1.1: ¡Hola! ¿Cómo te llamas?

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Welcome to Spanish 101!

In this chapter, we’ll be learning the basics of saying hello, saying goodbye, and sharing some information in between.

¡Hola! Welcome to the first chapter of the course! As you might expect, this section is all about introductions.

When you are introducing yourself – or even when you are introducing one person to another person – there are some standard phrases that we typically use. First, you usually give your name or the name of the person you are introducing. Then, you usually indicate in some way that you are pleased to meet the other person.

With greetings and goodbyes in Spanish, the conversation will vary somewhat depending upon the relationship you have or will have with the person you are meeting. This relationship ranges from being very familiar to very formal. For example, if you are introducing yourself to someone your own age or with whom you would be considered a peer, to children, or to friends of friends, you would likely use a more informal greeting. If you are greeting someone with more of a social distance, such as an authority figure (professor, doctor, boss, an elder, or a potential employer), you would use a more formal greeting.

As you learn the phrases for introductions and goodbyes, you might find that there are words or grammatical points you don’t understand. Don’t worry that you don’t know why¿Cómo se llama? and ¿Cómo te llamas? are different– for the time being, just focus on learning the phrases and patterns. Most importantly, make sure you listen to the audio clips and repeat them aloud.

At the beginning of each chapter, we’ll offer some music to set the tone and preview the content of the chapter. See if you can figure out what the song titles have in common! Then, if you’re interested, listen to any of the songs that catch your eye. Note: the lyrics aren’t important for now, but if you want to see the lyrics, just search the band, song, and the word letra (lyrics).

No Te Va Gustar – Chau
No Te Va Gustar, also known by their initials NTVG (English: You Won’t Like It), are a rock band from Uruguay. (Wikipedia page for NTVG)

Daymé Arocena – La Rumba Me Llamo Yo

Daymé Arocena is an award-winning Afro-Cuban jazz singer from Havana, who has been described as Cuba’s “finest young female singer.” (Daymé Arocena’s official website)

Take a look at the song titles below. Any guess what else we’re covering in this module?

Edmundo Rivero – Uno
Leonel Edmundo Rivero (June 8, 1911 – January 18, 1986) was an Argentine tango singer, composer, and impresario.

Yahir – Entre Nosotros Dos
Yahir Othón Parra, commonly known as Yahir, is a Mexican singer and actor from Hermosillo, Sonora.

Motel – Uno Dos Tres
Motel is a Mexican rock band created in 2002

SPCMN – Cuatro
Spaceman is an indie-rock band from Honduras. Click here for an interview with Spaceman.

Anakena – Cinco
Anakena is a Caribbean alt-folk/pop band from Venezuela.
Click here to read an article about the Anakena.

KIKASBAN – Seis (esta música viene del alma)
Kikasban is a Peruvian hard rock band formed in 2011.

Nicola Cruz – Siete
Nicola Cruz is an Ecuadorian musician and producer. Link to Cruz’s official website.

Of course, to count things, we also have to know how to form the plural in Spanish. And to do that, we need to learn about the gender of nouns. All of this (and more) is coming up next!

Contributors and Attributions

Why It Matters: u00a1Hola! u00bfCu00f3mo te llamas?. Authored by: Lumen Learning. License: CC BY: Attribution