mi padre se llama
/mi padɾe se ʝama/from spelling rules
The English phrase "my father's name is" is translated into Spanish as mi padre se llama.
This phrase is used to introduce the name of one's father.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, mi padre se llama translates to "my father calls himself", because it uses the reflexive verb llamarse (to call oneself) instead of the verb "to be".
Which one should you use?
While you might occasionally hear mi padre es [name], the standard way to introduce a person's name in Spanish is to use mi padre se llama.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal or official written contexts, you can use el nombre de mi padre es. To be more informal and affectionate, you can replace padre with papá, resulting in mi papá se llama or el nombre de mi papá es.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using this phrase, the verb llama must be in the third-person singular form to agree with the subject mi padre.
How do you pronounce it?
/mi padɾe se ʝama/
Did you know?
- In some contexts, the word padre is used colloquially in Spain to describe something that is 'cool' or 'great'.
- The verb llama in this phrase is a homonym that can also refer to the animal native to the Andes or to a 'flame'.
- The word llama used for the animal was borrowed directly from the indigenous Quechua language.
Examples in context
- Mi padre se llama Juan.My father's name is Juan.
- El nombre de mi padre es Juan.The name of my father is Juan.
- Mi papá se llama Juan.My dad's name is Juan.
- El nombre de mi papá es Juan.The name of my dad is Juan.
- Mi padre se llama Roberto.My father's name is Roberto.
- Mi padre se llama Luis, es médico.My father's name is Luis, he is a doctor.
- Te presento a mi padre, mi padre se llama Carlos.I'd like you to meet my father, my father's name is Carlos.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are introducing their families.
- MaríaMi padre se llama Jorge.My father's name is Jorge.
- DanielEs un nombre muy bonito.It is a very beautiful name.
- María¿Y el tuyo?And yours?
- DanielMi padre se llama Pedro.My father's name is Pedro.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries llama, mi, padre, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
