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Being able to introduce yourself is one of the first practical skills you need in any language. In this lesson, you will learn how to state your name, where you are from, your age, and your occupation — and how to ask others the same questions.
There are two common ways to give your name in Spanish.
| Expression | Pronunciation | Literal Meaning | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Me llamo... | "meh YAH-moh" | "I call myself..." | My name is... |
| Soy... | "soy" | "I am..." | I'm... |
| Mi nombre es... | "mee NOHM-breh ehs" | "My name is..." | My name is... (more formal) |
Examples:
| Expression | Register | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | Informal (tú) | "KOH-moh teh YAH-mahs" | What's your name? |
| ¿Cómo se llama usted? | Formal (usted) | "KOH-moh seh YAH-mah oos-TEHD" | What is your name? |
| ¿Cuál es tu nombre? | Informal | "kwahl ehs too NOHM-breh" | What is your name? |
| ¿Cuál es su nombre? | Formal | "kwahl ehs soo NOHM-breh" | What is your name? |
Tip: ¿Cómo te llamas? is by far the most common way to ask someone's name in casual situations. ¿Cuál es tu nombre? is grammatically correct but sounds slightly more formal or bureaucratic.
| Expression | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Soy de... | "soy deh" | I'm from... |
| Vengo de... | "BEHN-goh deh" | I come from... |
| Country | Nationality (M/F) | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| España (Spain) | español / española | "ehs-pah-NYOHL / ehs-pah-NYOH-lah" |
| México (Mexico) | mexicano / mexicana | "meh-hee-KAH-noh / meh-hee-KAH-nah" |
| Estados Unidos (USA) | estadounidense | "ehs-tah-doh-oo-nee-DEHN-seh" |
| Inglaterra (England) | inglés / inglesa | "een-GLEHS / een-GLEH-sah" |
| Francia (France) | francés / francesa | "frahn-SEHS / frahn-SEH-sah" |
| Alemania (Germany) | alemán / alemana | "ah-leh-MAHN / ah-leh-MAH-nah" |
| Italia (Italy) | italiano / italiana | "ee-tah-LYAH-noh / ee-tah-LYAH-nah" |
| Brasil (Brazil) | brasileño / brasileña | "brah-see-LEH-nyoh / brah-see-LEH-nyah" |
| China (China) | chino / china | "CHEE-noh / CHEE-nah" |
| Japón (Japan) | japonés / japonesa | "hah-poh-NEHS / hah-poh-NEH-sah" |
| Colombia (Colombia) | colombiano / colombiana | "koh-lohm-BYAH-noh / koh-lohm-BYAH-nah" |
| Argentina (Argentina) | argentino / argentina | "ahr-hehn-TEE-noh / ahr-hehn-TEE-nah" |
Examples:
| Expression | Register | English |
|---|---|---|
| ¿De dónde eres? | Informal | Where are you from? |
| ¿De dónde es usted? | Formal | Where are you from? |
| ¿De qué país eres? | Informal | What country are you from? |
| ¿Eres de aquí? | Informal | Are you from here? |
In Spanish, you do not "be" an age — you "have" years. This is a fundamental difference from English.
| English | Spanish | Literal Translation |
|---|---|---|
| I am 25 years old | Tengo veinticinco años | I have 25 years |
| She is 30 | Ella tiene treinta años | She has 30 years |
The Structure: Subject + tener (to have) + number + años (years)
| Pronoun | Tener (Present) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo (I) | tengo | Tengo veinte años. |
| Tú (You, informal) | tienes | Tienes dieciocho años. |
| Él / Ella / Usted | tiene | Tiene cuarenta años. |
| Nosotros/as (We) | tenemos | Tenemos treinta años. |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | tienen | Tienen cincuenta años. |
Examples:
Common Mistake: Do not say Soy veinticinco años — this is a direct translation from English and is incorrect. Always use Tengo... años.
There are two common structures for stating your occupation.
| Structure | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| Soy + occupation | Soy profesor. | I am a teacher. |
| Trabajo como + occupation | Trabajo como ingeniero. | I work as an engineer. |
| Trabajo en + place/field | Trabajo en un hospital. | I work in a hospital. |
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