How to Say What's Your Name in Spanish (+ Formal & Casual)

What’s your name in Spanish is ¿cómo te llamas? — which, translated literally, asks “how do you call yourself?” That’s not a typo: Spanish builds this question around the reflexive verb llamarse (“to call oneself”) rather than the noun “name.” It’s usually the second sentence out of anyone’s mouth in a new conversation, right after the hello — which makes it, along with the answer me llamo…, one of the highest-value lines a beginner can own.

The main way to say it

¿Cómo te llamas? — pronounced KOH-moh teh YAH-mahs.

The pronunciation details that matter:

• The double ll in llamas sounds like the English y in “yes” in Mexico: YAH-mahs. (In Argentina it becomes a “zh/sh” sound — SHAH-mahs — but that’s a Río de la Plata thing.)
• Stress falls on CÓ and LLA: KOH-moh teh YAH-mahs. The accent on cómo is required in writing because it’s a question word.
• Spanish questions get an upward melody at the end — and in writing, that opening ¿ is not optional decoration; it’s part of correct spelling.

The grammar under the hood: te llamas = “you call yourself.” So the question is literally “How do you call yourself?” and the answer mirrors it: me llamo (“I call myself”) + your name. Me llamo Ana. ¿Y tú?

You have three ways to give your name back, in increasing casualness:

• Me llamo Ana. — “My name is Ana.” The classic, always correct.
• Soy Ana. — “I’m Ana.” Shorter, very natural in real life.
• Ana. — Just the name, with a handshake or a nod. Perfectly normal among peers.

Variations

Phrase	Meaning	Register
¿Cómo te llamas?	What’s your name? (informal tú)	Casual — peers, kids, most everyday settings
¿Cómo se llama?	What’s your name? (formal usted)	Formal — elders, clients, officials
¿Cómo se llama usted?	Same, with usted spelled out	Extra clear/formal
¿Cuál es tu nombre?	What is your name? (literal)	Neutral — common on forms and phone menus
¿Cuál es su nombre?	Formal version of the above	Formal/administrative
¿Cómo te llamas tú?	And your name is…?	Casual, adds emphasis when returning the question
¿Y tú eres…?	And you are…?	Casual, friendly party-style opener
¿Cómo se llama él/ella?	What’s his/her name?	Asking about a third person

The tú vs. usted choice is the whole game here. In Mexico, ¿cómo te llamas? is fine with people your age or younger and in relaxed settings. With an elder, a client, or anyone you’d address as “sir/ma’am,” switch to ¿cómo se llama? — same verb, formal conjugation. When in doubt in Mexico, start formal; letting the other person invite you to tutear (use tú) is the polite path.

One heads-up on ¿cómo se llama?: because se can also mean “he/she,” this sentence can equally mean “what’s his/her name?” Context sorts it out — eye contact means “you,” a nod toward someone else means “them.”

Hear it in context

Meeting at a party (casual):

— ¡Hola! ¿Cómo te llamas? — Me llamo Diego, ¿y tú? — Soy Mariana. Mucho gusto. — Igualmente.

Hi! What’s your name? — My name’s Diego, and you? — I’m Mariana. Nice to meet you. — Likewise.

Checking in at an office (formal):

— Buenos días. ¿Cómo se llama usted? — Me llamo Carlos Herrera. Tengo cita a las diez. — Perfecto, señor Herrera. Tome asiento, por favor.

Good morning. What is your name? — My name is Carlos Herrera. I have an appointment at ten. — Perfect, Mr. Herrera. Please take a seat.

Common mistakes

• “¿Cómo te llamo?” Mixing up the reflexive: te llamo means “I call you.” The question needs te llamas — “you call yourself.” One vowel, completely different sentence.
• “Me llamo es Ana.” The Frankenstein blend of me llamo Ana and mi nombre es Ana. Pick one: me llamo already contains the verb, so no es.
• “¿Qué es tu nombre?” Translating “what” as qué. For names, Spanish uses cuál: ¿cuál es tu nombre? (¿Qué es tu nombre? sounds like you’re asking for a philosophical definition of their name.)
• Pronouncing ll like an English L. Llamas is YAH-mahs, not LAH-mahs — unless you mean the animal, and even that one is pronounced with a y-sound in Spanish.
• Using tú with everyone. Asking your friend’s grandmother ¿cómo te llamas? isn’t offensive, but it misses the register. ¿Cómo se llama? costs nothing and reads as good manners.

Related phrases

Names get exchanged in a bundle — learn the whole opening sequence:

• How to say nice to meet you in Spanish — mucho gusto is the mandatory next line after the names.
• How to say how are you in Spanish — the natural follow-up once introductions are done.
• For the greeting that comes before all of this, see our guide to 30 ways to say hello in Spanish.

FAQ

What’s the difference between “¿cómo te llamas?” and “¿cómo se llama?”? Formality. ¿Cómo te llamas? uses informal tú; ¿cómo se llama? uses formal usted (and can also mean “what’s his/her name?”). In Mexico, use the formal version with elders, clients, and strangers in professional settings.

Is “¿cuál es tu nombre?” wrong? Not at all — it’s grammatically perfect and common on forms, phone lines, and apps. In face-to-face conversation, though, ¿cómo te llamas? is what people actually say.

How do I answer “¿cómo te llamas?” Me llamo + name (“I call myself…”), soy + name (“I’m…”), or simply your name. Then return the question: ¿y tú? — or ¿y usted? in formal settings.

Why does Spanish say “how do you call yourself” instead of “what is your name”? The reflexive verb llamarse is simply the idiomatic way names work in Spanish, as in many Romance languages (French comment tu t’appelles? is built the same way). The literal option exists (¿cuál es tu nombre?), but llamarse dominates in speech.

Is it rude to just say my name without “me llamo”? No — answering “Diego” with a handshake is completely natural among peers. In formal contexts, the full me llamo Diego Ramírez (often with the surname) is the safer, more polished choice.

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Knowing the question is step one — surviving the rapid-fire exchange that follows it is the real skill. Practicing introductions out loud with Sofia, an AI Spanish tutor you can talk to anytime, gets you there fast.