Categoría: Expressions

  • ‘Me llamo’ vs ‘Mi nombre es’ vs ‘Soy’

    ‘Me llamo’ vs ‘Mi nombre es’ vs ‘Soy‘

    What will I learn in this blog?

    🟢How to say your name in Spanish

    🟢When to use ‘me llamo’ vs ‘mi nombre es’ vs ‘soy’


    What does ‘me llamo’ mean in Spanish?

    It literally means ‘I call myself’, and it’s the most common and natural way to introduce your name across all Spanish-speaking countries.
    Don’t worry if ‘I call myself’ sounds odd in English—it doesn’t feel strange at all in Spanish.


    How do you introduce yourself in Spanish?

    me llamo William

    I call myself William

    ‘me llamo’ is used in formal, semi-formal, or casual contexts. It’s very versatile.

    mi nombre es William

    My name is William

    ‘mi nombre es’ is used in formal or professional environments, more structured or scripted situations.

    soy William

    I’m William

    ‘soy’ is used in casual, everyday conversations. It’s short, direct, and informal.

    • There’s no right or wrong choice among the three.
    • None of them are disrespectful or more impressive than the others.
    • They are all acceptable and interchangeable depending on the tone and context, so don’t worry—you won’t mess it up.


    See how they work in real-life situations

    me llamo William


    context 1. First day at a language exchange (semi-formal)

    Hi! My name is William and I’ve been learning Spanish for six months.

    “Hola, me llamo William y llevo aprendiendo Español seis meses.”


    context 2. Zoom language class (semi-formal)

    Hi, my name is Daniel and I’m from Peru. I’m very excited about this class.

    “Hola, me llamo Daniel y soy de Perú. Estoy muy emocionado por esta clase.”


    mi nombre es William


    context 1. Job interview (formal)

    Good morning. My name is William, and I have experience in project management.

    “Buenos días. Mi nombre es William y tengo experiencia en gestión de proyectos.”


    context 2. Work presentation or conference (formal)

    My name is Carolina, I’m a software engineer at TechNova.

    “Mi nombre es Carolina, soy ingeniera de software en la empresa TechNova.”


    context 3. Recorded voice message or business email (formal)

    My name is Mariana Torres, event coordinator, and I appreciate your participation.

    “Mi nombre es Mariana Torres, coordinadora del evento, y les agradezco su participación.”


    soy William


    context 1: Meeting someone at a party (casual)

    Hey, I’m Nico. And you?

    “Hey, soy Nico. ¿Y tú?”


    context 2: Introducing yourself over the phone (casual)

    Hi! I’m Valentina, Marcos’s friend.

    “Hola, soy Valentina, la amiga de Marcos.”


    context 3. Bumping into a friend’s friend (casual)

    Hey, I’m Tomás, Carla’s coworker.

    “Hola, soy Tomás, el compañero de trabajo de Carla.”



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  • How to use ‘Se trata de’ in Spanish

    How to use ‘Se trata de’ in Spanish

    In this post, you’ll find:

    1. The translation of se trata de
    2. How to use se trata de in statements, questions, and negative sentences
    3. Activities to help you understand its usage
    4. Common mistakes to avoid
    5. Different ways to say se trata de


    The phrase se trata de in Spanish translates to ‘is about’ in English.
    While the literal translation might seem like ‘is treated about’, that’s not how it works in actual usage.
    In real context, it’s simply a way to introduce the subject or theme of something, like a book, movie, or conversation.


    How to use ‘se trata de’ in different ways

    🎬📚 How to say what a movie or book is about:

    🔹The movie is about a kid who runs a lot. (Think Forrest Gump.)
    La película se trata de un niño que corre mucho.

    🔹This book is about how to take care of plants and make homemade fertilizers.
    Este libro se trata de cómo cuidar las plantas y hacer fertilizantes caseros.


    ❓ How to ask what a book or series is about:

    🔹What’s the name of that movie about dinosaurs in the city?
    ¿Cómo se llama la película que se trata de dinosaurios en la ciudad?

    🔹What is that book you’re reading about?
    ¿De qué se trata ese libro que estás leyendo?

    🔹What is the series you’re watching about?
    ¿De qué se trata la serie que estás viendo?

    🔹What is that series about?
    ¿De qué se trata esa serie?

    🔹What is it about?
    ¿De qué se trata?


