Giving Your Name
Russian does not say "I am called". It says меня зовут — literally they call me — with an unnamed "they" and YOU in the accusative:
Меня зовут Ольга. — My name is Olga.
The pronoun changes for other people, using the accusative forms you have just learned: тебя зовут (informal you), вас зовут (polite you), его зовут (him), её зовут (her).
| My name is Olga. | Меня зовут Ольга. |
Asking a Name
| question | to whom |
|---|---|
| Как вас зовут? | someone you address as вы |
| Как тебя зовут? | someone you address as ты |
Note that Russian asks как — how — not what. Asking Что вас зовут? is not Russian.
| What is your name? | Как вас зовут? |
How Are You?
Как дела? — literally how are the affairs — is the everyday "how are you". Unlike the English version it is a real question, and Russians answer it properly rather than reflexively saying "fine".
| Hi! How are you? | Привет! Как дела? |
Getting Acquainted
Познакомиться is the verb for meeting someone for the first time. It is reflexive, ending in -ся, because the meeting is mutual.
Name, Address, Number
Фамилия is the SURNAME — a false friend worth marking, since it does not mean family. That word is семья, which you already know.
| My surname is Petrova. | Моя фамилия Петрова. |
