How to Say Your Name in Spanish

Spanish has various degrees of formality you can use to introduce yourself.

Introducing yourself by saying your name is usually the first part of any conversation with someone you don't know. There are various levels of formality in structures to say your name in Spanish, and you should know which one to use in a given situation so you don't sound impolite or too formal. After saying your name, it is customary to ask the other person his name as well. Learning how to do so will help you converse in Spanish.

Instructions

Formal Greetings

1. Greet the person you are going to converse with by using the word "Hola" (pronounced "oh-lah"), which means "Hello."

2. Use the structure "Mi nombre es..." (pronounced "mee nohm-bray ess") in formal situations, such as in classrooms, in polite conversations, and on written documents. This literally translates to "My name is..." in English.

3. Formally ask someone what his name is by saying "¿Cuál es su nombre?" (pronounced "kwahl ess soo nohm-bre") or "¿Cómo se llama usted?" (pronounced "coh-moh say yah-mah oo-sted").

Informal Structures

1. Use informal forms and expressions to introduce yourself in non-formal situations. You can use the expression "Me llamo..." to say "My name is..." Literally, this translates to "I call myself." Use just your first name in these situations, just as in English.

2. Ask the other person his name by saying "¿Cómo te llamas?" (pronounced "koh-moh tay yah-mahs").

3. Use additional expressions to emphasize the informal situation, such as "¿Qué tal?" (How are you?) and "¿Qué pasa?" (What's up?).

References

• Boise State University: Spanish Greeting: Starting With Hello; Nelson Baquero; 2009
• Boise State University: Spanish Greeting: Starting With Hello; Nelson Baquero; 2009
• Study Spanish: Spanish Reflexive Verbs: Reflexive Verbs: Part 1

Resources

• Word Reference: Online Language Dictionaries
• Real Academia Española: Diccionario de la Real Academia Española