What is your name?
to a man
مَا اسْمُكَ؟
mā-smuka?
to a woman
مَا اسْمُكِ؟
mā-smuki?
to a group
مَا اسْمُكُمْ؟
mā-smukum?
What is your name?
What is your name in Arabic, and my name is
What is your name in Arabic is mā-smuka? (مَا اسْمُكَ؟) to a man and mā-smuki? to a woman. Answer with ismī, "my name is", followed by your name.
Saying it to
Other ways to say it
Nice to meet you
تَشَرَّفْنَا
tasharrafnā
We are honoured. The usual "nice to meet you".
Nice to meet you, too
فُرْصَة سَعِيدَة
furṣa saʿīda
A happy chance. Also said on meeting someone.
How to reply
My name is ...Reply
اِسْمِي ...
ismī ...
My name is ...
I am ...Reply
أَنَا ...
anā ...
I am ...
And you?Reply
to a man
وَأَنْتَ؟
wa anta?
to a woman
وَأَنْتِ؟
wa anti?
to a group
وَأَنْتُمْ؟
wa antum?
And you?
Modern Standard Arabic, with the vowel marks. Our teachers will check the Arabic and transliteration on this page before launch.
Guide
What is your name in Arabic, meaning and use
To ask what is your name in Arabic, say mā-smuka? (مَا اسْمُكَ؟) to a man, mā-smuki? to a woman and mā-smukum? to a group. To answer, say ismī (اِسْمِي), "my name is", and then your name: ismī Maryam.
The forms at a glance
| Phrase | To a man | To a woman | To a group |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is your name? | مَا اسْمُكَ؟ mā-smuka? | مَا اسْمُكِ؟ mā-smuki? | مَا اسْمُكُمْ؟ mā-smukum? |
| And you? | وَأَنْتَ؟ wa anta? | وَأَنْتِ؟ wa anti? | وَأَنْتُمْ؟ wa antum? |
How it sounds
Mā means "what" and ism means "name". The two run together when spoken, so mā ismuka is said mā-smuka. In relaxed speech the last vowel often drops: mā-smuk?.
A first conversation
A: as-salāmu ʿalaykum. Mā-smuka? (Peace be upon you. What is your name?)
B: wa ʿalaykumus-salām. Ismī Yūsuf. Wa anti? (And upon you be peace. My name is Yusuf. And you?)
A: Ismī Āmina. Tasharrafnā. (My name is Aminah. Nice to meet you.)
Nice to meet you
Tasharrafnā literally means "we have been honoured". Furṣa saʿīda, "a happy chance", is also common, and the reply is often the same words back, or wa anā asʿad, "and I am happier".
Your name in Arabic
Arabic names have meanings, and many Muslims choose a name for its meaning. You can see how your name is written in Arabic, with its vowel marks and meaning, in our name in Arabic tool, and save it as a small card. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The most beloved of your names to Allah are Abdullah and Abdur-Rahman" (Sahih Muslim 2132).
- Sahih Muslim 2132, from Ibn Umar.
Questions
Good to know
How do you say what is your name in Arabic?
Ma-smuka? (مَا اسْمُكَ؟) to a man, ma-smuki? to a woman and ma-smukum? to a group.
How do you say my name is in Arabic?
Ismi (اِسْمِي) followed by your name, for example ismi Ahmad.
How do you say nice to meet you in Arabic?
Tasharrafna (تَشَرَّفْنَا), or fursa sa'ida (a happy chance).
How do you say what is your name in Egyptian Arabic?
Ismak eh? to a man and ismik eh? to a woman.