Are you preparing for your first conversation in Spanish? Learning how to introduce yourself properly is the foundation of making connections in any language. This comprehensive guide will walk you through all the essential Spanish introduction phrases you need to make a great first impression.

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Basic Spanish Greeting Phrases for Introductions

The first step in any introduction is the greeting. Spanish offers several options depending on the time of day and level of formality:

Common Greetings to Start Your Introduction

Like in English, you would often begin introducing yourself in Spanish by saying hello to the person:

¡Hola!

Hello!

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This simple greeting works in any situation, but you can also use time-specific greetings:

¡Buenos días!

Good morning!

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Note that in some countries, like Argentina, it is more common to hear the singular version, Buen día. If it's later in the day (from about noon to sunset), you'd more likely hear Buenas tardes (Good afternoon/evening):

Buenas tardes.

Good afternoon.

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And later than that, you might hear Buenas noches (literally "good night"). Note that in contrast to "Good night" in English, Buenas noches can be used as a greeting rather than just to send someone off to bed or say goodbye. That said, "Good evening" might be a more appropriate translation in that context. 

Muy buenas noches, bienvenida. -Hola, buenas noches.

Good evening, welcome. -Hello, good evening.

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How to Ask "How Are You?" in Spanish Introductions

After greeting someone, it's customary to ask how they're doing. The phrasing depends on whether you're using the formal or informal "you":

Formal Way to Ask How Someone Is

¿Cómo está usted?

How are you?

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Of course, because there are several ways to say "you" in Spanish (usted is the singular, more formal form), this phrase might be adjusted to "¿Cómo estás tú?" or "¿Cómo estás vos?" to address one person informally. And while there are additional ways to say "you" to more than one person in Spanish, for the purposes of today's lesson, we will stick to the singular forms.

Informal Ways to Ask How Someone Is

Let's see another way to say "How are you?"

¿Y cómo te va?

And how are you?

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The more formal alternative with usted would be: "¿Y cómo le va (a usted)?" However, regardless of the formality of the situation or to how many people you are speaking, you can always use the following simple phrase:

Responding to "How Are You?" in Spanish

As the person to whom you are speaking will most likely respond by asking you how you are, we should give you some common answers to the aforementioned questions. Let's start with an answer to "¿Cómo está(s)?" 

If you are addressing one another with usted, you would instead say "¿y usted?" 

In contrast, if someone asks you '¿Cómo te/le va?" you might answer: "Bien, ¿y a ti?" or "Bien, ¿y a usted?" 

Although bien (well) or muy bien (very well) are by far the most common ways to answer the question of how you are, particularly when meeting someone for the first time, if you are interested in learning more about ways to say you are just OK, we recommend this lesson entitled ¿Qué tal? Ni bien ni mal (How Are You? Neither Good Nor Bad).

3 Ways to Say Your Name in Spanish Introductions

Now that we have gotten some formalities out of the way, it's time to say your name! Here are three common ways to do so:

Yo me llamo Lida.

My name is Lida.

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Mi nombre es Diego Velázquez.

My name is Diego Velázquez.

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Hola, yo soy Cleer.

Hello, I'm Cleer.

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How to Ask Someone's Name in Spanish

And now, the moment has arrived to ask the other person their name:

¿Y cómo te llamas tú?

And, what's your name?

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¿Cuál es tu nombre?

What's your name?

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The usted form is: "¿Cuál es su nombre?"

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Spanish Phrases for "Nice to Meet You"

When introducing yourself in Spanish, as in English, you should probably say something along the lines of "Nice to meet you." Here are several options:

Mucho gusto, Samuel.

Nice to meet you, Samuel.

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Un placer, Mónica,

A pleasure, Monica,

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Hola, guapa. -Hola. -Encantada. -Encantada de conocerte.

Hello, beautiful. -Hello. -[A] pleasure. -[A] pleasure to meet you.

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And, if someone says one of those things to you, you might respond by saying "Igualmente" or "Yo también" (Me too). 

Hola Cristóbal, encantada. -Igualmente.

Hello, Cristobal. Pleased [to meet you]. -Me too.

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Putting It All Together: Complete Spanish Introduction Examples

Now let's see how to combine all these elements into complete introductions:

Example 1: Informal Introduction

"¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? Me llamo Carlos. ¿Y tú, cómo te llamas? [...] Mucho gusto, Laura. ¿Cómo estás? [...] Yo estoy muy bien, gracias."
Translation: "Hello! How are you? My name is Carlos. And you, what's your name? [...] Nice to meet you, Laura. How are you? [...] I'm very well, thank you."

Example 2: Formal Introduction

"Buenos días. Mi nombre es Ana Gómez. ¿Cómo se llama usted? [...] Encantada de conocerle, Señor Martínez. ¿Cómo está usted? [...] Estoy bien, gracias. ¿Y usted?"
Translation: "Good morning. My name is Ana Gómez. What is your name? [...] Pleased to meet you, Mr. Martínez. How are you? [...] I'm well, thank you. And you?"

Next Steps After Basic Introductions

Learning how to introduce yourself in Spanish opens doors to meaningful conversations and connections. Practice these phrases until they become second nature, and soon you'll be ready to move beyond introductions to having more in-depth conversations.

If you'd like to hear many of these phrases in the context of both informal and formal conversations, we recommend the video Saludar en español (Greeting in Spanish). We hope you have enjoyed this lesson on how to introduce yourself in Spanish, and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.

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