Me llamo John
/me ʝamo xon/from spelling rules
To say "my name is john" in Spanish, use Me llamo John.
Me llamo John is a phrase used to introduce oneself by stating one's 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 John is grammatically correct, Me llamo John is the much more natural and common way to introduce yourself in Spanish.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb llamar is used in its reflexive form llamarse to express one's name.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use Yo soy [Name] to introduce themselves, but Me llamo is the standard idiomatic choice for a first introduction.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to introduce yourself by your first name and then your father's surname, and then your mother's surname.
- In Spanish, people often respond to Me llamo… by saying Mucho gusto or Encantado, which means 'Delighted' rather than just 'Nice to meet you'.
- The word me in Me llamo shares the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root as the English word 'me', making the pronoun a distant linguistic relative.
Examples in context
- Me llamo John.My name is John.Tatoeba #12679950 by Shishir, translation #1098122 by cntrational
- Me llamo John, mucho gusto.My name is John, nice to meet you.
- ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo John.What is your name? My name is John.
Example conversation
Two people meeting for the first time at a party.
- MateoHola, me llamo John.Hello, my name is John.
- MaríaHola, John. Yo soy María.Hello, John. I am María.
- MateoMucho gusto, María.Nice to meet you, María.
- MaríaIgualmente, John.Likewise, John.
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.
