Mi abuela se llama
/mi abwela se ʝama/from spelling rules
The English phrase "my grandma's name is" is translated into Spanish as Mi abuela se llama.
In this phrase, abuela means "grandma" and the construction se llama means "she is called/named".
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, Mi abuela se llama translates to "My grandmother calls herself" because se llama is the reflexive form of the verb llamar (to call).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the third-person singular reflexive pronoun se to indicate that the name is something the grandmother calls herself.
Did you know?
- While llama in this phrase means 'calls', it is also the Spanish word for a 'llama', the animal from the Andes, due to an interesting coincidence of spelling and sound.
- The word abuela comes from the Latin word aviola, which is a diminutive form of avia. This means the root of the word for 'grandmother' originally carried a sense of being 'little' or 'dear'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, you might skip Mi abuela se llama and simply use Mi abuelita se llama to show more affection and warmth.
Examples in context
- Mi abuela se llama Rosa.My grandma's name is Rosa.
- Mi abuela se llama Carmen y es muy amable.My grandma's name is Carmen and she is very kind.
- ¿Sabes que mi abuela se llama Teresa?Do you know that my grandma's name is Teresa?
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are talking about their families at a park.
- ElenaMi abuela se llama Elena.My grandma's name is Elena.
- MateoEs un nombre muy bonito.It is a very beautiful name.
- Elena¿Cómo se llama tu abuela, Mateo?What is your grandma's name, Mateo?
- MateoMi abuela se llama Sofía.My grandma's name is Sofia.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries abuela, llama, mi, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
