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”.
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
- 我的名字是wǒ de míng zì shìmy name is (more literal / slightly formal)
- 我姓wǒ xìngmy surname is
- 我是wǒ shìI am (can be used for names, but less specific)
Examples
我叫大卫。
wǒ jiào dà wèi 。
My name is David.
你好，我叫小芳。
nǐ hǎo ， wǒ jiào xiǎo fāng 。
Hello, my name is Xiaofang.
我的名字是陈老师。
wǒ de míng zì shì chén lǎo shī 。
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
我爱你 · I love you爱 · Love我想你 · I miss you
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