Introducing yourself with "chamar-se"
To state your name or ask someone else's, use the reflexive verb chamar-se (literally, "to call oneself").
| Subject | Reflexive Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| eu | chamo-me | I am called |
| tu | chamas-te | you are called (informal) |
| ele / ela / você | chama-se | he / she / you (formal) is called |
| nós | chamamo-nos | we are called |
| eles / elas / vocês | chamam-se | they / you (plural) are called |
Notice the hyphen: in European Portuguese, object pronouns attach to the end of the verb by default.
| My name is Ana, nice to meet you. | Chamo-me Ana, muito prazer. |
| Nice to meet you, my name is Pedro. | Muito prazer, chamo-me Pedro. |
Question words pull the pronoun
Question words like como (how) or quem (who) act like magnets, "pulling" the pronoun to the front of the verb (without a hyphen).
| Hello, what is your name? | Olá, como te chamas? |
| What is the teacher's name? | Como se chama a professora? |
Negative words pull the pronoun
Negative words like não (not) also pull the pronoun before the verb.
| They are not called Silva. | Eles não se chamam Silva. |
Names and surnames
You can also introduce people using the nouns for "name" (o nome) and "surname" (o apelido). Note that o apelido specifically means a family name or surname in Portugal.
| The girl's name is Sofia. | O nome da rapariga é Sofia. |
| The student's surname is also Costa. | O apelido do aluno também é Costa. |
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