What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 你叫什么名字？ literally translates to "You are called what name?"
Which one should you use?
The shorter version 你叫什么？ is more colloquial and slightly less formal than the full 你叫什么名字？ For very formal situations, you may use 请问，您贵姓？ to ask for someone's surname or 请问您怎么称呼？ to ask how to address someone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase 你叫什么名字？ is an informal way to ask what someone's name is. For more formal or respectful settings, such as business or meeting elders, it is more polite to use 您贵姓？, which focuses on the person's surname. You can also make the question more polite by adding 请问 to the start, as seen in 请问，你叫什么名字？
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase 你叫什么名字？, the verb 叫 means "to be called" or "to call" and it is used here to ask for a person's name.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use 是 (to be) instead of 叫 (to be called) when asking for a name. While 你是什么名字？ is understandable, 你叫什么名字？ is the natural way to ask.
Did you know?
- The character 贵 in 您贵姓？ is normally used to describe expensive items. Using it for a person's name elevates their social status to a 'precious' level.
- In some historical contexts, asking a person's name was considered a way to gain power or influence over them, leading to the development of highly indirect ways of asking.
- Depending on the region, someone might answer 你叫什么名字？ by giving a nickname or a 'milk name' 小名 if they feel a sense of intimacy with the speaker.
Examples in context
- 你叫什么名字？Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?What is your name?
- 请问，你叫什么名字？Qǐngwèn, nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?Excuse me, what is your name?
Example conversation
A new student meets a classmate at school.
- 梓涵 Zihan你好，你叫什么名字？Nǐ hǎo, nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?Hello, what is your name?
- 志强 Zhiqiang我叫志强。Wǒ jiào Zhìqiáng.My name is Zhiqiang.
- 梓涵 Zihan很高兴认识你，志强。Hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ, Zhìqiáng.Nice to meet you, Zhiqiang.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我也很高兴认识你，梓涵。Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshi nǐ, Zǐhán.Nice to meet you too, Zihan.
