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How to Say ‘What was your name again, please?’ in German

Wie war Ihr Name noch mal, bitte?

vee vah eer NAH-meh nokh mahl BIT-eh

[vee vah eer NAH-meh nokh mahl BIT-eh]

🇩🇪 In Germany: This is the standard polite way to ask for a name again, even if the caller never said it clearly. Asking it in the past tense with war sounds natural rather than awkward.

Phrase Breakdown

Wie war Ihr Name

vee vah eer NAH-meh

What was your name

'Wie' sounds like 'vee' and 'war' like 'vahr'. 'Ihr' (your, formal) sounds like 'eer'.

Example

Wie war Ihr Name?

What was your name?

Words in this phrase

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?

war

[vah]

was

Past tense of 'is', used to describe something that happened or existed in the past.

Example

Er war ein großer Krieger.

He was a great warrior.

Ihr

[eer]

your (formal)

Possessive for the formal 'Sie', written with a capital I.

Example

Ist das Ihr Auto?

Is that your car?

Name

[NAH-meh]

name

Masculine noun: what someone or something is called.

Example

Wie ist Ihr Name, bitte?

What is your name, please?

noch mal, bitte?

nokh mahl BIT-eh

again, please?

'noch mal' means 'again'. Pause briefly at the comma before 'bitte'.

Example

Sagen Sie das noch mal, bitte?

Could you say that again, please?

Words in this phrase

noch

[nokh]

again (with 'mal')

Together with 'mal', 'noch' means 'once more / again'.

Example

Kannst du das noch mal sagen?

Can you say that again?

mal

[mahl]

(softener) just

A small particle that makes a request or question sound casual and friendly.

Example

Komm mal her!

Come here for a sec!

bitte

[BIT-eh]

please

Polite word for requests.

Example

Einen Moment, bitte.

One moment, please.

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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