hießen

Hießen is the Präteritum (simple past) form of the German verb heißen, which means “to be called” or “to be named.” It is used to report past naming or identification. The form hießen specifically covers the first-person plural and the third-person plural in the simple past: ich hieß, du hießt, er hieß, wir hießen, ihr hießt, sie/Sie hießen. Thus, hießen appears in sentences describing how people or things were named in a past time.

Usage and register

In narrative and historical writing, hießen is common for describing names in the past. In everyday speech, speakers typically prefer other constructions to convey a past naming, such as using a different verb phrase or the present tense with a time reference (Ich heiße heute ...). The verb heiβen itself is intransitive and does not take a direct object in most uses; when referring to a name at a past moment, alternative phrasings like “wurde genannt” (was called) or “hat … geheißen” (has been called) can occur in different registers.

Past participle and perfect

The past participle of heiβen is geheißen, and it is used with the auxiliary haben to form the Perfekt: “Ich habe geheißen …” (in contexts discussing a name in the past). However, this construction is relatively rare in everyday speech; many speakers prefer other formulations to indicate a prior name or identity.

Etymology

Heißen derives from the Germanic family of verbs related to naming and identity. The form hießen reflects historic vowel and consonant changes that align with the Präteritum paradigm of the verb. The core meaning remains tied to naming or being called by a name.

Examples

Er hieß früher Klaus. In den alten Akten hießen die Dörfer Köhlen und Wittenstedt. Die Personen hießen Schmidt und Meier.