How to Give Your Name

Learn how to give your name

Dialogue

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Vocabulary

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Lesson Transcript

Welcome to Can-Do Spanish by SpanishIPod101.com.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to give your name in Spanish.

For example, "Nice to meet you. I'm Valeria."

Mucho gusto, soy Valeria.

Two passengers, Valeria Varela and Angel Salazar Almonte , are seated next to each other on a plane to Mexico.

Before you hear their conversation, let’s preview some of its key components.

hola

"hi"

hola

mucho gusto

"Nice to meet you."

Mucho gusto

Listen to the conversation, and focus on Valeria's response.

Note: both Angel and Valeria use only their first names.

Ready?

Hola. Soy Ángel. Mucho gusto.

Mucho gusto, soy Valeria.

Once more with the English translation.

Hola. Soy Ángel. Mucho gusto.

"Hi. I'm Angel. Nice to meet you."

Mucho gusto, soy Valeria.

"Nice to meet you. I’m Valeria."

Let's break down Valeria's response.

Do you remember how Valeria introduces herself?

"Nice to meet you. I'm Valeria."

Mucho gusto, soy Valeria.

First is the expression, Mucho gusto, meaning "Nice to meet you." Mucho gusto. Mucho gusto.

This expression literally means "Much pleasure," but it translates as "Nice to meet you." Mucho gusto.

This expression can be used in any situation from an informal encounter to a business meeting.

Do you remember how Valeria says,

"I'm Valeria."

Soy Valeria.

First is soy. " am." Soy. Soy.

Note: soy is a shortened form of yo soy. In Spanish, yo, "I," is usually omitted.

Soy is from the verb ser, meaning "to be." Ser.

Next is the name, Valeria. “Valeria.” Valeria. Valeria.

Together, it's Soy Valeria. "I’m Valeria."

Soy Valeria.

The pattern is

Soy NAME.

"I’m NAME."

Soy NAME.

To use this pattern, simply replace the {NAME} placeholder with your name.

Imagine you're Hugo. In Spanish, Hugo. Hugo. Hugo.

Say

"I'm Hugo."

Ready?

Soy Hugo.

"I'm Hugo."

Soy Hugo.

Note that Mexican people have two last names.

The first one comes from the father's family and the second one from the mother's.

For example, Angel ’s full name is Angel Salazar Almonte.

Salazar is from the father’s side, and Almonte is from the mother’s.

In a formal situation, people might give you only their first last name or they might give you both.

For example, if Angel is meeting a colleague for the first time, he might use only one last name, his father’s.

Soy Ángel Salazar. "I'm Angel Salazar." Soy Ángel Salazar.

Or in even more formal situations, such as when he’s introducing himself to a new boss, he would probably give both last names.

Soy Ángel Salazar Almonte. "I'm Angel Salazar Almonte." Soy Ángel Salazar Almonte.

You should give your full name in business or formal situations, but in more casual settings informal settings, it’s fine to give only your first name.

Again, the key pattern is

Soy NAME.

"I’m NAME."

Soy NAME.

Let's look at some more examples.

Listen and repeat or speak along with the native speakers.

Mucho gusto, Soy Ángel.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Angel."

Mucho gusto, Soy Ángel.

Mucho gusto, soy Valeria.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Valeria."

Mucho gusto, soy Valeria.

Mucho gusto, soy Hugo.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Hugo."

Mucho gusto, soy Hugo.

Mucho gusto, soy Víctor.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Victor."

Mucho gusto, soy Víctor.

Mucho gusto, me llamo Sonia.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Sonia."

Mucho gusto, me llamo Sonia.

Did you notice how the last speaker uses a different pattern?

She says,

Mucho gusto, me llamo Sonia. "Nice to meet you. My name is Sonia." Mucho gusto, me llamo Sonia.

This pattern uses the phrase, Me llamo, which literally means "I myself call," but translates as "My name is." Me llamo.

First is me, meaning "me." Me. Me.

After this is llamo. "call." Llamo. Llamo.

Note: Llamo is the shortened form of yo llamo. In Spanish, yo, “I,” is usually omitted.

Llamo is from the verb, llamar, meaning "to call." Llamar.

Next is the name, Sonia. “Sonia.” Sonia. Sonia.

All together it's Me llamo Sonia. Literally, "Myself I call Sonia." But it translates as "My name is Sonia." Me llamo Sonia.

The pattern is

Me llamo NAME.

"My name is NAME."

You should be aware of this pattern, but for this lesson, we'll use the pattern

Soy NAME.

"I am NAME."

Let's review the key vocabulary.

Hola. Hello.

Hola.

Let's review.

Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then repeat after the native speaker, focusing on pronunciation.

Ready?

Do you remember how to say

"Nice to meet you."

Mucho gusto.

And the Spanish pronunciation of Valeria’s name?

Valeria.

Do you remember how Valeria says,

“I’m Valeria.”

Soy Valeria.

Do you remember how Valeria says,

"Nice to meet you. I'm Valeria."

Mucho gusto, soy Valeria.

Do you remember how Angel says,

"Hello."

Hola.

Do you remember how Angel says,

"Hi. I'm Angel. Nice to meet you."

Hola. Soy Ángel. Mucho gusto.

Let's practice.

Imagine you're Hugo. Hugo.

Respond to Angel’s self-introduction.

Ready?

Hola. Soy Ángel. Mucho gusto.

Mucho gusto, soy Hugo.

Listen again and repeat.

Mucho gusto, soy Hugo.

Let's try another.

Imagine you’re Sonia. Sonia.

Ready?

Hola. Soy Ángel. Mucho gusto.

Mucho gusto, soy Sonia.

Listen again and repeat.

Mucho gusto, soy Sonia.

Let's try one more.

Imagine you’re Victor. Victor.

Ready?

Hola. Soy Ángel. Mucho gusto.

Mucho gusto, soy Víctor.

Listen again and repeat.

Mucho gusto, soy Víctor.

Well Done! This is the end of this lesson.

In this lesson, you learned how to give your name in Spanish. This plays an essential role in the larger skill of introducing yourself.

Remember, these Can Do lessons are about learning practical language skills.

What's next?

Show us what you can do.

When you're ready, take your assessment.

You can take it again and again, so try anytime you like.

Our teachers will assess it, and give you your results.

Keep practicing — and move on to the next lesson!

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