How to say whats your name in spanish

Surprise, surprise, this is likely to be one of the main ways a conversation with a new person starts when you are traveling abroad in a Spanish-speaking (or really, any) country. People typically like to know the name of the person that they are talking to, because it makes them feel more open and at-ease.

SpanishEnglishNotes¿Cómo te llamas?What is your name? (What do you call yourself?)By far the most common way of asking someone's name. It literally translates to "what do you call yourself?", but is understood to mean "what is your name?"¿Cómo se llama?What is your name? (formal)This is the formal version that you might use for someone such as a professor¿Tú cómo te llamas?What is your name?The "Tú" precendent is not strictly grammatically necessary, but it might be used, particularly after you have already disclosed your own name to somebody.¿Cuál es tu nombre?What is your name?The literal translation is "which is your name?" and is more popular in formal settings¿Cuál es su nombre?What is your name? (formal)Even a bit more formal than above, as it uses "Usted"¿Eres ___, verdad?You are ___, correct?If you think you know someones name, but are not sure, you could confirm with this phrase - as in, "you're Dave, right?)

You may hear other people asking you what your name is, and you want to be able to recognize this so that you can start a conversation off on the right foot. Or, you may want to talk to someone whose name you don’t know yet, so you will want to practice pronunciation of this phrase as well.

How to say whats your name in spanish
How to say whats your name in spanish
How to say whats your name in spanish

How to introduce yourself in Spanish

The first difference you will notice between introducing yourself in Spanish versus English is the verb llamar (ya-mar). In English, you usually introduce yourself by saying that you are your name–i.e. “I’m Marco”. In Spanish, you use the verb llamar instead, which means “to be called.” That means that introducing yourself in Spanish is more like saying “I am called Marco.”

You can also state what your name is, such as “My name is Marco,” but this would be more formal. You will want to stick to the verb llamar for an overwhelming majority of your day-to-day conversations!

What is your name in Spanish

Asking someone for their name is one of the first steps of any introduction. Just as when saying “My name is” in Spanish, you should use the verb llamar when asking someone what their name is in Spanish.

Additionally, introducing yourself and asking someone “What’s your name” in Spanish will require the use of pronouns. From reflexive pronouns to possessive pronouns, you will need a basic understanding of them when learning how to talk about names in Spanish. Check out our handy guide to Spanish pronouns if you’d like a little refresher before moving on!

EnglishSpanishIPAPronunciationWhat’s your name?¿Cómo te llamas?ˈkomo te ˈʝamas ‖koh-mo teh ya-masWhat’s your name? (formal)¿Cómo se llama?ˈkomo se ˈʝama ‖koh-mo seh ya-maWhat’s your name? (most formal)¿Cuál es su nombre?ˈkwal ˈɛs su ˈnõmbɾe ‖koo-al es soo nom-brehWhat’s your name? (plural)¿Cómo se llaman?ˈkomo se ˈʝamãn ‖koh-mo seh ya-mahnCould you give me your name?¿Me podrías dar tu nombre?me poˈðɾias̬ ˈðaɾ tu ˈnõmbɾe ‖meh po-dree-ahs dahr too nom-brehCould you give me your name? (formal)¿Me podría dar su nombre?me poˈðɾia ˈðaɾ su ˈnõmbɾe ‖meh po-dree-ah dahr soo nom-brehHello, nice to meet you. What’s your name?Hola, un gusto conocerte. ¿Cómo te llamas?ˈola | ũn ˈɡusto konoˈsɛɾte ‖ ˈkomo te ˈʝamas ‖oh-la oon goose-toe koh-no-ser-teh koh-mo teh ya-masWhat is your last name?¿Cómo te apellidas?ˈkomo te apeˈʝiðas ‖koh-mo teh ah-peh-yee-dasCan you remind me your name?¿Me recuerdas tu nombre?me reˈkwɛɾðas tu ˈnõmbɾe ‖meh reh-coo-air-das too nom-brehCould you gift (give) me your name?¿Me regalarías tu nombre?me reɣalaˈɾias tu ˈnõmbɾe ‖meh reh-ga-la-ree-as too nom-brehYour name?¿Tu nombre?tu ˈnõmbɾe ‖too nom-breh

My name is in Spanish

If you’re a social butterfly, you’re probably dying to learn how to say “My name is” in Spanish. Meeting friends and making genuine connections with native speakers can really make your language-learning take off, so don’t be shy to meet people next time you visit a Spanish-speaking country. Making a new friend can be as easy as saying “Hello my name is” in Spanish!

