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How to Say ‘And what was your name again?’ in German

Und wie war Ihr Name noch mal?

oont vee vah eer NAH-meh nokh mahl

[oont vee vah eer NAH-meh nokh mahl]

💬 Usage Tip: noch mal "again" plus the past war "was" softens the question, like English "what was your name again?".

Phrase Breakdown

Und wie war

oont vee vah

and what was

'wie war' literally means 'how was'. It's used when asking someone to remind you of something. 'w' sounds like an English 'v'.

Example

Und wie war das Wetter?

And how was the weather?

Words in this phrase

Und

[oont]

and

A conjunction used to connect sentences or elements in a sentence.

Example

Und ich freue mich.

And I am happy.

wie

[vee]

how

Question word asking about manner or state.

Example

Wie geht es dir?

How are you?

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 Name noch mal?

eer NAH-meh nokh mahl

your name again?

'noch mal' means 'again'. It's a polite way to ask for a name you forgot. Say 'Ihr' like 'ear'.

Example

Wie war Ihre Adresse noch mal?

What was your address again?

Words in this phrase

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

[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!

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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