Telling your name

Introduction to Telling Your Name in Spanish

This lesson covers essential phrases and skills for introducing yourself in Spanish, perfect for beginners at the A1 level. You will learn how to say your name, ask someone else's name, and use polite forms of address.

Key Themes

• Basic Greetings and Self-Introduction: Expressions like ¿Cómo te llamas? (What is your name?), Me llamo María González. (My name is María González), and polite replies such as Mucho gusto (Nice to meet you) are central to this lesson.
• Personal Information: Learn vocabulary related to names, surnames, and titles, including el señor, la señora, el nombre (first name), and el apellido (last name).
• Alphabet and Pronunciation: Understanding how to spell names aloud is also covered, to help you communicate clearly in different social or professional settings.

Useful Phrases and Structures

You will practice dialogues that simulate real-life situations, such as meeting new colleagues at work or introducing yourself in a class. Example phrases include:

• Hola, me llamo Marta.
• ¿Puedes decirme tu apellido y deletrearlo?
• Mucho gusto en conocerte.

Verb Conjugations and Dialogue

This lesson also introduces important present tense reflexive verbs like llamarse (to be called) and presentarse (to introduce oneself), helping you form correct sentences such as "Yo me llamo Carlos" or "Ella se presenta a la reunión." Understanding these verbs is key to mastering introductions.

Instruction vs Spanish Language Notes

In Spanish, asking for someone's name uses the verb llamarse reflexively, quite different from English. For example, ¿Cómo te llamas? literally means "How do you call yourself?" whereas in English we say "What is your name?" This reflexive structure is important to learn early on. Also, polite forms like señor and señora show respect and are commonly used in formal conversations. Unlike English, spelling out names by letters is a common practice to ensure clarity, especially when names are unfamiliar.