míng
zi
(Mandarin)
(Cantonese)

HSK 1

Dictionary

name (of a person or thing)

Measure word: 個|个[gè]

Examples

你叫什么名字?

Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?

What is your name?

Did You Know?

Confusable

Word Formation

名 means 'name' and 字 means 'character/word', together meaning 'given name'.

Usage Tips

名字 refers to a person's full name (我叫小明), while 姓 (xìng) means 'surname' only — ask 你叫什么名字? for full name, but 你姓什么? for family name.