<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/339/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/339/</a></p>
  
  <p><strong>叫</strong> </p>
  
  <p>[1] [v] cry; shout; hail; scream </p>
  
  <p>[2] [v] <strong>be called</strong>; known as </p>
  
  <p>[3] [v] <strong>call</strong>; summon </p>
  
  <p>[4] [v] cause</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>叫</strong> [3]. <strong>call</strong> </p>

<ul>
<li>你叫我 = you call me.</li>
<li><strong>我叫彼得 = I call Peter</strong></li>
</ul>

<p><strong>叫</strong> [2]. <strong>be called</strong></p>

<ul>
<li>这叫工作 = this is called work</li>
<li><strong>我叫彼得 = I am called Peter</strong> (My name is Peter)</li>
</ul>

<p>Notice 我叫彼得 could mean "I call Peter" or "I am called Peter"(my name is Peter)</p>

<p>To avoid confusion. When you use 叫 for 'to call' you should have enough context connected to this sentence to indicate 叫 means "call". </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>For example: </p>
  
  <p>"我在叫彼得" (I am calling Peter) or "我叫彼得回来"(I call Peter to come back)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Similarly, when you use 叫 for 'be called',  you should either have enough context connected to this sentence to indicate 叫 means "be called",</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>For example : </p>
  
  <p>Q: "你叫什么名字？" A: "我叫彼得." </p>
</blockquote>

<p>or you can be specific and write "我<strong>名字</strong>(叫)彼得"-- "my <strong>name</strong> is (called) Peter"</p>

<p>Generally:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>In phrases like "你叫我"(subject + 叫 + object) 叫 means 'to call' </p></li>
<li><p>In phrases like "我叫彼得" (object + 叫 +  name) or "这叫工作" (object + 叫 + definition) 叫 means 'be called' </p></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-02T09:20:55.773Z
2017-01-02T11:36:05.240Z
2017-01-02T11:36:05.240Z
Tang Ho
<p>Your intuition is correct. 叫 can be used in both ways (and even more). Here are the most frequent ones.<br>
<br>
1) to call, to summon (using someone's voice). Verb is <i>transitive</i>:<br></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我爸爸妈妈<b>叫我</b> <br>
  Mom and dad <b>call me</b> (they are calling my name)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>2) stating one's name. Verb + <i>proper noun or definition</i>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>你<b>叫</b>什么名字？我<b>叫张三</b>！<br>
  What's your name? My <b>name is John Doe</b>!</p>
</blockquote>

<p>3) to yell, to shout, or more specific verbs when referring to animals, e.g. to bark. This is a colloquial usage. Verb is <i>intransitive</i>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我狗在<b>叫</b>！<br>
  My dog is <b>barking</b></p>
</blockquote>

<p>4) giving orders, asking to do something. Colloquial usage. Accepts a <i>verb phrase</i>:<br></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>我的驾照过期了，我要<b>叫</b>他开车！
  My driver's license has expired. I'll <b>ask</b> him to drive!</p>
</blockquote>

<p><br>
Specifically, how to decide between the usage 1 and 2. It is often made clear by the context of the whole sentence, as customary with the Chinese language.<br>
As a rule of thumb, you'll have 叫 (to call) when it is followed by a regular object phrase, and you'll have 叫 (asking names) when it is followed by a proper noun or generically by a definition. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-02T08:49:11.077Z
2017-01-02T09:03:50.387Z
2017-01-02T09:03:50.387Z
blackgreen
<p>From <a href="http://www.hsk.academy/en/characters/%E5%8F%AB" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The HSK acadamy site</a>, it seems that 叫 can be used in two contexts.</p>
<p>First, it can be used to say someone called someone else:</p>
<blockquote>
<ol>
<li>妈妈和爸爸叫我</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>There is no translation given, but I think it means <em>mum and dad call me</em>.</p>
<p>In the second and third examples on this page,</p>
<blockquote>
<ol start="2">
<li><p>我的名字叫李明</p>
</li>
<li><p>小姐，你叫什么名字？</p>
</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>I think 叫 is here used for giving or asking someones name. I would translate the second sentence as <em>My name is</em> 李明, and the third as <em>Lady, what is your name?</em> However, this is always used together with 名字, which means name. However, I've also seen simply</p>
<blockquote>
<ol start="4">
<li>我叫 Wythagoras</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<p>for simply <em>my name is Wythagoras</em> (not my real name, by the way).</p>
<p>I am a bit confused by all the different usages of 叫, so the question is: In what context can 叫 be used for saying that someone is calling someone (as in the first sentence) and when for asking a name, when should 名字 be used with 叫 and when can it be left out?</p>

