hola, ¿cómo te llamas?
The English phrase "hi, what is your name?" is translated into Spanish as hola, ¿cómo te llamas?
This is a friendly greeting used to ask someone for their name when meeting them for the first time.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿cómo te llamas? literally translates to "how do you call yourself?" rather than "what is your name?"
How does it change in a sentence?
When responding to this question, a native speaker typically says Me llamo [Name] (I call myself [Name]) rather than Mi nombre es… (My name is…).
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the gesture of a single kiss on the cheek often accompanies the first time someone asks ¿cómo te llamas?
- The greeting hola likely comes from a French word meaning 'hey! stop!', which was used to get someone's attention.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, people may answer ¿cómo te llamas? by providing their first name and their father's surname to establish their family lineage.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola! ¿Cuál es su nombre?Hello! What is your name?
Example conversation
Javier and Elena meet at a social gathering.
- JavierHola, ¿cómo te llamas?Hi, what is your name?
- ElenaHola, me llamo Elena.Hi, my name is Elena.
- JavierMucho gusto, Elena. Yo soy Javier.Nice to meet you, Elena. I am Javier.
- ElenaEl gusto es mío, Javier.The pleasure is mine, Javier.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, hola, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
