me llamo Emma
/me ʝamo emma/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "my name is Emma" is translated as me llamo Emma.
The phrase is used to introduce yourself by stating your name.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase me llamo literally means "I call myself".
Which one should you use?
While Mi nombre es Emma is grammatically correct, me llamo Emma is much more common and more natural in spoken Spanish when introducing yourself.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you can use Soy Emma to mean "I am Emma".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the reflexive form of the verb llamar (to call), which is llamarse, to express one's name.
How do you pronounce it?
/me ʝamo emma/
Did you know?
- While me llamo means 'I call myself', the verb llamar is also used to describe the ringing of a phone or a bell, making the act of naming someone linguistically similar to 'ringing' them.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, introducing yourself with me llamo is often accompanied by a handshake or, depending on the gender and relationship, a light kiss on one or both cheeks.
- The word me in this introduction is a direct descendant of the Latin accusative 'mē', the same ancestor that gave English its word 'me'.
Examples in context
- Hola, señor. Mi nombre es Emma.Hello, sir. My name is Emma.
- Buenos días, señora Martínez. Permítame presentarme. Mi nombre es Emma.Good morning, Mrs. Martínez. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Emma.
- Estimado señor López, mi nombre es Emma González y soy su nueva asistente.Dear Mr. López, my name is Emma González, and I am your new assistant.
- ¡Hola! Me llamo Emma. ¿Y tú?Hi! I'm Emma. And you?
- Me llamo Emma, mucho gusto.I'm Emma, nice to meet you.
- Soy la nueva compañera de clase, me llamo Emma.I am the new classmate, my name is Emma.
- Hola, me llamo Emma.Hello, my name is Emma.
- Me llamo Emma.My name is Emma.
- Hola, me llamo Emma y soy nueva aquí.Hello, my name is Emma and I am new here.
- Mucho gusto, me llamo Emma.Nice to meet you, my name is Emma.
Example conversation
Two people meeting for the first time at a party.
- JavierHola, soy Javier. ¿Cómo te llamas?Hi, I'm Javier. What is your name?
- MaríaHola, me llamo Emma.Hi, my name is Emma.
- JavierEs un placer conocerte, Emma.It is a pleasure to meet you, Emma.
- MaríaIgualmente, Javier.Likewise, Javier.
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.
