The common expressions and their uses in sentences
我叫…… (Wǒ jiào)
It’s translated to “I am called……”. This is the most common way to introduce your name. It’s suitable for both formal and informal contexts.
e.g.
我叫张伟。(Wǒ jiào Zhāng Wěi.) My name is Zhang Wei.
我叫陈静怡。(Wǒ jiào Chén Jìngyí.) I am called Chen Jingyi.
我叫David Smith，你可以叫我Dave. (Wǒ jiào David Smith, nǐ kěyǐ jiào wǒ Dave.) My name is David Smith, you can call me Dave.
我叫张伟，你可以叫我小张。(Wǒ jiào Zhāng Wěi, nǐ kěyǐ jiào wǒ Xiǎo Zhāng.) My name is Zhang Wei, you can call me Xiao Zhang.
我的名字是…… (Wǒ de míngzì shì ……)
Literally means “my name is……”. A slightly more formal way to introduce your name, often used in written introductions or more formal spoken contexts.
e.g.
我的名字是李华。(Wǒ de míngzì shì Lǐ Huá.) My name is Li Hua.
我的名字是David Smith, 中文名字是大卫。(Wǒ de míngzì shì David Smith, zhōngwén míngzì shì Dàwèi.) My name is David Smith, my Chinese name is Dawei.
The extended phrases to express “my name is” in Chinese
我叫做…… (Wǒ jiàozuò ……)
Similar to “我叫,” but “叫做” can add a bit more emphasis or formality to the introduction. It’s less commonly used than “我叫.”
e.g.
我叫做王小明。(Wǒ jiàozuò Wáng Xiǎomíng.) I am called Wang Xiaoming.
我姓……，名…… (Wǒ xìng ……，míng ……)
In some formal introduction situations, it’s very common to separately introduce the surname and given name. Literally translates to “My surname is ……, my given name is ……”.
e.g.
我姓诸葛，名亮。(Wǒ xìng Zhūgě, míng Liàng.) My surname is Zhuge, and my first name is Liang.
我姓Smith，名David。(Wǒ xìng Smith, míng David.) My surname is Smith, and my first name is David.
我姓张，名小华。(Wǒ xìng Zhāng, míng Xiǎo Huá.) My surname is Zhang, and my first name is Xiaohua.
免贵姓…… (Miǎn guì xìng ……)
This is only used to answer when somebody ask “您贵姓” which is a very polite way to ask your surname.
Q：请问您贵姓？(Qǐngwèn nín guì xìng?) May I ask your honorable surname?
免贵姓张，叫张小华。(Miǎn guì xìng Zhāng, jiào Zhāng Xiǎo Huá.) No need for formality, my surname is Zhang, named Xiaohua.
免贵姓王，名真。(Miǎn guì xìng Wáng, míng Zhēn.) No need for formality, my surname is Wang, first name Zhen.
Additional knowledge about Chinese names
Chinese names have distinctive features that set them apart from Western naming conventions. The most noticeable feature of Chinese names is the order: the family name (surname) comes before the given name. For example, in “李华” (Lǐ Huá), “李” is the family name.
There are some very commonly used questions to ask about one’s name.
你叫什么(名字)？(Nǐ jiào shénme (míngzi)?) What’s your name?
请问怎么称呼？(Qǐngwèn zěnme chēnghu?) May I ask how to address you?
你的名字是什么？(Nǐ de míngzì shì shénme?) What is your name?
您贵姓？(Nín guì xìng?) What is your esteemed surname?