<usage><meaning-in-context>
When can 叫 be used saying that someone is calling someone and when for asking a name?
# When can 叫 be used saying that someone is calling someone and when for asking a name?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-01-02)

From [The HSK acadamy site](http://www.hsk.academy/en/characters/%E5%8F%AB), it seems that 叫 can be used in two contexts.

First, it can be used to say someone called someone else:

> 1. 妈妈和爸爸叫我

There is no translation given, but I think it means *mum and dad call me*.

In the second and third examples on this page,

> 2. 我的名字叫李明
> 3. 小姐，你叫什么名字？

I think 叫 is here used for giving or asking someones name. I would translate the second sentence as *My name is* 李明, and the third as *Lady, what is your name?* However, this is always used together with 名字, which means name. However, I've also seen simply

> 4. 我叫 Wythagoras

for simply *my name is Wythagoras* (not my real name, by the way).

I am a bit confused by all the different usages of 叫, so the question is: In what context can 叫 be used for saying that someone is calling someone (as in the first sentence) and when for asking a name, when should 名字 be used with 叫 and when can it be left out?

**Tags:** usage, meaning-in-context


---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-01-02. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

> <http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/characters/339/>
>
> **叫**
>
> [1] [v] cry; shout; hail; scream
>
> [2] [v] **be called**; known as
>
> [3] [v] **call**; summon
>
> [4] [v] cause

**叫** [3]. **call**

* 你叫我 = you call me.
* **我叫彼得 = I call Peter**

**叫** [2]. **be called**

* 这叫工作 = this is called work
* **我叫彼得 = I am called Peter** (My name is Peter)

Notice 我叫彼得 could mean "I call Peter" or "I am called Peter"(my name is Peter)

To avoid confusion. When you use 叫 for 'to call' you should have enough context connected to this sentence to indicate 叫 means "call".

> For example:
>
> "我在叫彼得" (I am calling Peter) or "我叫彼得回来"(I call Peter to come back)

Similarly, when you use 叫 for 'be called', you should either have enough context connected to this sentence to indicate 叫 means "be called",

> For example :
>
> Q: "你叫什么名字？" A: "我叫彼得."

or you can be specific and write "我**名字**(叫)彼得"-- "my **name** is (called) Peter"

Generally:

* In phrases like "你叫我"(subject + 叫 + object) 叫 means 'to call'
* In phrases like "我叫彼得" (object + 叫 + name) or "这叫工作" (object + 叫 + definition) 叫 means 'be called'


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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-01-02. Score: 4

Your intuition is correct. 叫 can be used in both ways (and even more). Here are the most frequent ones.  
  
1) to call, to summon (using someone's voice). Verb is *transitive*:

> 我爸爸妈妈**叫我**   
> Mom and dad **call me** (they are calling my name)

2) stating one's name. Verb + *proper noun or definition*:

> 你**叫**什么名字？我**叫张三**！  
> What's your name? My **name is John Doe**!

3) to yell, to shout, or more specific verbs when referring to animals, e.g. to bark. This is a colloquial usage. Verb is *intransitive*:

> 我狗在**叫**！  
> My dog is **barking**

4) giving orders, asking to do something. Colloquial usage. Accepts a *verb phrase*:

> 我的驾照过期了，我要**叫**他开车！
> My driver's license has expired. I'll **ask** him to drive!

Specifically, how to decide between the usage 1 and 2. It is often made clear by the context of the whole sentence, as customary with the Chinese language.  
As a rule of thumb, you'll have 叫 (to call) when it is followed by a regular object phrase, and you'll have 叫 (asking names) when it is followed by a proper noun or generically by a definition.


---

