¡Hola! Welcome back.
In our last lesson, we took a big first step into Spanish grammar by learning about el and la, the words for "the". You learned that nouns have a gender, and we can often tell if a noun is masculine or feminine by its ending, like with el niño (the boy) and la casa (the house).
Today, we’ll build on that by learning how to make one of the most important introductions you'll ever need: introducing yourself and, crucially, your son. The learning goal for this lesson is to be able to introduce yourself and your child using "Me llamo..." and "Se llama...". By the end of our session, you'll be able to confidently say "My name is..." and "His name is..."—a perfect tool for meeting other parents and teachers at your son's school.
1. How to Introduce Yourself: "Me llamo..."
In English, we say "I am [Name]". In Spanish, the structure is slightly different. The most common way to introduce yourself uses the verb llamar, which means "to call". So, when you say Me llamo..., you are literally saying "I call myself...".
Let's look at a brief explanation of this concept.
"What is Your Name?" & "My Name Is" in Spanish
This article from Berlitz explains the core idea of using the verb llamar for introductions. It's a small but important conceptual shift from English.
Please read the short section titled 'How to introduce yourself in Spanish'. It explains why you'll be using the verb llamar (to be called) instead of a direct translation of 'I am'.
So, the key phrase you need is:
Me llamo... (My name is...)
You can use it in a simple greeting:
¡Hola! Me llamo [Your Name].
To ask someone their name, you say:
¿Cómo te llamas?(What is your name? - informal)
This creates a simple, natural conversation:
- Person A:
¡Hola! ¿Cómo te llamas? - Person B:
¡Hola! Me llamo Ana.
2. How to Introduce Your Child: "Se llama..."
Now for the part that's especially important for you: introducing your son. To say "His name is..." or "Her name is...", you use the same verb, llamar, but in a different form.
The phrase is:
Se llama... (His/Her name is...)
Notice how this works for both "his" and "her". The context tells you who you're talking about.
To ask for someone else's name, you say:
¿Cómo se llama?(What is his/her name?)
Here is how you can put everything together. Imagine you are with your son:
¡Hola! Me llamo [Your Name]. Él es mi hijo. Se llama [Son's Name].
(Hello! My name is [Your Name]. He is my son. His name is [Son's Name].)
Let's look at a resource that lays this out very clearly.
"What is Your Name?" & "My Name Is" in Spanish
The same Berlitz article has excellent tables showing these phrases in action. It provides clear examples for introducing yourself and others.
First, look at the table under the heading 'My name is in Spanish'. Find the example 'My name is Andrés and this is my friend Eduardo.' This is a great model for introducing yourself and your son. Then, scroll down to the heading 'His/her name is in Spanish' and review the examples there.
The worksheet below provides a great visual summary of these phrases in a learning context.
3. Hearing it in Context
Reading is one thing, but hearing the phrases is essential for getting the pronunciation right. Let's watch a couple of short videos.
First, a very clear, structured explanation.
Verb LLAMARSE in Spanish | El verbo LLAMARSE en Español | A1 - Lesson 14
This video from the 'Learn Spanish Online' channel breaks down the verb llamarse and gives you clear, spoken examples of how to use me llamo and se llama in simple conversations.
Watch from the beginning (00:08) until 02:04. Pay attention to the pronunciation and the different example dialogues for asking and stating names.
Next, let's hear these phrases used in a simple story. This will help you get used to the natural flow of the language.
Start Learning Spanish with SUPER EASY Story (My Big Family)
In this story from 'ListenES', a girl named Amelia introduces herself and her family. This is great for practicing your listening comprehension and hearing the phrases in a narrative context.
Listen from 00:11 to 00:20 to hear her introduce herself (Me llamo Amelia). Then, listen from 01:49 to 02:20 where she introduces her brother and sister (Se llama Jacob and Se llama Mía).
Test your understanding!
Imagine you are at the park. You meet another parent with their daughter, Maria. You want to say: "Hello, my name is [Your Name], and she is named Maria."
How would you say this in Spanish?
Show answer
¡Hola! Me llamo [Your Name], y ella se llama María.
4. Practice Scenario: At the School Gate
Let's put it all together in a scenario you're likely to encounter. You're picking up your son from school and strike up a conversation with another parent.
- You:
¡Hola! Me llamo [Your Name].(Hello! My name is [Your Name].) - Other Parent:
¡Hola! Mucho gusto. Me llamo Ana. ¿Y él, cómo se llama?(Hello! Nice to meet you. My name is Ana. And him, what's his name?) - You:
Se llama [Son's Name].(His name is [Son's Name].) - Other Parent:
Mucho gusto.(Nice to meet you.)
The phrase mucho gusto means "nice to meet you" and is the perfect addition to your introductory toolkit.
Key Takeaways
¡Excelente! You've just learned some of the most fundamental phrases for connecting with people in Spanish.
- To introduce yourself, say
Me llamo.... - To introduce someone else (like your son), say
Se llama.... - To ask for someone's name, use
¿Cómo te llamas?(for "you") or¿Cómo se llama?(for "him/her").
Practice these phrases out loud. Try introducing yourself and your son to the mirror. The more you say them, the more natural they will feel.
Next Steps
In our next lesson, we'll continue building our conversation skills. We will learn how to ask someone "¿Cómo estás?" (How are you?) and how to reply with "bien, gracias" (well, thank you). This will allow you to have a slightly longer and more polite initial exchange with people you meet.
¡Hasta la próxima