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Personal Introductions

CEFR A1 · Lesson 2 of 11

The very first phrases you'll actually use in a real conversation — meeting someone, saying where you're from, and asking the basics.

These are the very first phrases you'll actually use in a real conversation — meeting someone, saying where you're from, and asking the basics about them.

Essential phrases
SpanishEnglish
¡Hola! / Buenos días / Buenas tardes / Buenas nochesHi! / Good morning / afternoon / evening
¿Cómo te llamas? — Me llamo…What's your name? — My name is…
¿Cómo estás? — Estoy bien, gracias.How are you? — I'm well, thanks.
Mucho gusto / Encantado(a)Nice to meet you
¿De dónde eres? — Soy de…Where are you from? — I'm from…
¿Cuántos años tienes? — Tengo … años.How old are you? — I'm … years old.
¿A qué te dedicas? — Soy…What do you do? — I'm a(n)…

Formal vs. informal

Spanish has two ways to say "you": (informal — friends, peers, casual settings) and usted (formal — strangers, elders, professional settings). The question changes slightly with each:

  • Informal: ¿Cómo te llamas? / ¿De dónde eres?
  • Formal: ¿Cómo se llama usted? / ¿De dónde es usted?

A short dialogue

— ¡Hola! ¿Cómo te llamas?— Hi! What's your name?
— Me llamo Laura. ¿Y tú?— My name is Laura. And you?
— Me llamo Tom. Mucho gusto.— My name is Tom. Nice to meet you.
— ¿De dónde eres, Tom?— Where are you from, Tom?
— Soy de Canadá. ¿Y tú?— I'm from Canada. And you?
💡

Quick trick: when in doubt about formality, use usted — Spanish speakers rarely mind being treated a bit more formally, but the reverse can feel too casual too soon.

Practice

Check your understanding

1.¿Cómo ___ llamas?

2.Choose the formal way to ask "how are you":

3.True or false: "Mucho gusto" is said when you meet someone for the first time.

4.Tengo veinte ___. (I am twenty years old.)

5.Choose the greeting used in the evening:

6.True or false: "encantado" can also mean "nice to meet you."

7.¿De dónde ___? (informal "where are you from?")

8.Choose the formal way to ask "where are you from":

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