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Travel to wherever Spanish is spoken, and chances are you"ll meet people you"ve never seen before. You need not be tongue-tied as you introduce yourself.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 3 minutes
Here"s how:
- To say hello, merely say "Hola" or "oh-la" (rhymes with "Lola"; note that the letter H is silent in Spanish).
- To intoduce yourself, merely say "Me llamo" (may YAHM-oh) followed by your name. For example, "Hola, me llamo Chris" ("OH-la, may YAHM-oh Chris") means "Hi, I'm Chris."
- To ask someone's name in a formal setting, say "¿Cómo se llama usted?" or "KOH-moh say YAHM-ah oo-STED." (The "oo" rhymes with "moo." This means, "What is your name?"
- In an informal setting, or if speaking to a child, say "¿Cómo te llamas?" or "KOH-mo tay YAHM-ahss." That also means, "What is your name?"
- After the person responds, you may say, "Mucho gusto" or "MOOCH-oh GOOSE-toe." The phrase means "much pleasure" or, less literally, "pleased to meet you."
Tips:
- To sound better with these phrases, learn how the Spanish letters are pronounced.
- Don't be afraid to sound silly. In nearly any Spanish-speaking area, even the feeblest attempts to speak Spanish will be honored.