Me llamo Juan
/me ʝamo xwan/from spelling rules
The English phrase "my name is juan" is translated into Spanish as Me llamo Juan.
In a social conversation, after introducing yourself, someone might ask you ¿A qué te dedicas?, which means "What do you do?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Me llamo literally translates to "I call myself".
Which one should you use?
While Mi nombre es Juan is grammatically correct, Me llamo Juan is much more common and natural in spoken Spanish for introductions.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb llamar is used in its reflexive form llamarse to express one's name.
Did you know?
- While 'Juan' is a single name in English, a person in a Spanish-speaking country would typically introduce themselves with two surnames, such as Juan García López.
- The name Juan traveled through several languages before reaching Spanish, moving from Hebrew to Greek, then Latin, and finally Old Spanish as Johan.
- While Me llamo is the standard way to introduce yourself, the verb llamar is also used to describe the sound of a bell ringing.
Examples in context
- Me llamo Juan.My name is Juan.
- Hola, me llamo Juan.Hello, my name is Juan.
- Mucho gusto, me llamo Juan.Nice to meet you, my name is Juan.
Example conversation
Two people meeting for the first time at a party.
- SofíaHola, me llamo Sofía.Hello, my name is Sofia.
- AlejandroHola Sofía, me llamo Juan.Hello Sofia, my name is Juan.
- SofíaEs un placer conocerte, Juan.It is a pleasure to meet you, Juan.
- AlejandroIgualmente, Sofía.Likewise, Sofia.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Juan, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
