Mission: Introduce Yourself
Your mission: meet a new classmate, give your name, ask theirs, and ask a teacher's surname politely.
Step 1: your name
Say your full name with 叫 (jiào) (to be called), or just your surname with 姓 (xìng). Chinese names put the surname first: in 王小雨 (Wáng Xiǎoyǔ), 王 is the family name.
Quick check
1. In 王小雨, which part is the surname?
Step 2: ask theirs
Ask a classmate 你叫什么名字？ (Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) -- 什么 (what) sits where the answer goes. Ask a teacher or an older person 您贵姓？ (Nín guìxìng?) (your honourable surname?).
Then close with 认识你很高兴。 (Rènshi nǐ hěn gāoxìng.) (nice to meet you).
Quick check
1. Which question suits an older stranger?
Try it yourself
Write a sentence or two using what this lesson covered. Not graded -- just for you, saved so you can come back to it.
Pick with a tap, a number key or Space. A Chinese keyboard on your device works in the box below too.
Final review
0/13 answered across this lesson
1. A classmate asks 你叫什么名字？ What are they asking?
2. To answer 您贵姓？ you say:
3. Complete (characters or pinyin).
4. Complete (characters or pinyin).
5. Complete (characters or pinyin).
6. Translate into English.
7. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).
8. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).
9. Say it in Chinese (characters or pinyin).
10. Put the words in order.
Hint: “What is your surname? (polite)”
11. Tell your new classmate it's nice to meet them.
Say your answer out loud and record it, then compare it with the model.
Tip: Notice nǐ hěn: third + third, so nǐ rises.