Italian Phrase
Come chiedi il nome di chi chiama?
Meaning
Literally, “How do you ask the name of the person who is calling?” It is used when you need to find out the caller’s name during a phone conversation or at a reception desk.
When to use
Use this phrase when you receive a call or a visitor and you want to politely inquire about the caller’s identity. It’s common in customer‑service settings, offices, or informal phone chats among friends.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Comechiediilnomedichichiama?
Come (How)
An interrogative adverb used at the beginning of a question to ask about manner or method.
chiedi (you ask)
Second‑person singular present of the verb chiedere; the subject ‘tu’ is implied.
il nome (the name)
Definite article + noun; the direct object of chiedi.
di chi (of who)
Prepositional phrase introducing a relative clause; ‘chi’ works as both object of the preposition and subject of the embedded clause.
chi chiama (who calls)
A reduced relative clause where ‘chi’ functions as the subject of the verb chiama.
🗨In Conversation
Buongiorno, sono Marco. Come chiedi il nome di chi chiama?
Good morning, this is Marco. How do you ask for the name of the person who is calling?
Puoi dirmi il tuo nome, per favore?
Can you tell me your name, please?
✕Common Mistakes
Come chiedi il nome di che chiama?
‘Che’ means ‘what/which’ and cannot replace ‘chi’ when referring to a person.
Il nome di chi chiama?
Missing the interrogative ‘Come’; the sentence becomes a statement, not a question.
Chiedi il nome di chi chiama.
Without the question mark and intonation, it sounds like a command rather than a polite inquiry.
↔Alternatives
Come chiedi il nome di chi sta chiamando?
How do you ask the name of the person who is calling?
Come chiedi il nome di chi ti ha chiamato?
How do you ask the name of the person who called you?
Qual è il nome di chi chiama?
What is the name of the person who is calling?
Cultural Tip
In Italy it is common to start a phone conversation with “Chi parla?” (Who is speaking?) or “Posso sapere il suo nome?” (May I know your name?). Using “Come chiedi…” sounds a bit meta‑linguistic and is more likely to appear in language‑learning contexts rather than everyday speech.