Using the verb "jiao"

Revision as of 03:09, 18 March 2013 by Guomubai (talk | contribs)
Chinese-grammar-wiki-jiao.jpg

The verb 叫 (jiào) can seem a little weird to beginners. So it gets its own grammar point!

Structure

The verb 叫 means both "to call" and "to be called". It's an easy way to give names, using the following structure:

Subject + 叫 + Name

This can be used to give your full name or just your first name.

Examples

  • Tom。(Note: it even works if you don't have a Chinese name!)My name is Tom.
  • 李小龙。(Note: this is the real name of Bruce Lee)His name is Li Xiaolong.
  • 哥哥 叫 老木。(Note: this is probably not his real name)My brother is called Lao Mu.

You can also ask people their names using 叫:

  • 什么 名字 ?What's your name?

See also

Sources and further reading

Books