Modern German Grammar: A Practical Guide, Second Edition

Darf ich bitte Ihren Ausweis/Ihre Leserkarte sehen?

May I see your ID card/your reader’s card, please?

Können Sie sich ausweisen?

Can you prove your identity/Have you got some form of identification

on you?

The card carries information, Angaben zur Person ‘personal particulars’, on the

subjects in the following sections.

73.2 Supplying personal details

(a) Names

On official forms the following items are listed:

-r Name ‘name’

Familienname/Nachname ‘surname’

Vorname ‘first name/Christian name’

Geburtsname/Mädchenname ‘name at birth/maiden name’ (usually abbreviated

geb. for geborene ‘née’)

Künstlername ‘stage name/nom de plume’

The following questions would be asked by officials and could sound rather brusque

unless they are softened with denn:

 See 117.1c (p. 418) for the use of modal particles.

Wie heißen Sie denn?

What is your name, please?

Wie heißen Sie mit Nachnamen?

What is your surname?

Ich heiße ...

My name is...

Wie ist lhr Mädchenname?

What is your maiden name?

Müller.

Müller.

Haben Sie einen Künstlernamen?

Do you have a pseudonym?

Mein Künstlername ist...

My nom de plume is...

Checking the spelling of names, etc.:

Wie schreibt man das?

How do you spell that?

Bitte buchstabieren Sie Ihren Nachnamen. (formal)

Please spell your surname.

 See 118.3 (p. 426) for the spelling alphabet.

73

GIVING/SEEKING INFORMATION