(b) On forms and other documents the following may be found in connection with a
woman’s married name:Angelika Hauptmann geb. (geborene) Freud
Angelika Hauptmann, neé Freud61.5 Informal introductions
(a) Introducing oneselfThe verb heißen can be used in all contexts to ask a person’s name and to supply one’s
own:Wie heißen Sie/heißt du?
What is your name?Wer sind Sie/bist du?
Who are you?Guten Tag, ich heiße/mein Name ist Bruno (Wegener).
Hello, my name is Bruno (Wegener).Among young people, in particular, Hallo followed by a first name often serves as an
introduction:Hallo, Uli, ich bin (die) Marlies/(der) Wolfgang.
Hello, Uli, I’m Marlies/Wolfgang. See 23.2g (p. 40) for the use of the definite article in German and 17.2 (p. 23) for the case
following sein and heißen.(b) Introducing someone else. Expressions here include many mentioned under 61.3c,
but in the du or ihr forms of the verb:Peter, kennst du (die) Gabi/(den) Hubert?
Peter, do you know Gabi/Hubert?Das hier ist (der) Frank/mein Mann.
This is Frank/my husband.Hans, du kennst doch sicher den Rudi?
Hans, you know Rudi, don’t you?Sabine, du kennst doch schon die Antje?
Sabine you already know Antje, don’t you?Kennst du meinen Bruder Stephan?
Do you know my brother Stephan?Er heißt Stephan, aber alle nennen ihn Steff.
He’s called Stephan but everyone calls him Steff.Das ist meine Cousine. Sie heißt Karin.
That’s my cousin. She’s called Karin.Ihr kennt euch ja schon, oder?
You already know each other, don’t you?61
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