Now that you can say hello, it's time to introduce yourself! In this lesson, you'll learn how to ask someone's name and tell them yours. You'll also meet the Spanish subject pronouns and discover an important Colombian cultural note about formal and informal 'you.'
Learning tips
- 'Llamarse' literally means 'to call oneself' — so 'me llamo' is literally 'I call myself.' This reflexive structure is very common in Spanish.
- Practice saying 'Me llamo [your name]. Mucho gusto.' until it feels natural.
- In Colombia, people often use 'usted' even in casual settings — don't be surprised if someone uses it with you right away.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| hola | hello/hi |
| buenos días | good morning |
| buenas tardes | good afternoon |
| buenas noches | good evening/night |
| adiós | goodbye |
| chao | bye |
| ¿cómo estás? | how are you? |
| bien | good/well |
| mal | bad |
| gracias | thank you |
Dialog
Valentina and Andrés introduce themselves using 'llamarse' (to call oneself). Notice that Valentina switches between 'tú' and 'usted' — in Colombian Spanish, both forms are used frequently, even in casual conversations. When meeting someone, 'Mucho gusto' (Nice to meet you) and 'Igualmente' (Likewise) are the standard exchange.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| me llamo | /me ˈʝa.mo/ | my name is (lit. 'I call myself') | First person — use when introducing yourself |
| te llamas | /te ˈʝa.mas/ | your name is (informal, lit. 'you call yourself') | Use when asking someone's name informally |
| se llama | /se ˈʝa.ma/ | his/her/your (formal) name is | Third person or formal address |
| mucho gusto | /ˈmu.tʃo ˈɡus.to/ | nice to meet you, pleased to meet you | Said when meeting someone for the first time |
| igualmente | /i.ɣwalˈmen.te/ | likewise, same here | The standard response to 'mucho gusto' |
| yo | /ˈʝo/ | I | Subject pronoun — often omitted since the verb ending shows the subject |
| tú | /ˈtu/ | you (informal) | Used with friends, peers, and children |
| usted | /usˈteð/ | you (formal) | Used for respect — very common in Colombian Spanish, even among friends |
| sí | /ˈsi/ | yes | Note the accent mark — without it, 'si' means 'if' |
| no | /ˈno/ | no, not | Same word for 'no' and for negating verbs |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| encantado | /en.kan.ˈta.ðo/ | delighted, charmed (masculine) | Alternative to 'mucho gusto,' used by male speakers |
| encantada | /en.kan.ˈta.ða/ | delighted, charmed (feminine) | Alternative to 'mucho gusto,' used by female speakers |
| el nombre | /ˈnom.bɾe/ | the name (first name) | |
| el apellido | /a.pe.ˈʝi.ðo/ | the last name, surname | |
| ¿verdad? | /beɾˈðað/ | right?, isn't it? | Tag question used to confirm |
| también | /tamˈbjen/ | also, too |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| ¿cómo te llamas? | What's your name? (informal) |
| ¿cómo se llama usted? | What's your name? (formal) |
Grammar: Subject pronouns and the reflexive verb 'llamarse'
| Pronoun | llamarse |
|---|---|
| yo | me llamo |
| tú | te llamas |
| usted | se llama |
| él / ella | se llama |
| nosotros | nos llamamos |
| ellos / ellas | se llaman |
Subject pronouns are the words for 'I,' 'you,' 'he,' 'she,' etc. In Spanish, the most important ones for now are:
- yo = I
- tú = you (informal)
- usted = you (formal)
- él = he
- ella = she
Spanish verbs change their ending to show who is doing the action, so you can often drop the pronoun. 'Soy Andrés' (I'm Andrés) works without saying 'yo.'
Llamarse is a reflexive verb meaning 'to call oneself.' It uses reflexive pronouns (me, te, se) before the verb:
- yo me llamo = I call myself (my name is)
- tú te llamas = you call yourself
- usted/él/ella se llama = you (formal)/he/she calls himself/herself
To ask someone's name informally: ¿Cómo te llamas? To ask formally: ¿Cómo se llama usted?
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing word.
- me llamo Carlos.(subject pronoun for 'I')
- ¿Cómo llamas?(reflexive pronoun for 'tú')
- Ella llama María.(reflexive pronoun for 'ella')
- gusto, soy Ana.(first word of 'nice to meet you')
- ¿ se llama usted?(question word meaning 'how')
Grammar Application
Conjugate 'llamarse' for the given subject pronoun.
- yo / llamarse → Yo (reflexive pronoun 'me' + verb ending '-o')
- tú / llamarse → Tú (reflexive pronoun 'te' + verb ending '-as')
- él / llamarse → Él (reflexive pronoun 'se' + verb ending '-a')
- usted / llamarse → Usted (same as 'él' — formal 'you' uses third person)
- ellos / llamarse → Ellos (reflexive pronoun 'se' + verb ending '-an')
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- My name is Pedro.
- What's your name? (informal)
- Nice to meet you.
- Her name is Ana.
- Yes, I am Carlos. Likewise.
Creative Construction
Write a short introduction of yourself or an imaginary person. Use 'llamarse', greetings from Lesson 1.1, and 'mucho gusto.'
Takeaway
To introduce yourself, say 'Me llamo [name]. Mucho gusto.' To ask someone's name: '¿Cómo te llamas?' (informal) or '¿Cómo se llama usted?' (formal).