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    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing being called with 叫 (jiào)

    Description & Modification
    Topic & Focus

    Structure

    Subject + 叫 + Name

    Explanation

    The verb 叫 (jiào) means "to be called" or "to be named" and is one of the most common ways to introduce names in Chinese. It is used in everyday speech and is less formal than 名叫.

    Examples

    • 你好,我叫李明,是新来的同事。

      nǐ hǎo, wǒ jiào Lǐ Míng, shì xīn lái de tóngshì.

      Hello, my name is Li Ming. I'm the new colleague.

    • 大家都叫他老王,其实他才三十岁。

      dàjiā dōu jiào tā Lǎo Wáng, qíshí tā cái sānshí suì.

      Everyone calls him Old Wang, but he's actually only thirty.

    • 这条街叫南京路,是上海最有名的商业街。

      zhè tiáo jiē jiào Nánjīng Lù, shì Shànghǎi zuì yǒumíng de shāngyè jiē.

      This street is called Nanjing Road — it's the most famous commercial street in Shanghai.

    Expressing being called with 叫 (jiào) | Chinese Grammar