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How to Say ‘What is your name? (formal)’ in German

Wie heißen Sie?

vee HYE-sen zee

[vee HYE-sen zee]

🇩🇪 In Germany: Use this with adults you've just met, at offices and appointments. In professional settings people often give their surname, as in Ich bin Frau Weber "I'm Ms Weber".

Phrase Breakdown

Wie

[vee]

how

Question word asking for an amount.

Example

Wie viel trinken Sie am Tag?

How much do you drink per day?

heißen

[HYE-sen]

are called / are named

Form of heißen meaning to be called or to be named.

Example

Wie heißen Sie auf Deutsch?

What are you called in German?

Sie

[zee]

You (formal)

Formal second-person pronoun.

Example

Denken Sie, dass Netzwerken wichtig ist?

Do you think networking is important?

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