Learn Romanian: Cum te numești?

In Romanian, you don't ask "What is your name?". Instead, the literal translation of this phrase is "How do you call yourself?". Cum is the Romanian word for "how".

What is the word te doing in this sentence?

Te means "yourself". The verb used for giving your name, a se numi, is a reflexive verb. This means the action reflects back onto the subject. Because you are talking about how you call yourself, you must include te.

Where is the word for "you" in this sentence?

In Romanian, you can usually drop words like tu (you) because the verb's ending tells you who is doing the action. Numești specifically means "you call". You could say Cum te numești tu?, but the tu is usually left out unless you want to add emphasis.

Can I use this phrase with anyone I meet?

This specific phrase is informal, so you should use it with children, peers, or in casual settings. If you want to ask someone their name in a formal way (like an older person or someone you want to show respect to), you should use the polite version: Cum vă numiți?.