How to say whats your name in spanish

EnglishSpanishIPAPronunciationHello my name is Mirabelle, and yours?Hola, yo me llamo Mirabelle, ¿y tú?ˈola | ˈɟʝo me ˈʝamo miɾaˈβeʝe | i ˈtu ‖oh-la yo meh ya-mo mee-rah-bell e tooHi, nice to meet you! My name is Mirabelle.Hola, ¡un gusto conocerte! Me llamo Mirabelle.ˈola | ũn ˈɡusto konoˈsɛɾte ‖ me ˈʝamo miɾaˈβeʝe ‖oh-la oon goose-toe koh-no-cer-teh meh ya-moh mee-rah-bellNice to meet you! What’s your name?¡Mucho gusto! ¿Cómo te llamas?ˈmuʧo ˈɣusto ‖ ˈkomo te ˈʝamas ‖moo-cho goose-toe koh-mo teh ya-masMy name is Mirabelle, but I prefer to be called Belle.Me llamo Mirabelle, pero prefiero que me digan Belle.me ˈʝamo miɾaˈβeʝe | ˈpɛɾo pɾeˈfjɛɾo ˈke me ˈðiɣãm ˈbeʝe ‖meh ya-mo mee-rah-belle peh-ro preh-fee-air-oh keh meh dee-gan bellMy name is José but my nickname is Pepe.Me llamo José, pero mi apodo es Pepe.me ˈʝamo xoˈse | ˈpɛɾo mj aˈpoðo ˈɛs ˈpepe ‖me ya-mo ho-seh peh-ro me ah-po-doh es peh-pehMy name is Andrés but my friends call me Andy.Me llamo Andrés pero mis amigos me dicen Andy.me ˈʝamo ãnˈdɾes ˈpɛɾo mis aˈmiɣos̬ me ˈðisɛn ˈãndi ‖meh ya-mo an-drehs peh-ro mees ah-me-goes meh dee-sen andyMy first name is Eduardo and my last name is Lopez.Me llamo Eduardo y me apellido López.me ˈʝamo eˈðwaɾðo i̯ me apeˈʝiðo ˈlopes ‖meh ya-moh eh-doo-ar-doh e meh ah-peh-yi-do lo-pezMy name is Andrés and this is my friend Eduardo.Me llamo Andrés y mi amigo se llama Eduardo.me ˈʝamo ãnˈdɾes i mj aˈmiɣo se ˈʝama eˈðwaɾðo ‖meh ya-mo an-drehs e me ah-mee-go seh ya-ma eh-doo-ar-doh

How to introduce yourself in response

You’ll want to return the favor when someone introduces themselves to you in Spanish. While introducing yourself in response is very similar to introducing yourself first, there are a few differences to keep in mind for politeness. You can even use this as a chance to throw in a little compliment in Spanish to make your introduction extra friendly!

How to say whats your name in spanish

Note that, although Spanish is a null-subject language, you’ll usually want to add in the subject when introducing yourself in response. You don’t need to do this if you introduce yourself first, but adding in the subject in “Yo me llamo” will help emphasize that you’re responding to the other person’s introduction.

EnglishSpanishIPAPronunciationI’m Marco. Nice to meet you!Yo me llamo Marco. ¡Mucho gusto!ˈɟʝo me ˈʝamo ˈmaɾko ‖ ˈmuʧo ˈɣusto ‖yo meh ya-mo mar-kohNice to meet you, my name is Marco.Mucho gusto, yo me llamo Marco.ˈmuʧo ˈɣusto | ˈɟʝo me ˈʝamo ˈmaɾko ‖moo-cho goose-toe yo meh ya-mo mar-kohPleasure to meet you, my name is Marco.Mucho gusto, me llamo Marco.ˈmuʧo ˈɣusto | me ˈʝamo ˈmaɾko ‖moo-cho goose-toe me ya-mo mar-kohNice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot of great things about you. My name is Marco.Mucho gusto. He escuchado muchas cosas buenas de ti. Me llamo Marco.ˈmuʧo ˈɣusto ‖ ˈe ɛskuˈʧaðo ˈmuʧas ˈkosas̬ ˈβwenas̬ ðe ˈti ‖ me ˈʝamo ˈmaɾko ‖moo-cho goose-toe eh es-coo-cha-doh moo-chas ko-sas boo-eh-nas deh tee meh ya-mo mar-koh

