Come ti chiami?

Questions with "come" and subject pronouns

In Italian, "come" means "how" and is used in many essential questions for introductions and daily conversations.

Asking someone's name:

• Informal : Come ti chiami? → Mi chiamo Luca.
• Formal : Come si chiama? → Mi chiamo Luca.
• Plural : Come vi chiamate? → Ci chiamiamo...

The verb chiamarsi (to call oneself) is a reflexive verb. The literal translation of "Mi chiamo Luca" is "I call myself Luca."

Italian subject pronouns:

• io → I
• tu → you (informal)
• lui / lei → he / she
• Lei → you (formal — always capitalized in writing)
• noi → we
• voi → you (plural)
• loro → they

Important: In Italian, subject pronouns are usually dropped because the verb ending already shows who is speaking. You only include them for emphasis or clarity.

💬 Esempio: "Io mi chiamo Marco. E tu?" → "I am called Marco. And you?" (pronouns used for emphasis)

💬 Esempio: "Come ti chiami?" — "Mi chiamo Sofia." → "What is your name?" — "My name is Sofia." (no pronoun needed)

Other useful "come" questions:

• Come stai? → How are you? (informal)
• Come sta? → How are you? (formal)
• Come va? → How is it going? (neutral)

Stating your age — In Italian, you use the verb avere (to have), not "to be":

• Ho venti anni. → I am twenty years old. (literally: "I have twenty years")
• Quanti anni hai? → How old are you? (literally: "How many years do you have?")