nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?

What is your name?

Breakdown of nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?

• 你nǐ: you
• 叫jiào: to be called
• 什么shénme: what
• 名字míngzi: name

Questions & Answers about nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?

Do I need the word 名字 here? What’s the difference between 你叫什么名字 and 你叫什么?

Both are natural and mean “What’s your name?”

• 你叫什么名字？ (nǐ jiào shénme míngzi) is slightly more explicit and very common.
• 你叫什么？ (nǐ jiào shénme) is shorter and casual. Context makes it clear you’re asking a name. Neither is rude by itself; tone and context matter more for politeness.

Why use 叫 “to be called” instead of 是 “to be”? Can I say 你是什么名字?

• In Chinese, the idiomatic way to ask someone’s name is with 叫: “you are called what (name)?”
• 你是什么名字？ is ungrammatical as a neutral question.
• You can ask with 是 by rephrasing to a copular structure: 你的名字是什么？ (nǐ de míngzi shì shénme) — acceptable but more bookish.
• Don’t insert 是 before 叫 in a neutral wh-question: 你是叫什么名字？ sounds like you’re double-checking/recalling (a different nuance), not asking cold.

Can I add the question particle 吗 at the end: 你叫什么名字吗?

No. 吗 (ma) is for yes/no questions, not for questions with 什么. Say:

• Correct: 你叫什么名字？
• Yes/no pattern: 你叫王明吗？ (“Are you called Wang Ming?”)

How do I answer this question naturally?