How to Ask Someone's Name in Italian: Formal and Informal Phrases
Learn to ask 'What's your name?' in Italian using informal and formal phrases, including 'Come ti chiami?' and 'Come si chiama?', with polite options and pronunciation help.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
Asking someone's name is one of the first real conversations you will have in Italian, and the language makes you choose a level of politeness before you speak. Italian has an informal singular 'tu' and a formal singular 'Lei' (capitalized when written politely), and the verb form changes with each. In this lesson you will learn the standard question 'Come ti chiami?' for friends, peers, and children, and the formal 'Come si chiama?' for strangers, older people, officials, and professional settings. You will also learn a softer, more polite request, 'Posso chiedere il suo nome?', and how to answer briefly when someone asks you. The focus is only on asking for a name and responding; introducing yourself, saying where you are from, and giving other personal details are separate skills.
By the end, you can…
- ask a friend or peer 'What's your name?' in Italian using an informal phrase.
- ask a stranger or someone older 'What's your name?' using formal Italian.
- use a polite request such as 'May I ask your name?' in a formal situation.
- recognize whether an Italian speaker is using informal 'tu' or formal 'Lei' with me.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Come ti chiami?
What's your name? (informal)
KOH-meh tee KYAH-mee
Use with friends, classmates, children, and people your age in relaxed situations. Literally 'How do you call yourself?'
Come si chiama?
What's your name? (formal)
KOH-meh see KYAH-mah
Use with strangers, older people, officials, customers, and anyone you address with formal 'Lei'. The verb ends in -a, not -i.
Posso chiedere il suo nome?
May I ask your name? (formal)
POHS-soh KYEH-deh-reh eel SOO-oh NOH-meh
A very polite formal option. 'Suo' here means 'your' in the formal singular, not 'his' or 'her'.
Posso chiederti il nome?
May I ask your name? (informal)
POHS-soh KYEH-der-tee eel NOH-meh
The informal version with the attached pronoun '-ti'. Use it with someone you already address as 'tu'.
Il mio nome è...
My name is...
eel MEE-oh NOH-meh eh
A neutral way to give your name after being asked. It works in both informal and formal situations.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 'Come ti chiami?' for informal 'tu' and 'Come si chiama?' for formal 'Lei'. The verb 'chiamarsi' means 'to call oneself'. With 'tu' the ending is '-i': 'ti chiami'. With formal 'Lei' the ending is '-a': 'si chiama'. If you are unsure which to use, choose the formal 'Come si chiama?' with a stranger or anyone older; Italians generally prefer a little too much politeness over too little. You can also soften the question with 'Posso chiedere il suo nome?' or 'Posso chiederti il nome?'.
When to use it
Use 'Come ti chiami?' with friends, classmates, children, and peers in casual settings. Use 'Come si chiama?' in shops, offices, hotels, medical settings, and with people you have just met who are older or in authority. In many parts of central and southern Italy, and in some service situations, people may switch to informal language quickly, but you should normally wait for them to invite you with 'diamoci del tu' before doing the same. In writing, formal 'Lei' and its possessive 'Suo' are often capitalized to show respect, though lowercase is also common.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buongiorno, posso chiedere il suo nome?
Good morning, may I ask your name?bwohn-JOHR-noh, POHS-soh KYEH-deh-reh eel SOO-oh NOH-mehCertamente. Il mio nome è Laura Bianchi.
Certainly. My name is Laura Bianchi.cher-tah-MEN-teh. eel MEE-oh NOH-meh eh LOW-rah BYAHN-keePiacere. E come si chiama il suo collega?
Nice to meet you. And what is your colleague's name?pyah-CHEH-reh. eh KOH-meh see KYAH-mah eel SOO-oh kohl-LEH-gahSi chiama Marco. Lui è un mio amico.
His name is Marco. He is a friend of mine.see KYAH-mah MAR-koh. LOO-ee eh oon MEE-oh ah-MEE-kohA little context goes a long way
Italian politeness is not only about words; tone, title, and context matter. 'Come si chiama?' is normal formal Italian, but in very formal or service encounters you may hear 'Posso chiedere il suo nome?' or 'Come posso chiamarla?'. In informal settings, 'Come ti chiami?' is standard, and among young people you may also hear 'Tu come ti chiami?'. Regional usage varies: in some northern cities formal 'Lei' is common in shops, while in parts of the south informal language can appear sooner. When in doubt, start formal and follow the other person's lead.
One thing to watch for
Using 'Come ti chiami?' with a stranger, an older person, or someone in authority because it is the phrase you learned first.
Try this instead: Use the formal 'Come si chiama?' with strangers, older people, officials, and professional contacts. If you want to be extra polite, say 'Posso chiedere il suo nome?'. For example, to a hotel receptionist you do not know, say 'Buongiorno, come si chiama?', not 'Come ti chiami?'.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are talking to a new classmate your own age. Which question do you use?
Show a sample answer
Come ti chiami?
This uses informal 'tu' with the verb ending '-i', which fits a peer in a relaxed setting. 'Come si chiama?' would be too distant here, though it is not grammatically wrong.
2You need to ask an older customer's name at work. Which formal question is appropriate?
Show a sample answer
Come si chiama? or Posso chiedere il suo nome?
Both use formal 'Lei' and are appropriate with a customer. 'Posso chiedere il suo nome?' is softer and more polite, while 'Come si chiama?' is the standard formal question.
3Someone asks you 'Come ti chiami?' Give a short answer using the pattern from this lesson.
Show a sample answer
Il mio nome è... / Mi chiamo...
'Il mio nome è...' follows the lesson pattern and works in formal and informal contexts. 'Mi chiamo...' is also correct and very common; both are valid answers.
Choose 'Come ti chiami?' for informal 'tu' and 'Come si chiama?' for formal 'Lei'; when unsure, start formal and let the other person invite you to use 'tu'.
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