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How to Say ‘What's his name?’ in German

Wie heißt er?

vee hyst air

[vee hyst air]

💬 Usage Tip: German asks "how is he called?" with wie "how", not was "what". Same for yourself: Wie heißen Sie?

Phrase Breakdown

Wie

[vee]

what

With 'ist' asking for a name or number, German uses 'wie' where English says 'what'.

Example

Wie ist dein Name?

What is your name?

heißt

[hyst]

is called

Third person singular of 'heißen', to be named.

Example

Mein Hund heißt Max.

My dog is called Max.

[air]

Third-person singular masculine pronoun; also used for masculine nouns.

Example

Er spielt gern Fußball.

He likes playing football.

Guides for German learners

Duolingo vs Pimsleur: Tapping on a Screen or Talking Out Loud?Duolingo vs Pimsleur: five minutes of tapping versus thirty minutes of speaking. What each is good at, what each costs, and which to pick for your goal.

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