Cum te cheamă?
The English phrase "what is your name?" is translated into Romanian as Cum te cheamă?
This phrase is used to ask someone for their name in an informal setting.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Cum te cheamă? literally translates to "How do you call yourself?"
Which one should you use?
Cum te cheamă? is used for peers, children or people you know well, whereas Cum vă cheamă? is the polite or formal version. Another informal way to ask the same question is Cum te numești?
How does it change in a sentence?
Use Cum vă cheamă? instead of Cum te cheamă? when speaking to an elder, a stranger or a group of people.
Did you know?
- The verb a chema used in Cum te cheamă? is the same word Romanians use to summon a taxi or a dog.
- In extremely casual situations, such as among teenagers, the standard question is often bypassed for the blunt Tu cine ești? This translates to 'You who are you?' and skips the polite 'calling' logic entirely.
- While asking a name, you are technically using a word that functions as a direct descendant of the Proto-Indo-European root *túh₂. This means the tiny word te has been part of the human linguistic family for thousands of years.
Examples in context
- Cum te cheamă?What is your name?
- Salut! Cum te cheamă?Hi! What is your name?
- Îmi pare bine. Cum te cheamă?Nice to meet you. What is your name?
Example conversation
Two young people meeting for the first time at a party.
- ElenaSalut, eu sunt Elena. Cum te cheamă?Hi, I am Elena. What is your name?
- AndreiBună, Elena. Eu sunt Andrei.Hello, Elena. I am Andrei.
- ElenaÎmi pare bine de cunoștință, Andrei.Nice to meet you, Andrei.
- AndreiLa fel, Elena!Likewise, Elena!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cum, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
