How to Ask Someone's Name in Spanish
Asking a name opens the door to a friendly exchange. Use ¿Cómo te llamas?, listen for me llamo, and respond without translating word by word.
Learning objective
Ask ¿Cómo te llamas? and respond in a friendly informal introduction.
¿Cómo te llamas? is a friendly informal way to ask one person What is your name? Cómo means how in this pattern, te points to the person you are speaking to, and llamas completes the question. Learn the whole expression as one useful conversational frame rather than translating each piece literally.
A natural answer is Me llamo plus the name: Me llamo Luis means My name is Luis. Soy Luis, meaning I am Luis, also works in many introductions. After answering, you can return the question with ¿Y tú?, meaning And you?, if the setting is informal.
Use ¿Cómo se llama? when respectful distance or formality is appropriate. This version can address one person as usted, the respectful form of you. Customs vary by community, age, and setting, so listen to how people address you and do not treat one choice as universally polite everywhere.
Names deserve careful listening. If you miss the answer, say Perdón, ¿cómo te llamas? or ask ¿Cómo se escribe?, meaning How is it spelled? Repeating a person's name back can confirm that you heard correctly and shows more care than pretending to understand.
Examples
¿Cómo te llamas?
What is your name?
Use this with one person in an informal setting.
Me llamo Luis.
My name is Luis.
Me llamo gives a direct answer focused on the name.
Soy Camila. ¿Y tú?
I am Camila. And you?
The short return question keeps the introduction moving.
¿Cómo se llama?
What is your name?
This version provides a respectful or formal option.
Common mistake
- Instead of
- ¿Cómo tú llamas?
- Try
- ¿Cómo te llamas?
The established question needs te before llamas. Copying English word order and inserting tú does not build this Spanish pattern. Memorise ¿Cómo te llamas? as a complete question, then connect it to the matching answer Me llamo. The paired forms make the small change easier to remember.
Practice
Try it yourself
You meet a classmate. Introduce yourself as Sam, ask the classmate's name informally, and write Elena's possible answer. Finish with a natural pleasure phrase.