His/her name is in Spanish

Talking about someone else’s name is another very useful skill to have. As you start making a circle of friends, you will likely find yourself in situations where you need to introduce your friends to your new friends. Here are some common ways to say “His/her name is” in Spanish.

EnglishSpanishIPAPronunciationWhat is her name?¿Cómo se llama?ˈkomo se ˈʝama ‖koh-mo seh ya-maHer name is Alex.Ella se llama Alex.ˈeʝa se ˈʝama ˈaleks ‖eh-ya seh ya-ma ah-lexWhat is his name?¿Cómo se llama?ˈkomo se ˈʝama ‖koh-mo seh ya-maHis name is Alex.Él se llama Alex.ˈɛl se ˈʝama ˈaleks ‖elle seh ya-ma ah-lex

How to introduce yourself formally in Spanish

Finally, you may need to introduce yourself formally in Spanish at some point. This is especially true if you’re learning Spanish for business or if you’re planning to settle down in a Spanish-speaking country.

EnglishSpanishIPAPronunciationAllow me to introduce myself.Permíteme presentarme.pɛɾˈmiteme pɾesɛ̃nˈtaɾme ‖pear-me-teh-meh preh-sen-tar-mehAllow me to introduce myself. (more formal)Permítame presentarme.pɛɾˈmitame pɾesɛ̃nˈtaɾme ‖pear-me-tah-meh preh-sen-tar-mehAllow me to introduce myself. (plural)Permítanme presentarme.pɛɾˈmitãmme pɾesɛ̃nˈtaɾme ‖pear-me-tan-meh preh-sen-tar-mehHello, my name is Marco.Hola, mi nombre es Marco.ˈola | mi ˈnõmbɾe ˈɛs̬ ˈmaɾko ‖oh-la me nom-breh es mar-kohI’m your host, Marco.Su servidor, Marco.su sɛɾβiˈðoɾ | ˈmaɾko ‖soo ser-ve-door mar-koh

Download our FREE poster

Learning how to introduce yourself in Spanish is definitely the very first skill that you’ll need in order to master that important first impression and to make new Spanish friends. We've put together some real life examples to help you on your way. Let's go!

How to say whats your name in spanish

Useful words and phrases to know when asking for names in Spanish

¿Me lo podrías repetir?

As you know, Spanish speakers are incredibly diverse, with 21 countries using Spanish as an official language. That means you’ll likely run across a few names that you may struggle to mimic.

If you find yourself in this situation, you shouldn’t panic. All you need to do is politely ask them to repeat their name so that you have a chance to hear it again. You can also use this as an opportunity to say back their name and wait for any corrections or a nod of approval!

Here are a few ways to kindly ask someone to repeat their name.

How to say whats your name in spanish

EnglishSpanishIPAPronunciationCould you repeat it?¿Me lo podrías repetir?me lo poˈðɾias̬ repɛˈtiɾ ‖meh lo poh-dree-as reh-peh-teerExcuse me, could you repeat your name?Disculpa, ¿me podrías repetir tu nombre?disˈkulpa | me poˈðɾias̬ repɛˈtiɾ tu ˈnõmbɾe ‖dees-cool-pah meh poh-dree-as reh-peh-teer too nom-brehWhat?¿Cómo?ˈkomo ‖koh-moExcuse me, what did you say your name was?Disculpa, ¿cómo dijiste que es tu nombre?disˈkulpa | ˈkomo ðiˈxiste ˈke ˈɛs tu ˈnõmbɾe ‖dees-cool-pah koh-mo dee-hes-teh keh es too nom-brehExcuse me, could you say your name once again please?Disculpa, ¿podrías decir tu nombre otra vez, por favor?disˈkulpa | poˈðɾias̬ ðeˈsiɾ tu ˈnõmbɾe ˈotɾa ˈβes | poɾ faˈβoɾ ‖dees-cool-pah poh-dree-as deh-seer too nom-breh oh-tra vez por fah-vore

¿Cómo se escribe?

