me llamo José
/me ʝamo xose/from spelling rules
To say "my name is Jose" in Spanish, use me llamo José.
This phrase is used to introduce yourself by stating your name. While you might see or hear Mi nombre es José (My name is José), it is less common in natural conversation than the reflexive form.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase me llamo literally translates to "I call myself".
Which one should you use?
The phrase me llamo José is much more natural and common for introductions than the grammatically correct Mi nombre es José.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb llamar is used reflexively in this phrase, which is why the pronoun me is required.
Did you know?
- The common question ¿Cómo te llamas? asks 'How do you call yourself?' instead of using 'What' as English does.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to respond to me llamo… by repeating the name back as confirmation, such as ¿José? Mucho gusto.
- The name José is the Spanish form of the Biblical Hebrew name Yōsēp̄, which evolved through Ancient Greek and Latin.
Examples in context
- Mucho gusto, me llamo José.Nice to meet you, my name is José.
- Perdone, me llamo José y busco la salida.Excuse me, my name is José and I am looking for the exit.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena meet for the first time at a party.
- AlejandroHola, me llamo José.Hello, my name is Jose.
- ElenaHola, José. Yo soy Elena.Hello, Jose. I am Elena.
- AlejandroEs un placer conocerte, Elena.It is a pleasure to meet you, Elena.
- ElenaIgualmente, José.Likewise, Jose.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries José, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
