When I first moved to Berlin, I went to a little neighborhood café and tried to make small talk with the barista. I had practiced my introduction all morning. I stepped confidently to the counter, smiled, and said:
« Ich bin… äh… Yak. Also… hallo. »
The barista blinked. Then he asked, with perfect politeness,
« Wie heißen Sie? » /ˈviː ˈhaɪ̯sən ziː/
“What is your name?”
That’s when I realized something: Germans don’t usually introduce themselves with Ich bin… the way English speakers do. They prefer Ich heiße… /ɪç ˈhaɪ̯sə/. I spent the next week correcting myself every time I opened my mouth.
Let’s make sure you don’t have to survive the same awkward yak-like learning curve.
Quick Primer
In German, the most common and natural ways to ask someone’s name are:
- Wie heißen Sie? /ˈviː ˈhaɪ̯sən ziː/ — What is your name? (formal)
- Wie heißt du? /ˈviː ˈhaɪ̯st duː/ — What’s your name? (informal)
And the most natural ways to say my name is… are:
- Ich heiße… /ɪç ˈhaɪ̯sə/ — My name is…
- Mein Name ist… /maɪ̯n ˈnaːmə ɪst/ — My name is… (slightly more formal)
Germans can understand Ich bin…, but it’s more like “I am…” than “My name is…” and isn’t the default for introductions.
Asking Someone’s Name: Polite vs. Casual
German changes based on formality. The question you choose tells a lot about your relationship with the other person.
Formal (to adults, strangers, professionals)
| German | IPA | English |
| Wie heißen Sie? | /ˈviː ˈhaɪ̯sən ziː/ | What is your name? |
| Wie ist Ihr Name? | /ˈviː ɪst iːɐ̯ ˈnaːmə/ | What’s your name? |
Use this in:
- offices
- hotels
- interviews
- any official situation
- with older adults you don’t know
Informal (friends, classmates, younger people)
| German | IPA | English |
| Wie heißt du? | /ˈviː ˈhaɪ̯st duː/ | What’s your name? |
| Und du bist…? | /ʊnt duː bɪst/ | And you are…? |
| Wer bist du?* | /veːɐ̯ bɪst duː/ | Who are you? (can sound demanding if used wrong) |
*Use Wer bist du? only if the tone is friendly or the situation is playful.
Introducing Yourself Naturally
The top, most standard German self-introduction is:
- Ich heiße… /ɪç ˈhaɪ̯sə/
- Mein Name ist… /maɪ̯n ˈnaːmə ɪst/
| German | IPA | English |
| Ich heiße Max. | /ɪç ˈhaɪ̯sə maks/ | My name is Max. |
| Mein Name ist Julia. | /maɪ̯n ˈnaːmə ɪst ˈjuːli̯a/ | My name is Julia. |
| Ich heiße Emily. | /ɪç ˈhaɪ̯sə ˈɛmiliː/ | My name is Emily. |
Ich bin… works in context but is less complete:
- Ich bin Max. /ɪç bɪn maks/ — I’m Max.
It’s fine in very casual situations, but learners should prioritize Ich heiße.
Helpful Add-On Phrases After Your Name
These make your introduction sound confident and complete.
| German | IPA | English |
| Schön, Sie kennenzulernen. | /ʃøːn ziː ˈkɛnən.tsuːˌlɛʁnən/ | Nice to meet you (formal). |
| Schön, dich kennenzulernen. | /ʃøːn dɪç ˈkɛnən.tsuːˌlɛʁnən/ | Nice to meet you (informal). |
| Ich komme aus… | /ɪç ˈkɔmə aʊ̯s/ | I come from… |
| Ich wohne in… | /ɪç ˈvoːnə ɪn/ | I live in… |
| Freut mich. | /fʁɔʏ̯t mɪç/ | Nice to meet you. |
Example:
Ich heiße Laura. Freut mich.
/ɪç ˈhaɪ̯sə ˈlaʊ̯ʁa fʁɔʏ̯t mɪç/
My name is Laura. Nice to meet you.
Formality Tips Every Beginner Must Know
In German:
- Sie = formal “you”
- du = informal “you”
They change:
- verbs
- endings
- the vibe
If someone introduces themselves formally, respond formally too.
If someone says:
Wie heißen Sie?
use Ich heiße… and answer politely.
If someone says:
Wie heißt du?
you are safe to stay informal.
Region Notes
Across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, introductions are almost identical.
Small differences:
- In Switzerland, people may greet first with Grüezi /ˈɡryːtsiː/.
- In Austria, you might hear Servus /ˈsɛʁvʊs/ before introductions.
- Formality (Sie vs. du) is respected strongly in business situations in all three regions.
But the structure Wie heißen Sie? / Ich heiße… is standard and universal.
Mini Dialogues
Dialogue 1 — Formal Situation (Hotel)
Guten Tag, wie heißen Sie?
/ˈɡuːtən taːk ˈviː ˈhaɪ̯sən ziː/
Good day, what is your name?
Ich heiße Daniel Weber.
/ɪç ˈhaɪ̯sə ˈdaːni̯eːl ˈveːbɐ/
My name is Daniel Weber.
Willkommen, Herr Weber.
/vɪlˈkɔmən hɛʁ ˈveːbɐ/
Welcome, Mr Weber.
Dialogue 2 — Casual Meeting
Hi! Wie heißt du?
/haɪ̯ viː ˈhaɪ̯st duː/
Hi! What’s your name?
Ich heiße Mia. Und du?
/ɪç ˈhaɪ̯sə ˈmiːa ʊnt duː/
My name is Mia. And you?
Ich bin Lukas. Freut mich.
/ɪç bɪn ˈluːkas fʁɔʏ̯t mɪç/
I’m Lukas. Nice to meet you.
Dialogue 3 — At a Language Class
Wie heißen Sie bitte?
/ˈviː ˈhaɪ̯sən ziː ˈbɪtə/
What is your name, please?
Mein Name ist Sophia.
/maɪ̯n ˈnaːmə ɪst zoˈfiːa/
My name is Sophia.
Schön, Sie kennenzulernen.
/ʃøːn ziː ˈkɛnən.tsulɛʁnən/
Nice to meet you.
Quick Reference
| Function | German | IPA | English |
| Ask name (formal) | Wie heißen Sie? | /ˈviː ˈhaɪ̯sən ziː/ | What is your name? |
| Ask name (informal) | Wie heißt du? | /ˈviː ˈhaɪ̯st duː/ | What’s your name? |
| Say my name is | Ich heiße… | /ɪç ˈhaɪ̯sə/ | My name is… |
| Say my name is (formal) | Mein Name ist… | /maɪ̯n ˈnaːmə ɪst/ | My name is… |
| Nice to meet you (formal) | Schön, Sie kennenzulernen. | /ʃøːn ziː ˈkɛnən.tsuːˌlɛʁnən/ | Nice to meet you. |
Five-Minute Practice Plan
- Say Wie heißen Sie? and Wie heißt du? five times each with correct rhythm.
- Introduce yourself using both forms: Ich heiße… and Mein Name ist…
- Pretend you’re meeting a friend and do the informal exchange out loud.
- Shadow Dialogue 1 to feel the formal tone.
- Create three self-introduction sentences using: name, origin, and “Freut mich.”
Walking Into German Conversations Like a Friendly Yak
Now you can ask someone’s name without panic, respond smoothly, and switch between Sie and du like a confident, socially aware yak who has conquered many awkward café moments.
Next time someone in Germany asks Wie heißen Sie?, you’ll have exactly the right words ready—no confused blinking required.
