How to Ask "What Is Your Name" in Russian
By Daily Cyrillic · Updated
“What Is Your Name” in Russian is как тебя зовут? (kak tebyá zovút?). Use this expression as your starting point, then check the examples for tone, formality and context. Listen to the pronunciation, notice the stressed syllable and compare the common variants before choosing the wording that fits your conversation.
Reading time: about 3 min.
- Russian
- как тебя зовут?
- Transliteration
- kak tebyá zovút?
- Meaning
- what is your name? (informal)
Turn this guide into words you can use
Build a free Russian set for this topic, with examples and ElevenLabs AI audio.
In Russian
kak tebyá zovút? - what is your name? (informal)
Variants & registers
- как вас зовут?kak vas zovút?
what is your name? - formal or to more than one person
formal - меня зовут...menyá zovút...
my name is... - the reply
neutral - как твоё имя?kak tvoyó ímya?
what is your name? - more literal, less common
neutral - очень приятноóchen priyátno
nice to meet you - the natural follow-up
neutral
Breakdown & pronunciation
Word by word
- какkakhow
- тебяtebyáyou (object form of ты)
- зовутzovút(they) call
Pronunciation
Say kak te-BYA za-VOOT. зовут is stressed on the last syllable, and тебя on the last too: te-BYA. The о in зовут is unstressed, so it sounds like "a".
Example sentences
Как тебя зовут? - Меня зовут Анна.
Kak tebyá zovút? - Menyá zovút Ánna.
What's your name? - My name is Anna.
Здравствуйте, как вас зовут?
Zdrávstvuyte, kak vas zovút?
Hello, what is your name?
Меня зовут Иван, очень приятно.
Menyá zovút Iván, óchen priyátno.
My name is Ivan, nice to meet you.
А как тебя зовут?
A kak tebyá zovút?
And what's your name?
Usage & etiquette
The phrase literally means "how do they call you?", so the answer mirrors it: меня зовут + your name ("they call me ..."). You do not translate "is" or "name" word for word.
Match the pronoun to the relationship: как тебя зовут? for friends, children and peers (ты); как вас зовут? for strangers, elders and formal settings (вы).
Practice
Practice deck
1 / 5FAQ
How do you ask "what is your name" in Russian?
How do you answer "как тебя зовут"?
Turn this guide into words you can use
Build a free Russian set for this topic, with examples and ElevenLabs AI audio.
More phrases to say
- How to Say "Happy Birthday"
с днём рождения (s dnyom rozhdéniya)
- How to Say "Cheers"
за здоровье (za zdoróvye)
- How to Say "Where Is"
где...? (gde...?)
- How to Say "Thank You"
спасибо (spasíbo)
- How to Say "Hello"
здравствуйте (zdrávstvuyte)
- How to Say "Yes"
да (da)
- Common Russian Phrases
The phrases hub: greetings, courtesy, questions and more.
- Russian Greetings
Hello, times of day, goodbye and how are you - with audio.