Italian · Greetings & Essentials
"What's your name?" in Italian: Come ti chiami?
Come ti chiami?
Note: formal: Come si chiama?
What's your name? with friends is Come ti chiami? (KOH-meh tee KYAH-mee). With strangers or older people use Come si chiama? You answer with Mi chiamo… Address the listener as tu in the informal form.
Party intro
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How to pronounce Come ti chiami?
Say it
KOH-meh tee KYAH-mee
/ˈko.me ti ˈkja.mi/
Come ti chiami is KOH-meh tee KYAH-mee. Chi sounds like kyah.
"What's your name?" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Come ti chiami? | What's your name? (informal) With tu. | With tu. |
| Come si chiama? | What's your name? (formal) With Lei. | With Lei. |
| Come ti chiami tu? | And what's your name? Emphatic. | Emphatic. |
| Mi chiamo… | My name is… Usual answer. | Usual answer. |
How to use Come ti chiami? in real life
- 1Party intro
Ciao! Come ti chiami?
Hi! What's your name?
Informal with tu.
- 2Kids' class
Ragazzi, come ti chiami tu?
Kids, what's your name?
Teacher to a child.
- 3Networking softener
Scusa, come ti chiami di nuovo?
Sorry, what's your name again?
Polite repeat ask.
Mistakes English speakers make with Come ti chiami?
Incorrect: Come ti chiama?
Correct: Come ti chiami?
Informal needs chiami (tu), not chiama.
Incorrect: Come ti chiami? (to a professor)
Correct: Come si chiama?
Use formal si chiama with Lei.
Good to know
Italians move from Come si chiama? to first names quickly in casual settings, but titles stay with doctors and older clients. After the name, a smile and Piacere lock the intro.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Meeting at a language café
ChatPal
Ciao, come ti chiami?
Hi, what's your name?
You
Mi chiamo Elena. E tu, come ti chiami?
My name is Elena. And you, what's your name?
ChatPal
Io mi chiamo Sam. Piacere!
I'm Sam. Nice to meet you!
You
Piacere, Sam. Come ti chiami su Instagram?
Nice to meet you, Sam. What's your Instagram name?
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"What's your name?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "What's your name?" in Italian
Ti chiami or si chiama?
Ti chiami with friends (tu); si chiama formal (Lei).
How do I answer?
Mi chiamo + name.
Is come va your name?
No—come va is how's it going.
Can I say qual è il tuo nome?
Yes, but Come ti chiami? is more spoken.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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