¿Cómo se llaman?
The English phrase "what are your names?" is translated into Spanish as ¿Cómo se llaman?
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿Cómo se llaman? literally translates to "How do you call yourselves?"
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, ¿Cómo os llamáis? is an informal way to ask "What are your names?" when addressing multiple people.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use ¿Qué son sus nombres? as a direct translation of "what are your names?", but ¿Cómo se llaman? is the natural way to ask this in Spanish.
Did you know?
- While ¿Cómo se llaman? asks for names, the word llamar also means 'to call' on a phone. In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you ask someone ¿Cómo se llama? while they are on a call, you might be asking for the name of the person on the other end of the line.
- In Spanish, the verb llamarse is reflexive, implying that you 'call yourself'. This differs from English, where 'your name' is a possession, but in Spanish, the name is treated as an action the person performs.
- The word cómo in ¿Cómo se llaman? comes from the Latin cōmō̆, which was a non-literary version of the word quōmodo. This means the very structure of how Spanish speakers ask for a name is rooted in a conversational rather than a formal Latin style.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, ¿cuáles son sus nombres?Excuse me, what are your names?
- Señores, ¿cuáles son sus nombres?Ladies and gentlemen, what are your names?
- Queridos profesores, ¿cuáles son sus nombres?Dear teachers, what are your names?
- ¿Cómo os llamáis?What are your names?
- Hola, ¿cómo se llaman?Hello, what are your names?
Example conversation
Alejandro meets Sofía and her friend for the first time.
- AlejandroHola, mucho gusto. ¿Cómo se llaman?Hello, nice to meet you. What are your names?
- SofíaYo soy Sofía y ella es Ana.I am Sofía and she is Ana.
- AlejandroEncantado, yo soy Alejandro.Delighted, I am Alejandro.
- SofíaMucho gusto, Alejandro.Nice to meet you, Alejandro.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
