你叫什么名字？

When to use

This is the most common and direct way to ask someone's name when you are meeting them. It's suitable for almost any situation, from casual to formal.

How it works

This is a standard question structure: Pronoun + Verb + Question Word + Noun. **Productive Chunk:** 你叫什么 (nǐ jiào shén me) - 'What are you called?'. This structure can be adapted to ask about other things.

• 你 (nǐ): you (pronoun)
• 叫 (jiào): to be called, to call (verb)
• 什么 (shén me): what (question word)
• 名字 (míng zi): name (noun)

Grammar Focus

The verb 叫 is fundamental for introductions. The question word 什么 is placed after the verb, which is a common pattern for 'wh-' questions in Chinese. The noun 名字 is often included for clarity, but '你叫什么?' is also perfectly acceptable and common.

Notes

The standard question to ask someone's name, using the common verb 'to be called'.