The natural question: o-namae wa?
The polite prefix o- turns namae, name, into o-namae, your name, with respect. On its own with the topic particle wa and a rising tone, o-namae wa? is a complete, natural and polite question. The full version, o-namae wa nan desu ka, is just as polite and a little more deliberate.
Notice that nothing in these questions means you. Japanese leaves the person out because the context makes it obvious, and the o- prefix already shows the name belongs to the listener. This is the version to learn first and use most often.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お名前は？ | O-namae wa? | Your name? / What's your name? |
| お名前は何ですか。 | O-namae wa nan desu ka. | What is your name? |
| お名前、何ていうんですか。 | O-namae, nan te iu n desu ka. | What's your name? (soft, conversational) |
| お名前を教えてください。 | O-namae o oshiete kudasai. | Please tell me your name. |
| お名前を教えていただけますか。 | O-namae o oshiete itadakemasu ka. | Could you tell me your name? |
Why you should avoid anata
Anata, you, appears on page one of most textbooks, but in real conversation it is used sparingly. Addressing someone as anata can sound distant, blunt or even slightly confrontational, and between couples it has its own intimate or old-fashioned flavour. Anata no namae wa nan desu ka is therefore a classic textbook sentence that native speakers rarely say.
Instead, Japanese speakers use the person's name with a suffix, their role such as sensei or tenchō, or nothing at all. Before you know someone's name, simply leave the pronoun out. Once you know it, use it: Tanaka-san wa dō omoimasu ka rather than anata wa dō omoimasu ka.
| Instead of | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| あなたの名前は何ですか。 | お名前は何ですか。 | No pronoun; o- shows respect |
| あなたはどこから来ましたか。 | どちらからいらっしゃいましたか。 | Respectful verb, no anata |
| あなたは学生ですか。 | 学生さんですか。 | The context makes the subject clear |
| あなたはどう思いますか。 | 田中さんはどう思いますか。 | Use the name once you know it |
Formal ways to ask: ukagau and customer service
At work, at a reception desk or on the phone, people often ask with ukagau, a humble verb meaning to ask or to hear. O-namae o ukagatte mo ii desu ka literally asks whether you may humbly ask the name, and is a safe choice with clients, seniors and anyone you want to treat carefully.
In shops, hotels and offices you will hear even more formal versions from staff, with yoroshii and the honorific verb. You do not need to produce all of these yourself, but recognising them helps. For giving your own details in these situations, including address and phone number, see our guide to giving your name and address in Japanese.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お名前を伺ってもいいですか。 | O-namae o ukagatte mo ii desu ka. | May I ask your name? |
| お名前を伺ってもよろしいでしょうか。 | O-namae o ukagatte mo yoroshii deshō ka. | Might I ask your name? (very polite) |
| 失礼ですが、お名前は？ | Shitsurei desu ga, o-namae wa? | Excuse me, but may I have your name? |
| お名前をお願いします。 | O-namae o onegaishimasu. | Your name, please. (reception, forms) |
| どちら様でしょうか。 | Dochira-sama deshō ka. | Who is calling, please? / May I ask who you are? |
| お名前をフルネームでお願いします。 | O-namae o furu nēmu de onegaishimasu. | Your full name, please. |
Casual ways to ask among friends
With people your age in relaxed settings, such as a party, a class or an online game, the plain forms are normal. Drop the o- and desu, and use the question particle no or a rising tone. These are friendly among peers but too blunt for a teacher or a customer.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 名前は？ | Namae wa? | Your name? (casual) |
| 名前、何ていうの？ | Namae, nan te iu no? | What's your name? (casual) |
| なんて呼べばいい？ | Nan te yobeba ii? | What should I call you? |
| 下の名前は？ | Shita no namae wa? | What's your first name? |
| あだ名とかある？ | Adana toka aru? | Do you have a nickname or anything? |
Nan te yobeba ii? is a very useful follow-up among friends. Japanese people often go by their family name with san at first, and asking what to call someone is a natural way to move to a first name or a nickname.
Asking how a name is read and written
Japanese names are usually written in kanji, and the same characters can have several readings. 中村 is almost always Nakamura, but a given name such as 翔 or 優 can be read in more than one way, and many names use unusual readings. Asking is completely normal, even among native speakers, and people are used to it.
When you receive a business card, ask how to read the name if you are unsure rather than guessing. When you only hear a name, asking how it is written shows interest and helps you remember it. For more on the readings themselves, see our guide to reading Japanese personal names in kanji.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 何とお読みするんですか。 | Nan to o-yomi suru n desu ka. | How is your name read? |
| これは何とお読みしますか。 | Kore wa nan to o-yomi shimasu ka. | How do you read this? (pointing at a card) |
| どう書きますか。 | Dō kakimasu ka. | How do you write it? |
| どういう漢字ですか。 | Dō iu kanji desu ka. | Which kanji is it? |
| 珍しいお名前ですね。 | Mezurashii o-namae desu ne. | That's an unusual name. |
| すてきなお名前ですね。 | Suteki na o-namae desu ne. | What a lovely name. |
Answering when you are asked
The simplest answer is your name plus desu. At a first meeting, add hajimemashite before it and yoroshiku onegaishimasu after it. At work or in formal settings, the humble to mōshimasu is standard. Never put o- in front of your own name, and never add san to it.
Foreign names are written in katakana, and Japanese listeners may not catch them the first time. Saying your name slowly, perhaps with a short version or the name people usually call you, makes things easier. A full self-introduction script is in our jikoshōkai guide; the lines here are just the name part.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| スミスです。 | Sumisu desu. | I'm Smith. |
| はじめまして、エマ・スミスです。 | Hajimemashite, Ema Sumisu desu. | Nice to meet you, I'm Emma Smith. |
| スミスと申します。 | Sumisu to mōshimasu. | My name is Smith. (humble, formal) |
| エマと呼んでください。 | Ema to yonde kudasai. | Please call me Emma. |
| カタカナでエ、マです。 | Katakana de e, ma desu. | It's E-ma, in katakana. |
| よろしくお願いします。 | Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. | Pleased to meet you. |
When you did not catch the name
It is fine to ask again, and far better than getting a name wrong for weeks. Apologise lightly, then ask for the name once more or repeat what you think you heard and check it. Repeating the name back with san is also a good memory trick.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| すみません、もう一度お名前をお願いできますか。 | Sumimasen, mō ichido o-namae o onegai dekimasu ka. | Sorry, could I have your name once more? |
| タカハシさん、でよろしいですか。 | Takahashi-san, de yoroshii desu ka. | Is it Takahashi, is that right? |
| 失礼ですが、お名前は何でしたっけ。 | Shitsurei desu ga, o-namae wa nan deshita kke. | Sorry, what was your name again? |
| 名前、なんだっけ？ | Namae, nan da kke? | What was your name again? (casual) |
The kke ending signals I've forgotten something I should know. It softens the question and makes clear you were told before, which people generally find polite and honest.
Common learner mistakes
- Using anata in the question. Drop it: o-namae wa? is enough.
- Adding o- or san to your own name. O-namae and san are for other people only.
- Saying nani desu ka instead of nan desu ka before desu.
- Guessing a kanji reading from a business card instead of asking. Nan to o-yomi suru n desu ka is expected, not rude.
- Switching to a first name too soon. In Japan, family name plus san is the default until the other person invites you to change.