¿Cómo te llamas?
In Spanish, 'what is your name?' is expressed as ¿Cómo te llamas?
The phrase is used to ask for someone's name. Depending on the level of formality, you can use different variations: ¿Cómo te llamas? and ¿Cuál es tu nombre? are informal, while ¿Cuál es su nombre? and Disculpe, ¿puede decirme su nombre? are formal ways to ask.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿Cómo te llamas? literally translates to 'How do you call yourself?'
Which one should you use?
The default form ¿Cómo te llamas? uses the informal 'tú' conjugation and is used with peers or children.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use the form ¿Cómo se llama usted? when speaking to someone in a formal setting or to an elder.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying ¿Cómo es tu nombre? While this is a literal translation of 'What is your name?', it sounds unnatural in Spanish.
When do people say it?
A natural response to this question is Me llamo… followed by your name.
Did you know?
- The verb llamar used in ¿Cómo te llamas? also means 'to ring' a phone or 'to shout'. This means the phrase literally asks how you 'ring' or 'call' yourself.
- In a professional setting, you might hear ¿Con quién tengo el gusto?, which translates to 'With whom do I have the pleasure?' This replaces the direct question about a name with a phrase focused on the pleasure of the encounter.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, children are often introduced by their full names including both paternal and maternal surnames to avoid confusion.
Examples in context
- Buenos días. ¿Cuál es su nombre?Good morning. What is your name?
- Disculpe, ¿puede decirme su nombre?Excuse me, can you tell me your name?
- Hola, ¿cómo te llamas?Hi, what's your name?
- Oye, ¿cuál es tu nombre?Hey, what's your name?
- Perdón, ¿cómo te llamas?Excuse me, what is your name?
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía meet at a language class.
- JavierHola, soy Javier. ¿Cómo te llamas?Hello, I am Javier. What is your name?
- SofíaHola, me llamo Sofía.Hello, my name is Sofía.
- JavierMucho gusto, Sofía.Nice to meet you, Sofía.
- SofíaIgualmente, Javier.Likewise, Javier.
