German · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 3
Ich heiße AnnaMy name is Anna
Now you introduce yourself. Two verbs carry this chapter: sein (ich bin, du bist, er/sie ist) and heißen for the name (ich heiße, du heißt). The key for English speakers: in German the subject MUST be there — you never say "bin Lukas" alone, but Ich bin Lukas. And the verb changes with the person: ich heiße, but du heißt. Mike, our exchange student, forgets exactly that: he says "Ich heißen Mike" — with the infinitive. Lena sets it right. Standard German.
Dialogue
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Ich heiße Lukas— My name is Lukas
- LukasHallo! Ich heiße Lukas. Und du?Hello! My name is Lukas. And you?
- LenaIch heiße Lena. Und du bist Lukas!My name is Lena. And you're Lukas!
- LukasJa, ich bin Lukas. Was ist der Name? „Lena" ist gut.Yes, I am Lukas. What is the name? "Lena" is good.
- LenaDanke, Lukas! Lena und Lukas. Gut!Thank you, Lukas! Lena and Lukas. Good!
Dialogue
i
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Mike und das falsche Verb— Mike and the Wrong Verb
- LukasHallo! Ich heiße Lukas. Und du?Hello! My name is Lukas. And you?
- MikeHallo! Ich heißen Mike.Hello! I "to be called" Mike. (wrong: infinitive heißen; for ich it must be heiße)
- LenaMike — „Ich heiße Mike"!Mike — "Ich heiße Mike"! (for ich: heiße, not heißen)
- MikeAh! Ich heiße Mike. Danke, Lena!Ah! My name is Mike. Thank you, Lena!
Vocabulary
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- ich
pronounI
- du
pronounyou (informal)
- ich heiße
phrasemy name is
- sein
verbto be
- bin
verb(I) am
- ist
verb(he/she/it) is
- der Name
nounname
- die Person
nounperson
- der Freund
nounfriend (m)
- und
conjunctionand
- was
pronounwhat
Grammar
i
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sein and heißen
Explanation
Two verbs for "Who are you?". sein is "to be" and is irregular: ich bin, du bist, er/sie/es ist, wir sind, sie/Sie sind. heißen means "to be called" and is regular: ich heiße, du heißt, er/sie heißt. Both say the same thing two ways: Ich bin Lukas = Ich heiße Lukas. Important: the verb changes with the person — ich heiße, but du heißt. This is exactly where Mike trips: he uses the infinitive "heißen" for ich instead of bringing it to heiße.
Examples
- Ich bin Lukas. = Ich heiße Lukas.I am Lukas. = My name is Lukas.
- Du bist Lena. Du heißt Lena.You are Lena. Your name is Lena.
- Er ist Mike. Sie ist Lena.He is Mike. She is Lena.
Grammar
i
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The subject is required: ich, du, er/sie
Explanation
The personal pronouns are: ich (I), du (you), er/sie/es (he/she/it), wir (we), ihr (you, plural), sie/Sie (they / you formal). The decisive point — like French, unlike Spanish: in German the subject is REQUIRED. You never say "bin Lukas" or "heiße Lena" alone — it must be Ich bin Lukas, Du heißt Lena. The verb ending does NOT replace the pronoun. English speakers find this easy (English also needs "I", "you"), but never forget it: no German sentence without a subject.
Examples
- Ich bin Lukas. (nie „bin Lukas")I am Lukas. (never "bin Lukas")
- Du bist der Freund. Du heißt Mike.You are the friend. Your name is Mike.
- Was ist das? Sie ist eine Person.What is that? She is a person.
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