NetChai Chinese
你好，你叫什么名字？
nǐ hǎo ， nǐ jiào shén me míng zì ？
Hello what is your name · trad. 你好，你叫什麼名字？

你好，你叫什么名字？ is the standard way to greet someone and ask for their name in Mandarin Chinese. It's appropriate for most everyday situations, from meeting new friends to casual introductions.

When to use it

Neutral to casual. To add politeness, especially with strangers or elders, you can insert 请问 (qǐngwèn, "may I ask") before the question. For formal settings or when showing extra respect, use 您 (nín) instead of 你 (nǐ), and consider 您贵姓？ (nín guìxìng?) to politely ask for someone's surname.

How to pronounce it

Sounds like “nee-HOW, nee jyao shuhn-muh MING-dzuh.” Remember the tone change in 你好, so it's pronounced “ní hǎo.” The “zi” in 名字 is a light, neutral tone.

Other ways to say it

  • 你好，请问你叫什么名字？nǐ hǎo ， qǐng wèn nǐ jiào shén me míng zì ？Hello, may I ask your name? (more polite)
  • 您好，请问您贵姓？nín hǎo ， qǐng wèn nín guì xìng ？Hello, may I ask your esteemed surname? (formal, polite)
  • 你叫什么？nǐ jiào shén me ？What do you call yourself? (very casual)

Examples

你好，你叫什么名字？我是王明。
nǐ hǎo ， nǐ jiào shén me míng zì ？ wǒ shì wáng míng 。
Hello, what's your name? I'm Wang Ming.
你好，请问你叫什么名字？很高兴认识你。
nǐ hǎo ， qǐng wèn nǐ jiào shén me míng zì ？ hěn gāo xìng rèn shi nǐ 。
Hello, may I ask your name? Nice to meet you.
您好，请问您贵姓？
nín hǎo ， qǐng wèn nín guì xìng ？
Hello, may I ask your esteemed surname?
Pro tip: While 你叫什么名字？ asks for a full name, 您贵姓？ (nín guìxìng?) is a very polite and formal way to ask for someone's surname, often used when addressing elders or people of higher status.

Related phrases

和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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