heißen

See also: heissen and héissen

German

Alternative forms

• heissen (Switzerland, Liechtenstein)
• heyßen (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhaɪ̯sn̩/, /ˈhaɪ̯sən/

• Audio:

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• Audio:

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Etymology 1

From Middle High German heizen, from Old High German heizzan, from Proto-Germanic *haitaną. Cognate with German Low German heiten (Paderbornisch), Dutch heten and archaic English hight (“to name; to be named”). Compare also with English hest, behest. Compare also Yiddish הייסן (heysn).

Verb

1. (intransitive) to have a name; to be named; to be called; but implying that one “owns” this name, not necessarily that one goes by it

   Wie heißt du?

   What is your name?

   Ich heiße ... ― I’m called ...

   Ich werde Lutz genannt, aber ich heiße Ludger.

   They call me Lutz, but my name is Ludger.

2. (intransitive or transitive) to mean; to have a meaning

   Das heißt, dass wir nur noch wenig Zeit haben.

   This means that we have but little time left.

   Was [or: Wie] heißt „Auto“ auf Englisch?

   What is ‘Auto’ in English?

3. (impersonal) to say, to be said; to go, run (like)

   Es heißt, dass ... ― It is said that ...; They say that ...

4. (transitive, archaic except in fixed expressions) to call (someone something)

   Er hat mich einen Idioten geheißen.

   He called me an idiot.

   Ich heiße Sie herzlich willkommen!

   I welcome you cordially!

   (literally, “I call you cordially welcome!”)

5. (transitive, archaic) to order, to direct, to call to do something

   Sie hieß ihn, nach der Schule anzurufen.

   She told him to call after school

Usage notes

• Colloquially, the past participle gehießen is sometimes heard (by analogy with verbs such as meiden, scheinen, treiben).

Synonyms

• (mean): bedeuten
• (call): nennen
• (order): anweisen; auffordern; aufrufen; befehlen; sagen

Derived terms

• anheißen
• das heißt
• gutheißen
• verheißen

 

Etymology 2

Adjective

heißen

1. inflection of heiß:
   1. strong genitive masculine/neuter singular
   2. weak/mixed genitive/dative all-gender singular
   3. strong/weak/mixed accusative masculine singular
   4. strong dative plural
   5. weak/mixed all-case plural