你的名字
nǐ de míngzi
In Mandarin, 你的名字 (nǐ de míngzi) is the way to say "your name".
你的名字 is used to refer to the name belonging to the person being spoken to. In many natural spoken contexts, when asking for someone's name, this specific phrase is often omitted in favor of just asking 叫什么 (jiào shénme – called what). For example, when introducing yourself, you might say 我叫 John (My name is John) or 你好，我叫 Smith John (Hello, my name is Smith John). An informal introduction can be made using 嗨，我叫 John.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 你 (you), 的 (possessive particle) and 名字 (name).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While 你的名字 is standard, you can make the phrase more respectful by replacing the pronoun 你 (nǐ) with 您 (nín) to create 您的名字. This polite version is used when addressing elders, superiors or strangers in formal settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle 的 (de) is used to indicate possession between the pronoun 你 (nǐ) and the noun 名字 (míngzi).
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ de míngzi
When do people say it?
When learning Mandarin names, note that examples of male names include Zhang Wei, Li Ming and Wang Jun, while examples of female names include Wang Li, Liu Mei and Chen Jing.
Did you know?
- If you are in a very formal setting, you might avoid using the word 'name' entirely and instead use the honorific term 贵姓 (guìxìng), which literally means 'noble surname'.
- While 名字 refers to a name, Chinese culture distinguishes between a 'milk name' 乳名 given in infancy by elders and the official name used in adulthood.
- Some people have a 'style name' 字 (zì) which was historically given at adulthood to be used by peers to avoid the perceived rudeness of using a given name.
Examples in context
- 你的名字叫什么？What is your name?This sentence shows how to ask for someone's name using 你的名字.Tatoeba #1212007 by GlossaMatik, translation #70623 by frpzzd
- 请问你的名字是？May I have your name, please?This sentence is a polite way to ask for a name using 你的名字.Tatoeba #12569616 by lnvq, translation #63911 by CK
- 谁在叫你的名字？Who's that calling your name?This sentence uses 你的名字 to ask who is calling someone.Tatoeba #13881218 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #11492603 by sundown
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Xinyi and Wei are meeting for the first time at a party.
- 浩然 Haoran你好，我想知道你的名字。Nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng zhīdào nǐ de míngzì.Hello, I would like to know your name.
- 梓涵 Zihan我叫伟，很高兴认识你。Wǒ jiào Wěi, hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ.My name is Wei, nice to meet you.
- 浩然 Haoran我也很高兴认识你，伟。Wǒ yě hěn gāoxìng rènshí nǐ, Wěi.I am also glad to meet you, Wei.
- 梓涵 Zihan那你的名字怎么写？Nà nǐ de míngzì zěnme xiě?Then how is your name written?
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
