Meaning
Standard way to introduce yourself.
Cultural Background
Romanians are generally warm but can be formal with strangers. Using 'Mă cheamă' is a great way to bridge the gap between formal and casual. In the Republic of Moldova, you might hear more Russian-influenced naming patterns, but 'Mă cheamă' remains the standard Romanian introduction. In some parts of Transylvania, people might use more formal titles even with 'Mă cheamă' when speaking to elders. On Romanian social media, 'Mă cheamă' is often shortened or skipped entirely in bios, with just the name or 'Sunt [Name]' being used.
The 'Pe mine' trick
Add 'Pe mine' before 'mă cheamă' to sound more emphatic or to clarify when someone mishears you.
Don't conjugate!
Never say 'Eu mă chem'. The verb is always 'cheamă' for this idiom.
Meaning
Standard way to introduce yourself.
The 'Pe mine' trick
Add 'Pe mine' before 'mă cheamă' to sound more emphatic or to clarify when someone mishears you.
Don't conjugate!
Never say 'Eu mă chem'. The verb is always 'cheamă' for this idiom.
First names first
In social settings, always say your first name first. Saying 'Mă cheamă Popescu Ion' sounds like you're reading from a police report.
Test Yourself
Fill in the correct reflexive pronoun for 'me'.
Bună! ___ cheamă Alex.
To say 'My name is', you use the 1st person singular reflexive pronoun 'mă'.
Choose the correct way to ask a friend their name.
How do you ask 'What is your name?' informally?
'Te' is the informal 'you' pronoun used with friends.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Bună! Eu sunt Maria. Pe tine cum te cheamă? B: Salut! Pe mine ___ _______ Ion.
The speaker is introducing themselves, so 'mă cheamă' is the most natural fit.
Match the phrase to the person.
You are introducing your brother, Dan.
'Îl' is the pronoun for 'him'.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesBună! ___ cheamă Alex.
To say 'My name is', you use the 1st person singular reflexive pronoun 'mă'.
How do you ask 'What is your name?' informally?
'Te' is the informal 'you' pronoun used with friends.
A: Bună! Eu sunt Maria. Pe tine cum te cheamă? B: Salut! Pe mine ___ _______ Ion.
The speaker is introducing themselves, so 'mă cheamă' is the most natural fit.
You are introducing your brother, Dan.
'Îl' is the pronoun for 'him'.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes! It is perfectly natural to say 'Pe câinele meu îl cheamă Rex'.
Yes, in spoken Romanian, 'Mă cheamă' is much more frequent and sounds more natural.
Because the literal logic is 'They call me'. You are the object, not the subject doing the calling.
Use the imperfect tense: 'Mă chema'.
You can, but 'Mă numesc' is slightly better for a professional first impression.
Just say them both: 'Mă cheamă Ana Maria'.
Always use the diacritics (ă) if possible. 'Ma' without the hat is not a word in this context.
Say 'Cum îl cheamă?'.
Yes, it is universal across all regions and dialects.
Yes, but usually people say 'Mă cheamă [Real Name], dar prietenii îmi spun [Nickname]'.
Related Phrases
Mă numesc
synonymI am named
Numele meu este
similarMy name is
Îmi spune...
builds onPeople call me...
Cum te strigă?
specialized formWhat do they call you?