    🤷🏽‍♀️ How to say you don’t know what something is about:

    🔹I don’t know what this series is about, but everyone’s talking about it.
    No sé de qué se trata esta serie, pero todo el mundo habla de ella.

    🔹I don’t know what it’s about.
    No sé de qué se trata.

    🔹I don’t know what that song is about.
    No sé de qué se trata esa canción.



    Listen to the video and choose the correct form of the verb

    Home Page. se trata de

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    Common mistake to avoid

    ❌ ¿Qué trata la película?
    ✅ ¿De qué se trata la película?

    The first version is grammatically incorrect. Always remember to include the preposition ‘de’ and the reflexive ‘se’.



    Comparing expressions: How do they sound?

    Let’s say you’re describing the series Money Heist, and you want to say:
    “The series is about some people robbing the mint in Spain”.

    Here are three Spanish ways to say it, with how they come across:

    a. “La serie es sobre unas personas que roban un banco en España”.
    Sounds casual and informal. This is common in spoken, conversational Spanish.

    b. “La serie es de unas personas que roban un banco en España”.
    This structure is often heard in informal speech.

    c. “La serie se trata de unas personas que roban un banco en España”.
    ✅ Sounds natural and standard. This is the most correct and widely used form, especially in neutral, professional, or written contexts.

    🚀 Ready to master Spanish direct and indirect pronouns beyond this guide?

    LEARN MORE

    At Spanish4dinner, we’ve got you covered when it comes to mastering Spanish pronouns.

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  • ‘Me llamo’ vs ‘Se llama’ vs ‘Me llama’

    ‘Me llamo’ vs ‘Se llama’ vs ‘Me llama’
    

    What will you learn in this blog?

    🟢How to say your name in Spanish
    🟢How to introduce your family using ‘se llama’ and ‘se llaman’
    🟢How to express “I go by this name” or “People call me this” using ‘me llama’ and ‘me llaman’


    Throughout this blog, we’ll explore four very useful forms of the verb “llamar” (to call):

    🔹Me llamo Nicolás– I’m called Nicolas
    🔹Se llama Carolina – She’s called Carolina
    🔹Ella me llama Nico– She calls me Nico
    🔹Mis amigos me llaman Nick – My friends call me Nick


    

    How to introduce your family in Spanish using ‘se llama’ and ‘se llaman’

    “This is me, Nicolas, and this is my crazy family.”
    Este soy yo, Nicolás, y esta es mi familia loca.

    “This is my mom, that’s called Carolina.”
    Esta es mi mamá, que se llama Carolina.

    “This is my dad, that’s called Alfonso.”
    Este es mi papá, que se llama Alfonso.

    “This is my wife, that’s called Clara.”
    Esta es mi esposa, que se llama Clara.

    “And this is my brother, that’s called Samuel.”
    Y este es mi hermano, que se llama Samuel.

    “These are my “uncles”, that are called Alex and Julie.”
    Ellos son mis tíos, que se llaman Alex y Julie.

    ✅“Este es mi hermano, que se llama Samuel“– This is my brother that’s called Samuel.
    ✅“Este es mi hermano, Samuel” – This is my brother, Samuel.

    If I were showing my family photos to a friend, I’d feel comfortable using either form. And if se llama (it means ‘is called’) sounds strange in English, don’t worry — in Spanish, it’s the most common and natural way to say it.


    How to say what others call you — or the name you go by in Spanish

    My mom calls me “sweetheart”.
    Mi madre me llama “corazón”.

    My dad calls me “son”.
    Mi papá me llama “hijo”.

    My wife calls me “dear”.
    Mi esposa me llama “querido”.

    My brother calls me “nico”.
    Mi hermano me llama “nico”.

    My “uncles ” call me “nick”.
    Mis tíos me llaman “nick”.

    If you’re curious about how to use me llama and where it comes from, learn How to use ‘me’ and ‘a mí’


    Still stuck in translator mode when speaking Spanish? Time to upgrade!

    Our brand new course is here to help you use pronouns like me, te, nos, le, les, lo, and la with confidence — and sound way more fluent.

    LEARN MORE

    🎯 Want to use Spanish object pronouns like a true native speaker?

    LEARN MORE

    At Spanish4dinner, we’ve got you covered when it comes to mastering Spanish pronouns.

    Grab your free 100 phrases you’re saying wrong 100 days to get them right eBook and start building a habit that will make your Spanish sound more natural—just like a local!

    Download the mini-eBook (100 PHRASES you’re saying wrong)