Me llamo
/me ʝamo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I am called" is expressed as Me llamo.
Me llamo is the most common and natural way to introduce yourself in Spanish, more so than saying Mi nombre es.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Me llamo literally translates to "I call myself".
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "He/she is called" or "You (formal) are called", change Me llamo to Se llama.
How do you pronounce it?
/me ʝamo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say Yo soy [Name] to introduce themselves, which is grammatically possible but less natural than using Me llamo.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, people may respond to Me llamo… by saying Mucho gusto while performing a single cheek kiss, known as el beso, instead of shaking hands.
- The verb llamar is used in Spanish to describe both calling someone by a name and ringing a doorbell or making a phone call.
- The word me in Me llamo descends from the Latin 'mē', which was the accusative form of 'ego'.
Examples in context
- Yo me llamo Mirjam.I am called Mirjam.This sentence is useful for using Me llamo with the name Mirjam.Tatoeba #10650490 by babelpoint, translation #10650491 by babelpoint
- Yo me llamo John.I am called John.This sentence is useful for using Me llamo with the name John.Tatoeba #661732 by darinmex, translation #253929 by CN
- Me llamo Sara.I am called Sara.This sentence is useful for using Me llamo with the name Sara.Tatoeba #436322 by lukaszpp, translation #436321 by lukaszpp
Example conversation
Two people meet at a language school.
- DanielHola, me llamo Daniel.Hello, my name is Daniel.
- ElenaEncantada, Daniel. Me llamo Elena.Nice to meet you, Daniel. My name is Elena.
- Daniel¿Eres nueva en la clase?Are you new in the class?
- ElenaSí, es mi primer día.Yes, it is my first day.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
