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Spanish grammar lessons › Level A0 › Idioms, Idiomatic Usage & Structures

Introducing yourself

Me llamo…, ¿Cómo te llamas?, Soy de…, Encantado/a

Part of the free A0 Spanish course. Press the speaker next to an example to hear it.

In this lesson you will learn to say your name, ask someone else's, say where you are from, and react politely when you meet someone.

Your name

  • Me llamo + name = my name is (literally "I call myself").
  • Soy + name = I'm.
  • Mi nombre es + name = my name is (a bit more formal).
  • Hola, me llamo Laura.Hi, my name is Laura.
  • Soy Daniel.I'm Daniel.

Asking someone's name

  • ¿Cómo te llamas? = What's your name? (to a friend, a child or someone your age)
  • ¿Cómo se llama usted? = What's your name? (polite: to an older stranger or in a formal situation)

Notice the question word is cómo (how): Spanish literally asks "How do you call yourself?". The choice between the friendly and the polite form is explained in Tú or usted; vosotros or ustedes.

  • ¿Cómo te llamas?What's your name?
  • ¿Cómo se llama usted?What's your name? (polite)

Where you are from

  • Soy de + place = I'm from.
  • ¿De dónde eres? = Where are you from? (friendly)
  • ¿De dónde es usted? = Where are you from? (polite)
  • Vivo en + place = I live in.
  • Soy de Escocia.I'm from Scotland.
  • ¿De dónde eres?Where are you from?
  • Vivo en Manchester.I live in Manchester.

Soy and eres are forms of the verb ser (to be): see Ser: soy, eres, es…. For "I'm English" or "I'm Scottish", see Nationalities and languages.

Nice to meet you

  • Encantado = nice to meet you, if you are a man.
  • Encantada = nice to meet you, if you are a woman.
  • Mucho gusto = nice to meet you, for anyone. Very common in Latin America.
  • Igualmente = likewise, you too.

Encantado/encantada describes the speaker ("delighted"), so it matches whoever is speaking, not the person you meet.

  • Encantado, Laura.Nice to meet you, Laura. (a man speaking)
  • Encantada.Nice to meet you. (a woman speaking)
  • Mucho gusto.Nice to meet you.
  • Igualmente.Likewise.

Introducing someone else

Say Este es + a man's name and Esta es + a woman's name (literally "this is"):

  • Este es mi amigo Pablo.This is my friend Pablo.
  • Esta es mi amiga Carmen.This is my friend Carmen.

Esta (this) has no accent. Está with an accent is a different word: "is" (for location or state).

Common mistakes

  • Me llamo es Tom: me llamo already means "my name is". Say Me llamo Tom or Soy Tom.
  • Llamo Tom: you need me: Me llamo Tom.
  • A man saying Encantada: the ending matches the speaker. Men say encantado, women encantada.
  • ¿Dónde eres de?: Spanish keeps de at the front: ¿De dónde eres?

Practice

  1. Hola, me _____ Sofía.
    Hi, my name is Sofía.
    Show the answer

    llamo

  2. How do you ask a child their name?
    Options: ¿Cómo te llamas? · ¿Cómo se llama usted? · ¿De dónde eres?
    Show the answer

    ¿Cómo te llamas?

  3. How do you politely ask an older stranger their name?
    Options: ¿Cómo se llama usted? · ¿Cómo te llamas? · ¿Qué tal?
    Show the answer

    ¿Cómo se llama usted?

  4. Pedro (a man) meets someone new. He says…
    Options: Encantado. · Encantada. · De nada.
    Show the answer

    Encantado. — Encantado matches the speaker: a man says encantado.

In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days, until you've answered it correctly on three separate days.
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