How to Confidently Introduce Yourself to New People in Spanish
Having a solid introduction is one of the easiest ways to leave a lasting impression. In this article, you'll learn different ways to introduce yourself in both informal and formal settings.
When you introduce yourself in English, it's common to say your name and details about your background, like where you're from or what you do for a living. In Spanish, it works the same way.
In the sections below, we'll cover how to mention your name, give situation-specific details, and how to ask the other person about themselves.
Saying your name
There are two short ways to tell someone your name in Spanish. The first one is identical to English:
Mi nombre es Carlos.
My name is Carlos.
Another common way to say your name is by using the verb llamar (to call):
Yo me llamo Carlos.
I call myself Carlos.
The literal English translation may seem strange, but it gives insight into some of the structures in Spanish you'll encounter later on.
Tell them about yourself
After introducing yourself by name, you can follow up with additional details that are relevant to your situation. For example, if you're at a work event, you can mention what your role is or who you work with.
Yo trabajo con María.
I work with María.
If you're in a foreign place, the locals might be interested in knowing where you're from. You can use ser (to be) or vivir (to live) to describe where you are from.
Yo soy de Nueva York.
I am from New York.
Yo vivo en Arizona.
I live in Arizona.
The verb ser is often confused with estar, as they both mean to be. Check out our article explaining the difference for an in-depth explanation. When introducing yourself, avoid using estar in the simple forms above.
Asking the other person to introduce themselves
You can get to know the person you're speaking to by asking the questions you just answered for them. You can ask someone what their name is with:
Como te llamas?
What do you call yourself?
Formal situations
If you're in a formal or professional situation, you'll want to use se instead of te.
Como se llama?
What do you call yourself?
This is used to address someone respectfully and should be used with superiors and older people. It's also common courtesy to use se when speaking to someone you don't know or just met. If you're talking with a group of friends, feel free to use the informal form.
Up next
We hope these phrases are helpful in furthering your Spanish-learning journey. Check out our other articles for tips on perfecting your Spanish.