nombre
/ˈnombɾe/masculine
The English word 'name' is translated into Spanish as nombre.
The word nombre is a noun used to indicate a particular person, place, class or thing. While nombre is the general term for a name, it is much more common in Spanish to ask someone's name using the reflexive verb phrase ¿Cómo te llamas? in informal settings or ¿Cómo se llama usted? in formal settings, rather than using the noun nombre directly.
Meaning: word or phrase indicating a particular person, place, class or thing (noun)
Which one should you use?
While nombre refers to a person's name in general, the word apellido is used specifically when you want to refer to a surname or last name.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions, such as Argentina and Uruguay, the informal second-person singular pronoun vos is used instead of tú.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun, nombre takes the masculine singular article el (el nombre). The plural form of the word is nombres.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈnombɾe/
When do people say it?
In many Spanish-speaking countries, friends or close acquaintances often use nicknames instead of formal names. Additionally, the term pana is used as slang for 'buddy'.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, people typically have two surnames, one from the father and one from the mother, rather than just one apellido.
- The exclamation ¡No hombre! can be used to mean 'No way!' or 'Don't be silly!', even though it literally translates to 'No, man!'
- Because nombre comes from the Latin nōmen, it shares an evolutionary path with the English word 'enumerate', which means to count or name things one by one.
Examples in context
- Yo sé tu nombre.I know your name.This sentence is useful for stating that you know someone's nombre.Tatoeba #395877 by hayastan, translation #16887 by fucongcong
- Mi nombre es Tom.My name is Tom.This sentence is useful for introducing yourself with your nombre.Tatoeba #1307074 by marcelostockle, translation #1173265 by cntrational
- Mi nombre es Ivan.My name is Ivan.Tatoeba #1545423 by marcelostockle, translation #1544701 by gleki
- Señor García, mucho gusto en conocerlo.Mr. García, nice to meet you.
- Doña María, ¿puede usted ayudarme?Mrs. María, can you help me?
- Doctor Silva, estoy buscando una segunda opinión médica.Doctor Silva, I am seeking a second medical opinion.
- Juan, ¿vienes a la fiesta esta noche?Juan, are you coming to the party tonight?
- Mi amor, ¿qué te gustaría comer hoy?My love, what would you like to eat today?
- ¿Vos te llamás María?Do you go by the name María?
- ¡Oye, pana! ¿Cómo estás?Hey, buddy! How are you?
- 828 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are meeting for the first time at a party.
- María¿Cuál es tu nombre?What is your name?
- JavierMi nombre es Javier, ¿y el tuyo?My name is Javier, and yours?
- MaríaYo me llamo María.I am called María.
- JavierEs un nombre muy bonito, María.It is a very pretty name, María.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “name” translations and entries nombre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nombre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
