Introductions
When meeting people for the first time, you must still be aware of the formal or informal relationship involved. This will determine the form of your questions and answers. When asking for or giving a name, there are two basic approaches for both the formal and informal.
What's your name? (formal)
What's your name? (informal)
What is your last name? (formal)
What is your last name? (informal)
Her name is
His name is
My name is
Pleased to meet you. (formal)
I'd like to introduce
Alert!
When asking for or giving a name, the verb heißen is commonly used. Its meaning is “to be called.” Therefore, you are really asking, “How are you called?” Wie heißen Sie? Ich heiße Thomas Keller. “My name is (I am called) Thomas Keller.”
