Table of Contents
Talking about age and name in German
In this chapter you learn how to ask for and say your name and age in German. You already know about personal pronouns and the verbs "sein" and "haben" from other chapters, so here we focus on ready‑to‑use phrases and patterns that are specific to name and age.
Saying and asking names
In everyday German there are two standard ways to say your name. One uses the verb "heißen" and the other uses the verb "sein".
Introducing your name
The most common way is with "heißen" which means "to be called":
Ich heiße Maria.
I am called Maria. / My name is Maria.
Other very useful patterns:
Ich heiße Thomas Müller.
My name is Thomas Müller.
Ich heiße Anna, und du?
My name is Anna, and you?
You can also use "sein" with "Name":
Ich bin Maria.
I am Maria.
Mein Name ist Maria.
My name is Maria.
These are all correct. "Ich heiße …" and "Ich bin …" are the most natural in conversation.
Key patterns for saying your name
"Ich heiße + first name / full name."
"Ich bin + first name / full name."
"Mein Name ist + first name / full name."
Formal and informal questions for names
German clearly separates informal "du" from formal "Sie". This also appears when you ask for someone's name.
Informal, to one person you know or someone your age:
Wie heißt du?
What is your name? / What are you called?
Und du?
And you?
Formal, to one adult you do not know, or in polite situations:
Wie heißen Sie?
What is your name?
Und Sie?
And you?
You can answer both formal and informal questions with the same patterns:
Wie heißt du?
Ich heiße Lukas.
Wie heißen Sie?
Ich heiße Frau Schneider.
In a more formal context you often give your surname:
Ich heiße Anna Meier.
My name is Anna Meier.
Or with "sein":
Wie heißen Sie?
Ich bin Anna Meier.
Asking and giving age
German usually uses the verb "sein" with age, literally "I am X years old."
Saying your age
Very basic and very common patterns are:
Ich bin 20 Jahre alt.
I am 20 years old.
Ich bin 30.
I am 30.
Both are correct. The second sentence leaves out "Jahre alt" but is completely natural in conversation.
Other persons:
Er ist 25 Jahre alt.
He is 25 years old.
Sie ist 18 Jahre alt.
She is 18 years old.
Wir sind 40 Jahre alt.
We are 40 years old.
Key pattern for age
"Ich bin + number + Jahre alt."
Example: "Ich bin 19 Jahre alt."
You can use all numbers from the numbers chapter inside this pattern.
Asking about age
Again, there is a difference between informal "du" and formal "Sie".
Informal:
Wie alt bist du?
How old are you?
Formal:
Wie alt sind Sie?
How old are you?
Sample mini‑dialogues:
Informal:
A: Wie alt bist du?
B: Ich bin 16 Jahre alt.
Formal:
A: Wie alt sind Sie?
B: Ich bin 45.
In German it is sometimes considered personal or too direct to ask about age, especially with adults. With children and between young people it is completely normal.
Combining name and age in short dialogues
Here are short model conversations you can copy and adapt.
Informal conversation:
A: Wie heißt du?
B: Ich heiße Jonas. Und du?
A: Ich heiße Lara.
B: Wie alt bist du?
A: Ich bin 19 Jahre alt. Und du?
B: Ich bin 20.
Formal conversation:
A: Guten Tag, ich heiße Frau König. Wie heißen Sie?
B: Guten Tag, mein Name ist Thomas Weber.
A: Wie alt sind Sie, Herr Weber?
B: Ich bin 32 Jahre alt.
You can now easily create your own versions with your real name and age.
Useful phrases around name and age
Sometimes you want to spell your name or say your full personal information in one go.
Ich heiße Maria Rossi, ich bin 27 Jahre alt.
My name is Maria Rossi, I am 27 years old.
Mein Name ist Ahmed Ali, ich bin 30.
My name is Ahmed Ali, I am 30.
If someone did not hear or understand your name:
Wie bitte? Wie heißen Sie?
Pardon? What is your name?
Kannst du das buchstabieren?
Can you spell that?
In other chapters you will learn the alphabet and how to spell your name correctly.
Summary of the main patterns
Here are the most important formulas from this chapter.
For names:
Ich heiße Anna.
Ich bin Anna.
Mein Name ist Anna.
Wie heißt du?
Wie heißen Sie?
For age:
Ich bin 25 Jahre alt.
Ich bin 25.
Wie alt bist du?
Wie alt sind Sie?
Try to memorize these as complete phrases and then only change the name or the number.
Vocabulary list
| German | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| heißen | to be called | used for names: Ich heiße Anna. |
| ich heiße … | my name is … / I am called … | first person form of "heißen" |
| wie | how | in questions: Wie heißt du? |
| Wie heißt du? | What is your name? (informal) | uses "du" |
| Wie heißen Sie? | What is your name? (formal) | uses "Sie" |
| Name | name | |
| Mein Name ist … | My name is … | more neutral or formal |
| ich bin … | I am … | can be used with name or age |
| Wie alt bist du? | How old are you? (informal) | uses "du" |
| Wie alt sind Sie? | How old are you? (formal) | uses "Sie" |
| alt | old | in "Wie alt …?" |
| Jahre | years | plural of "Jahr" |
| Jahr | year | singular |
| … Jahre alt | … years old | Ich bin 20 Jahre alt. |
| und | and | links parts: Ich heiße … und ich bin … |
| Wie bitte? | Pardon? / Sorry? | when you did not hear something |
| buchstabieren | to spell | used with names |
| Kannst du das buchstabieren? | Can you spell that? (informal) | will be easier after alphabet chapter |
| Mein Name ist …, ich bin … Jahre alt. | My name is …, I am … years old. | complete self‑introduction formula |