我叫
wǒ jiào
My name
我叫 (wǒ jiào) is the most common and natural way to say “my name is [name]” when introducing yourself in Mandarin Chinese. It literally means “I am called” or “I call myself”.
What does 我叫 (wǒ jiào) mean?
我叫 (wǒ jiào) means “my name” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “I call / I am called.”
When to use it
Neutral and widely used. While 我的名字是 (wǒ de míngzi shì), meaning “my name is,” is also correct, 我叫 is generally preferred for introductions as it sounds more natural and less formal. You can also simply say your name after 你好 (nǐ hǎo).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “WOH jyao.” The first character 我 (wǒ) is a third tone, and 叫 (jiào) is a fourth tone.
Other ways to say it
- 我姓wǒ xìngmy surname is
Examples
我叫大卫。
wǒ jiào Dàwèi.
My name is David.
你好，我叫小芳。
Nǐhǎo, wǒ jiào Xiǎofāng.
Hello, my name is Xiaofang.
我叫陈老师
wǒ jiào chénlǎoshī
My name is Teacher Chen. (slightly more formal)
Pro tip: While 我的名字是 is grammatically correct, 我叫 is much more common and natural for self-introductions. Think of 我叫 as “I am called” rather than a direct “my name is.”
Related phrases
你好，我叫 · Hello my name你会说中文吗? · Do you speak chinese你会说英语吗 · Do you speak english
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