German · A1 · Everyday language
Hello and my name in German
Learn to introduce yourself and your children, ask someone's name, and exchange friendly greetings in German. These phrases use informal language for children and people you know well.
What you'll learn
- Say your name and ask someone else's name.
- Ask how someone is and give a simple answer.
- Introduce your son or daughter.
- Recognize personal pronouns and simple forms of sein (to be).
German phrases for hello and my name
Hallo, ich heiße Anna.
Hello, my name is Anna.
Ich heiße is the usual way to say your name. Literally, it means 'I am called.'
Wie heißt du?
What is your name?
Use du with a child or someone you know well.
Schön, dich kennenzulernen.
Nice to meet you.
A friendly phrase to use when meeting someone for the first time.
Wie geht es dir?
How are you?
This asks how someone feels. Dir is an informal form of 'you.'
Mir geht es gut, danke.
I am fine, thank you.
Learn mir geht es gut as a whole phrase. German does not use 'I am good' for this reply.
Das ist mein Sohn.
This is my son.
Use mein before the masculine noun Sohn.
Das ist meine Tochter.
This is my daughter.
Use meine before the feminine noun Tochter.
Bis später!
See you later!
A casual goodbye when you expect to see someone again later.
Hear these phrases and practise them
Tildi plays every phrase out loud, tests you in five-minute lessons and builds them into bedtime stories from your own picture books.
Try it free for 7 daysKey words
hallo
hello
A common, friendly greeting.
heißen
to be called
Use ich heiße to give your name.
ich
I
Unlike English 'I,' ich is lowercase unless it starts a sentence.
du
you
Informal; used when speaking to one person.
gut
good; well
In mir geht es gut, it means 'well.'
danke
thank you
A simple way to thank someone.
der Sohn
the son
A masculine noun. German nouns start with a capital letter.
die Tochter
the daughter
A feminine noun. Use meine to say 'my daughter.'
später
later
Used in the goodbye bis später.
Personal pronouns and sein (to be)
The verb sein changes with the subject. Learn each pronoun together with its verb form. Use das ist to introduce someone.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | ich bin | Ich bin Anna. — I am Anna. |
| You (informal, singular) | du bist | Du bist nett. — You are nice. |
| He | er ist | Er ist mein Sohn. — He is my son. |
| She | sie ist | Sie ist meine Tochter. — She is my daughter. |
| This | das ist | Das ist Anna. — This is Anna. |
Giving and asking names
German commonly uses heißen (to be called) for names. In a statement, the verb comes second. In a question with wie, the verb comes directly after wie.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Give your name | Ich heiße + name. | Ich heiße Anna. — My name is Anna. |
| Ask a name | Wie heißt du? | Hallo! Wie heißt du? — Hello! What is your name? |
Mein and meine (my)
In these introduction sentences, use mein before a masculine noun and meine before a feminine noun. The form depends on the noun, not on the person speaking.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine noun | mein Sohn | Das ist mein Sohn. — This is my son. |
| Feminine noun | meine Tochter | Das ist meine Tochter. — This is my daughter. |
More examples
Hallo, ich bin Ben.
Hello, I am Ben.
Ich bin is another simple way to introduce yourself.
Ich heiße Emma. Und du?
My name is Emma. And you?
Und du? is a short way to ask the same question back.
Das ist mein Sohn Leo.
This is my son Leo.
You can add your child's name directly after Sohn.
Das ist meine Tochter Mia.
This is my daughter Mia.
Use meine with Tochter.
Mir geht es gut. Und dir?
I am fine. And you?
Use und dir? to return the question about how someone is.