我住在……
wǒ zhù zài...
I live in...
How to ask "What's your name?" in Chinese
你叫什么名字？
nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
What's your name?
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
The structure is 你 (you) + 叫 (called) + 什么 (what) + 名字 (name) + ？. It literally asks "You are called what name?"
Variations and politeness
您叫什么名字？
nín jiào shénme míngzi?
What is your name? (polite) — More polite because it uses 您 (nín), the formal 'you'.
你叫什么？
nǐ jiào shénme?
What are you called? — More casual and shorter, omitting 名字 (míngzi).
Mini dialogue
A
你好！你叫什么名字？
nǐ hǎo! nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
Hello! What's your name?
B
我叫小明。你呢？
wǒ jiào xiǎo míng. nǐ ne?
My name is Xiao Ming. And you?
When to use it
Appropriate
- When meeting someone for the first time in a casual or neutral setting.
- When you want to ask a person's name directly and naturally.
- When speaking to someone of similar age or status, like a classmate or colleague.
Avoid when
- When speaking to someone much older or in a formal situation; use 您叫什么名字？ instead.
- When you already know the person's name, as it would be redundant or odd.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'What is your name?' in Chinese?
You say 你叫什么名字？ (nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?). It literally means 'You are called what name?'
How do you pronounce 你叫什么名字？?
It's pronounced nǐ jiào shénme míngzi? Pay attention to the tones: nǐ (3rd tone), jiào (4th tone), shénme (2nd + neutral), míngzi (2nd + neutral).
When should I use 你叫什么名字？ instead of 您叫什么名字？?
Use 你叫什么名字？ in informal situations with peers or people younger than you. Use 您叫什么名字？ to show respect to elders, superiors, or in formal settings.
More phrases for this situation
Tomyo
Learn Chinese with spaced repetition
Remember 你叫什么名字？ and hundreds of other phrases with smart reviews, audio and examples.