se llama
/se ʝama/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "his name is" is se llama.
se llama is used to introduce a male person by stating his name.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, se llama translates to "he calls himself".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase se llama is used for both "his name is" and "her name is" because the reflexive pronoun se refers to the person, not the gender of the name.
How do you pronounce it?
/se ʝama/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word llama can also refer to a South American camelid, a creature borrowed from the Quechua language.
- In very formal or old-fashioned Spanish, one might use the word denominarse instead of llamarse to describe what something is called.
- The reflexive structure of se llama implies an action the person does to themselves, which differs from the English 'is', a state of being.
Examples in context
- Sé cómo se llama.I know what his name is.This sentence shows how to use se llama to express knowledge of someone's name.Tatoeba #1207301 by Shishir, translation #287622 by CK
- Se llama Tomoyuki Ogura.His name is Tomoyuki Ogura.This sentence demonstrates using se llama to introduce someone by name.Tatoeba #1991736 by Shishir, translation #287644 by vertigo93
- No quiero saber cómo se llama.I don't want to know what his name is.This sentence shows how to use se llama when expressing a desire not to know someone's name.Tatoeba #13485045 by Seael, translation #3631374 by Lindoula
- Ella está hablando con el nuevo gerente. Su nombre es Pablo.She is speaking with the new manager. His name is Pablo.
- Permítame presentarle al jefe. El señor se llama Alejandro.Allow me to introduce you to the boss. The gentleman's name is Alejandro.
- ¡Ese tipo es muy gracioso! Él se llama Pedro, ¿sabías?That guy is really funny! His name is Pedro, did you know?
- Conocí a un estudiante hoy en la universidad. Se llama Juan.I met a student today at the university. His name is Juan.
- Mi compañero de clase nuevo se llama Roberto.My new classmate is called Roberto.
- ¿Sabías que el perro de mi vecino se llama Max?Did you know that my neighbor's dog is called Max?
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are looking at a photo of a man.
- María¿Quién es ese hombre?Who is that man?
- JavierÉl es mi primo.He is my cousin.
- María¿Cómo se llama?What is his name?
- JavierSe llama Luis.His name is Luis.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries llama, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
