Being able to introduce yourself is a very important skill that language learners must acquire. If you plan on visiting Berlin, Vienna, Luxembourg, or any other German-speaking country, knowing how you say ‘my name is’ in German can make a difference when starting conversations.
In this blog post, you will be guided through the basics of introductions in the language, ensuring you can start conversations with confidence and make a great first impression. Don’t forget to listen to the podcast while reading the article to master the pronunciation of this phrase!
How do you say ‘my name is’ in German?
After you say ‘hello’ in German, the next step is to start a conversation. Introducing yourself does the trick as it helps establish a connection and show respect and interest in the other person.
You can say ‘my name is’ in German in three different ways. The most straightforward one is by using the phrase: mein Name ist, followed by your name. For example:
- Mein Name ist Julia. My name is Julia.
The other two ways of saying ‘my name is’ in German are more casual. You can use the phrase Ich heiße I am called or Ich bin I am:
- Ich heiße Mathias. I’m called Mathias.
- Ich bin Maria. I am Maria.
Asking for someone’s name
Just as important as introducing yourself is asking for the other person’s name. In German, it is important to consider that there is a formal and informal way of doing that.
Let’s check the phrases you can use:
- Wie heißen Sie? What is your name? (formal)
- Wie heißt du? What is your name? (informal)
After that, you can say your name or that you are happy to meet the person, acknowledging their name with the phrase:
- Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen (formal)
- Freut mich, dich kennenzulernen (informal)
Or you can simply say ‘freut mich’.
Introducing yourself: conversation example
Now you know how to say ‘my name is’ in German, so you should be able to understand what is said in this conversation example. Try to read it and pronounce the words while doing it!
- Guten Tag! Mein Name ist Michael Schmidt.
- Guten Tag, Herr Schmidt. Ich heiße Hans Müller. Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen.
- Freut mich auch, Herr Müller.
- Es war schön, mit Ihnen zu sprechen, Herr Schmidt. Bis später!
- Ja, bis bald!
You might notice that when addressing someone formally, you should use their title and last name, for example, Herr Schmidt Mr. Schmidt. In informal settings, first names are typically used.
Check the dialogue translation here:
- Good day! My name is Michael Schmidt.
- Good afternoon, Sr. Schmidt. I’m called Hans Müller. I am glad to meet you.
- I’m pleased too, Mr. Müller.
- It was nice to talk to you, Mr. Schmidt. See you later!
- Yes, see you soon!
We are sure that you are now able to introduce yourself confidently and make a positive impression in any German-speaking environment. Remember to practice regularly, pay attention to pronunciation and be aware of cultural aspects.
To add more layers to your conversation after introducing yourself, you can ask people about where they are from. We prepared a blog post to talk about it exclusively. So, are you ready to learn how to say where you are from and the name of your country in German? Read now!
Thanks Mark, und herzlich Willkommen! My name is Thomas – or in German, mein Name ist Thomas. You see, German is very easy! I come from the south of Germany, from a town in Bavaria called Kempten. As Mark already explained, in Coffee Break German we’re going to cover a range of topics, so, for example, you’ll be learning to order drinks in a café, check into a hotel, ask for directions and talk about yourself so you can make friends with native speakers. The most important thing is – am wichtigsten ist – that you should not think of Coffee Break German as simply a phrase book. Yes, you’ll be learning useful words and phrases, but we will talk about these words and phrases in each lesson and you will develop an understanding of the language and how it works. This way you’ll know what you need to say – and when you need to say it. I’m looking forward to helping you with your German in our weekly lessons together.
Hallo! Ich bin die Kirsten. My name is Kirsten and I’m the Coffee Break German Grammar Guru. I have to say, I’m a total grammar geek and I’m really looking forward to helping you get to grips with your German. Let’s imagine a language is like the human body. Grammar is like the skeleton – it’s what holds everything together, and without it, it would all just fall apart. Some people are a little bit scared of grammar: they think it’s just about learning lots of rules, but I like to think of these rules as patterns, and the more you get to know German, the more you’ll begin to recognise these patterns. You’re not going to have to spend ages going through these complicated grammar books. As Coffee Break German Grammar Guru, it’s my job to simplify everything for you and in each lesson I’ll be helping you get to grips with the particular patterns covered in that lesson. If you tune into my Grammar Guru sections, you’ll start to build up a really solid foundation for your German and all of these patterns will become second nature to you. I’m really looking forward to helping you with your German!
Hallo alle zusammen! Ich heisse Julia – my name is Julia, and it’s my job to bring you some cultural insights into the German-speaking parts of the world. In each episode I’ll spend just a couple of minutes explaining an aspect of culture: the traditions we have, the food we eat, some words we use, and some of the strange, little things that make us German speakers so lovable! I’m looking forward to joining you every week and I hope that you enjoy my Cultural Correspondent segments.
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