kuo tu vardu
Asking Someone's Name
Kuo tu vardu? means What is your name? Answer Mano vardas Rūta or just Rūta.
How It Works
Asking.
- Kuo tu vardu? What’s your name? (to a friend or child)
- Kuo jūs vardu? What is your name? (polite)
- Kuo jis vardu? / Kuo ji vardu? What is his / her name?
How it is built. Kuo is the instrumental of kas, and vardu is the instrumental of vardas (name). The phrase is fixed, so learn it whole. Choose tu or jūs as usual; see tu and jūs.
Other ways to ask. Koks tavo vardas? and Koks jūsų vardas? (What is your name?) are just as common. For a surname, ask Kokia jūsų pavardė?
Answering. The simplest answer is the name alone: Rūta. A full answer is Mano vardas Rūta (My name is Rūta), usually without yra. Aš esu Rūta (I am Rūta) is also natural. For another person, say Jos vardas Ugnė (Her name is Ugnė). See possessive words.
After you meet. Malonu susipažinti! means Nice to meet you! When you use the new name, it takes its calling form: Malonu susipažinti, Tomai! See the vocative.
Examples (6)
- Kuo tu vardu? — Rūta.
What’s your name? — Rūta.
Word by Word: With-what you by-name? — Rūta.
The name alone is a natural answer.
- Kuo jūs vardu? — Mano vardas Jonas.
What is your name? — My name is Jonas.
Word by Word: With-what you by-name? — My name Jonas.
Jūs is the polite form for an adult you do not know.
- Koks tavo vardas? — Aš esu Lukas.
What’s your name? — I’m Lukas.
Word by Word: What-kind your name? — I am Lukas.
Koks tavo vardas? asks the same question.
- Kuo ji vardu? — Jos vardas Ugnė.
What is her name? — Her name is Ugnė.
Word by Word: With-what she by-name? — Her name Ugnė.
Ask about someone else with jis or ji.
- Kokia jūsų pavardė? — Kazlauskas.
What is your surname? — Kazlauskas.
Word by Word: What-kind your surname? — Kazlauskas.
Pavardė is feminine, so the question word is kokia.
- Malonu susipažinti, Tomai!
Nice to meet you, Tomas!
Word by Word: Pleasant to-get-acquainted, Tomas!
Tomas takes its calling form, Tomai.
Common Mistakes
Using the basic form vardas in the question.
Kuo tu vardas?Kuo tu vardu?The question uses the instrumental form: kuo ... vardu.
Mixing the question and the answer.
Mano vardu Jonas.Mano vardas Jonas.In Mano vardas Jonas, vardas is the subject and is nominative. Vardu can also appear in a different answer: Aš vardu Jonas.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The fixed name question changes tu to jūs when addressing someone politely.
Related Patterns
- kas / kąQuestion Word Kas
Kuo is a case form of kas.
Level 1 - mano, tavo, jo, jos, mūsų, jūsų, jųPossessive Words
Mano vardas and jos vardas in the answer.
Level 1 - Instrumental for Roles
Another use of the instrumental with names and roles.
Level 2 - Vocative Address
The calling form of the name you just learned.
Level 2 - Surnames: -ienė, -aitė, -ytė, -ėWomen's Surnames
The forms a surname takes for women.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice kuo tu vardu in Bubblegum
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