German Phrase
Ich heiße Raphael. Freut mich.
Meaning
You are introducing yourself by name and then expressing pleasure at meeting the other person. It’s a friendly, informal way to say ‘My name is Raphael. Nice to meet you.’
When to use
Use this phrase when you meet someone for the first time in a casual setting – after a handshake, at a social gathering, or in a language‑learning class. It works well with peers or people of the same age group.
✦Grammar Breakdown
IchheißeRaphaelFreutmich
Personalpronomen (Ich)
‘Ich’ is the first‑person singular pronoun, used for the speaker.
Verb ‘heißen’ (ich heiße)
‘heißen’ means ‘to be called’. In the present tense, 1st person singular adds –e: ich heiße.
Eigenname (Raphael)
Names are not declined in German; they stay in the nominative case.
Impersonal verb ‘freuen’ (Freut)
‘freuen’ can be used impersonally with ‘es’: Es freut mich. The ‘es’ is often omitted in casual speech.
Reflexivpronomen (mich)
‘mich’ is the accusative reflexive pronoun that completes ‘freut mich’ – literally ‘it pleases me.’
🗨In Conversation
Ich heiße Raphael. Freut mich.
My name is Raphael. Nice to meet you.
Ich bin Anna. Freut mich auch.
I’m Anna. Nice to meet you too.
✕Common Mistakes
Ich heißt Raphael.
‘heißen’ must be conjugated to ‘heiße’ for the first‑person singular.
Freut mich dich.
The reflexive pronoun must be in the accusative case – ‘mich’, not ‘dich’. Use ‘Freut mich, dich kennenzulernen’ if you want to add a verb.
Ich bin Raphael. Freut mich.
While ‘Ich bin Raphael’ is understandable, the standard self‑introduction uses ‘heiße’. Mixing the two can sound less natural.
↔Alternatives
Mein Name ist Raphael.
My name is Raphael.
Schön, dich kennenzulernen.
Nice to get to know you.
Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen.
Pleased to meet you (formal).
Cultural Tip
In German‑speaking countries a firm handshake often accompanies the first introduction. ‘Freut mich’ is informal; when speaking to strangers, elders, or in a business context switch to the formal version ‘Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen.’ Also, avoid over‑using the name after the first sentence – the name is usually mentioned only once.