jouw naam
/jɑu̯ naːm/word by word
The phrase "your name" in Dutch is translated as jouw naam.
jouw naam is used to refer to the name belonging to the person being spoken to, specifically when you want to emphasize that the name belongs to that person rather than someone else.
Which one should you use?
While jouw naam is used for emphasis, in most everyday situations, Dutch speakers use the neutral/informal je naam. If you are in a professional setting or addressing a stranger or an elder, you should use the formal uw naam.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, jouw is the stressed possessive pronoun for the singular informal "you". It remains jouw regardless of whether the following noun is singular or plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/jɑu̯ naːm/
When do people say it?
In formal situations, if you wish to emphasize your own full name, you might use the phrase Mijn volledige naam is.
Did you know?
- In some traditional Dutch contexts, a person might be referred to by their roepnaam, which is the name people actually use to call them, as opposed to their legal name.
- In the Netherlands, it is common to use u and uw when addressing royalty or high-ranking officials, even if you have known them for years.
- Dutch has a unique distinction between the unstressed je and stressed jouw, where using the latter can imply a contrast or even a hint of accusation.
Examples in context
- Wat is jouw naam?What is your name?This example shows how to ask for someone's name using jouw naam.Tatoeba #7344369 by MarijnKp, translation #70623 by frpzzd
- Hoe zeg je jouw naam?How do you say your name?This example demonstrates how to ask how to pronounce or state jouw naam.Tatoeba #7999524 by MarijnKp, translation #7999333 by nickyeow
- Hallo, wat is jouw naam?Hello, what's your name?This example shows a polite greeting followed by a question using jouw naam.Tatoeba #7327970 by MarijnKp, translation #435080 by lukaszpp
- Mijn volledige naam is David van der Meer.My full name is David van der Meer.
- Ik ben Lisa Marie de Jong.I am Lisa Marie de Jong.
- Ik heet Emma Thompson.I am called Emma Thompson.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lisa and Noah meet for the first time at a party.
- LisaIk ben Lisa. En wie ben jij?I am Lisa. And who are you?
- NoahIk ben Noah. Leuk je te ontmoeten.I am Noah. Nice to meet you.
- LisaIk ben jouw naam vergeten, sorry!I forgot your name, sorry!
- NoahGeen probleem, het is Noah.No problem, it is Noah.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (jouw, naam) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
