叫
to be called; to call out; to tell (someone to)
jiào
What does 叫 mean?
叫 (jiào) covers three everyday meanings English splits across separate verbs. First and most common at HSK 1: 'to be called / named' — 我叫李明 ('I'm called Li Ming'). This is how you introduce yourself; the subject is the person and 叫 takes a name directly, no 'is' verb needed. Second: 'to call out, shout, make a noise' — 小狗在叫 ('the puppy is barking'). Third: 'to tell / ask someone to do something,' acting like the English causative 'make/have/get' — 妈妈叫我吃饭 ('Mom told me to come eat'). Context disambiguates: a name after 叫 means 'be called'; a verb after 叫 someone means 'have them do it.' Note that 叫 for naming is informal — for full-name introductions in formal contexts, 我的名字是 or 我姓 is more polished.
Character breakdown
to call; to be named. Combines 口 (mouth) with a phonetic component — anything involving the mouth tends to use the 口 radical.
Memory hook: 口 (mouth) on the left — what comes out of the mouth: a name, a shout, an order.
Example sentences
你叫什么名字？
Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
What's your name?
spoken
我叫李明。
Wǒ jiào Lǐ Míng.
I'm called Li Ming.
neutral
妈妈叫我吃饭。
Māma jiào wǒ chī fàn.
Mom told me to come eat.
spoken
外面有人在叫你。
Wàimiàn yǒu rén zài jiào nǐ.
Someone outside is calling you.
spoken
Common phrases with 叫
Synonyms
喊 specifically means 'to shout / yell loudly' — only the 'call out' sense of 叫, never 'be named.' 喊我一声 = 'give me a shout'; you can't say 我喊李明.
Both 叫 and 让 can mean 'have someone do something.' 让 is softer ('let / allow / have'), 叫 sounds more like 'tell / order.' 妈妈让我去 sounds gentler than 妈妈叫我去.
Don't confuse 叫 with
教 (jiāo, 1st tone) means 'to teach.' 叫 (jiào, 4th tone) means 'to be called / call.' Same pinyin syllable, different tone. 我教中文 = 'I teach Chinese'; 我叫李明 = 'I'm Li Ming.'
Don't use 是 with names. 我是李明 sounds emphatic ('I AM Li Ming,' identifying yourself among others). For a normal 'My name is Li Ming' introduction, say 我叫李明.