me llamo Molly
/me ʝamo moʝi/from spelling rules
To say "my name is Molly" in Spanish, use me llamo Molly.
This phrase is used to introduce yourself by stating your name.
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 Molly is grammatically correct, me llamo Molly is much more common and natural in spoken Spanish when introducing yourself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb llamar is used in its reflexive form llamarse to express one's name in the phrase me llamo.
How do you pronounce it?
/me ʝamo moʝi/
When do people say it?
In some Spanish-speaking countries, it is customary to include both paternal and maternal surnames in formal introductions, such as in Mi nombre es Molly Smith González.
Did you know?
- While me llamo is standard, in some contexts using mi nombre es can sound like you are introducing yourself to a police officer or a judge.
- The verb llamar is also used to describe a phone call, meaning that when you say me llamo, you are using the same root word used for 'calling' someone on a telephone.
- The word me in me llamo is a direct descendant of the Latin 'mē', which was the accusative form of 'ego'.
Examples in context
- Hola, mi nombre es Molly.Hello, my name is Molly.
- Me llamo Molly, mucho gusto.I am called Molly, nice to meet you.
- Me llamo Molly.My name is Molly.
- Mucho gusto, me llamo Molly.Nice to meet you, my name is Molly.
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.
