva is written as kva.
- Because Norwegian culture is highly egalitarian, using the formal De in a casual setting can actually feel distancing or sarcastic.
- In many Norwegian dialects, the 'h' in hva is often dropped in speech, making it sound closer to 'va'.
Examples in context
- Unnskyld meg, hva er ditt navn?Excuse me, what is your name?
- Hei, hva heter du?Hi, what is your name?
- Jeg heter Ola.My name is Ola.
- Hva heter du?What is your name?
- Jeg glemte å spørre, hva heter du?I forgot to ask, what is your name?
Example conversation
Two students meet for the first time in a classroom.
- SofieHei! Hva heter du?Hi! What is your name?
- KristofferJeg heter Kristoffer. Og du?My name is Kristoffer. And you?
- SofieJeg heter Sofie. Hyggelig å møte deg!My name is Sofie. Nice to meet you!
- KristofferI like måte, Sofie!Likewise, Sofie!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, hva, CC BY-SA 4.0.
