How do you ask what is your name in Cantonese?

Say 你叫咩名 (nei5 giu3 me1 meng2). 咩 (me1) replaces 什麼 and 名 is read meng2 in everyday speech. A fuller version is 你叫乜嘢名 (nei5 giu3 mat1 je5 meng2).

How do you say my name is in Cantonese?

Say 我叫 (ngo5 giu3) and your name. To give only your surname, say 我姓 (ngo5 sing3) and the surname.

What does 貴姓 mean?

貴姓 (gwai3 sing3) is the polite way to ask for someone's surname only, as in 請問你貴姓. It does not ask for the given name.

← Cantonese Dictionary

How to say ni jiao shen me ming zi in Cantonese?

In Cantonese, 你叫什麼名字 (nǐ jiào shénme míngzi) is 你叫咩名 (nei5 giu3 me1 meng2). The rule: 什麼 becomes 咩 me1 (or the fuller 乜嘢 mat1 je5), and 名字 shortens to 名 meng2. The word order is the same as in Mandarin: the question word stays where the answer would go. 叫 giu3 is the same character as Mandarin jiào, "to be called". The Mandarin form 名字 exists as 名字 ming4 zi6, but it reads as written. The shénme guide covers 咩 and 乜嘢 in more detail.

If you'd say (Mandarin)	Say (Cantonese)	Notes
你叫什麼名字 nǐ jiào shénme míngzi	你叫咩名 nei5 giu3 me1 meng2	The everyday question
你叫什麼 nǐ jiào shénme	你叫乜嘢名 nei5 giu3 mat1 je5 meng2	Fuller, a little more careful
我叫… wǒ jiào…	我叫… ngo5 giu3…	Same characters, new sounds
我的名字是… wǒ de míngzi shì…	我叫做… ngo5 giu3 zou6…	叫做 is "to be called", a bit more formal
你貴姓 nǐ guìxìng	貴姓 gwai3 sing3	Same word; asks the surname only
我姓… wǒ xìng…	我姓… ngo5 sing3…	Same character, new reading
請問 qǐngwèn (may I ask)	請問 cing2 man6	Same word, new reading
稱呼 chēnghu (how to address)	稱呼 cing1 fu1	Same word, new reading

Scenarios

Situation	Say	Why
Meeting a classmate	你叫咩名呀	The casual question; 呀 softens it
Meeting a client	請問你貴姓	Polite; asks the surname and lets them decide how far to go
Giving your own name	我叫…	Short and plain
Giving only a surname	我姓…	Often paired with a title, such as 先生 (Mr) or 小姐 (Ms)
Meeting someone new	幸會	"Nice to meet you", formal
Ask what to call someone	點稱呼呀	"How should I address you"

Variations

名 has more than one reading in the dictionary: meng2 for "name" in speech, and ming4 as in 名字 and other written words.
咩 (me1) is the casual what. 乜嘢 (mat1 je5) is the same word in full.
貴姓 is for the surname only; the polite reply is 我姓…, not your full name.
Mandarin 您貴姓 becomes 請問你貴姓; Cantonese has no separate 您, so 你 serves both.
The polite plural 你哋 (nei5 dei6) is for asking a group.

The mistake to avoid

Answering 貴姓 with your full name, or using it to ask for a given name. 貴姓 only asks for the surname. The other slip is reading 你叫什麼名字 out in Cantonese with Mandarin word order and sounds: people will follow, but 你叫咩名 is what they would say, and the shorter form sounds natural.

More learner answers on the FAQ page; next Mandarin bridges: nǐ hǎo ma, shénme, nǎlǐ, or browse all Mandarin-to-Cantonese guides.

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