Another useful tip for those situations where you’re not sure what the other person’s name is is asking for their name’s spelling. This can help you understand how the name is written and give you a better chance of remembering their name long-term.

EnglishSpanishIPAPronunciationHow do you spell that?¿Cómo se escribe?ˈkomo sɛ ɛsˈkɾiβe ‖koh-mo seh es-cree-behCould you spell it out loud, please?¿Lo podrías deletrear, por favor?lo poˈðɾias̬ ðelɛtɾeˈaɾ | poɾ faˈβoɾ ‖Lo poh-dree-as deh-leh-treh-are por fah-vore

Tocayo

This is a very useful word that is very likely to come up as you start meeting new people, particularly if you have a common name. Tocayo means namesake, as in someone who has the same name as you. However, while namesake is pretty seldomly used in English, tocayo is very, very common in Spanish.

In fact, if you have a friend who shares the same name as you, it’s very common to greet them with an enthusiastic ¡tocayo! instead of the regular hola. It’s a fun and easy way to bond with someone you’ve just met! Oh, and don’t forget to change the gender to tocaya if you’re using it with women.

Common nicknames in Spanish

Nicknames are a very common part of Hispanic culture. Don’t be offended if someone calls you out of your name! In fact, you should almost be offended if friends don’t call you out of your name! With hundreds of nicknames and cute terms of endearment, it’s very easy to find a nickname for your friends.

However, many Spanish names come with de-facto nicknames that may or may not make sense. Just as Bob is a nickname for Robert, there are a few common nicknames in Spanish that you should memorize and employ.

Actual nameNicknameNickname IPANickname pronunciationAlbertoBetoˈbɛtobeh-toeJoséPepeˈpepepeh-pheSalvadorChavaˈʧaβacha-vahVicenteChenteˈʧɛ̃ntechen-tehGabrielaGabyˈɡaβigah-beeEduardoLaloˈlalola-loEduardoGuayoˈɡwaʝogoo-ah-yoDoloresLolaˈlolalo-laGuadalupeLupitaluˈpitaloo-pee-tahGuillermoMemoˈmemomeh-moIgnacioNachoˈnaʧonah-choFernandoNandoˈnãndonan-doFranciscoPacoˈpakopa-kohFranciscoPanchoˈpãnʧopan-choLuzLuchaˈluʧaloo-chaCésarChichaˈʧiʧachee-chaIsabelaChabelaʧaˈβelacha-beh-laJosé MaríaChemaˈʧemache-maJuanJuanchoˈxwãnʧohoo-an-choNicolásNicoˈnikoknee-koh

Time to start meeting people to practice your Spanish

Now that you’re a master at introducing yourself in Spanish, it’s time for you to go out there and start meeting people! Even if you’re not currently in a Spanish-speaking country and only taking Spanish lessons online, you can still use the internet to make new Spanish-speaking friends!

We hope you enjoyed this blog and can use the information here to meet some interesting and exciting people. That’s all for now, but make sure to check out our Spanish blog for tons more interesting (and free!) study resources!

How do you ask someone what's their name in Spanish?

Use “¿Cómo te llamas?” (familiar/personal) or “¿Cómo se llama?” (formal/polite). Alternatively, though less common, is “¿Cuál es tu nombre?” (familiar/personal) and “¿Cuál es su nombre?” (formal/polite).

How do you say hello my name is ___ What is your name in Spanish?

If you want to say the phrase “hello my name is” in Spanish, you would say, “Hola, mi nombre es [your name].” A more relaxed version of the same expression would be, “Hola, me llamo [your name].” Want to ask someone what their name is? Use “¿Cómo te llamas?” (familiar/personal) or “¿Cómo se llama?” (formal/polite).

How do you answer what is your name in Spanish?

To reply, you could answer in either of the following ways:.
Me llamo + your name (literally means I am called...) (casual).
Soy + your name (literally means I am...) (more casual).
Mi nombre es + your name = My name is + your name (formal).