If you are studying Spanish from scratch, one of the many things that will surprise (or confuse) you is the fact that “What is your name?” does not have a literal Spanish translation.
- qué = what
- es = is
- tu = your
- nombre = name
In Spanish, “¿Qué es tu nombre?” sounds like you are asking for the meaning, definition, description or explanation of someone’s name, which is strange. This strange question would get a strange answer, such as “My name is Spanish because I am Spanish” or “My name is the word that you use to call me”.
¿Cuál es tu nombre?
The closest translation of “What is your name?” in Spanish is “¿Cuál es tu nombre?“, which is informal. The formal way to ask it is “¿Cuál es su nombre?“
- cual = which
- su = your
This question is literally translated as “Which is your name?” It is kind of asking you, “Out of all the names in the world, which one did your parents pick as your name?” To answer this question, you say “Mi nombre es (your name)”.
- mi = my
| ENGLISH | SPANISH |
| What is your name? | ¿Cuál es tu nombre? |
| My name is Mario. | Mi nombre es Mario. |
¿Cómo te llamas?
In Spanish, the common and informal way to ask someone’s name is “¿Cómo te llamas?” The formal way to ask this is “¿Cómo se llama?
- como = how
- te / se = yourself
- llama/s = you call
“¿Cómo te llamas?” is literally “How do you call yourself?” To answer this, we say “Me llamo (your name)”, which is literally “I call myself (your name)”.
- me = myself
- llamo = I call
| ENGLISH | SPANISH |
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | What is your name? |
| Me llamo Mario. | My name is Mario. |
In the words “llamas” and “llamo”, the letters “ll” are pronounced as either “j” in “Jew” or “y” in “you”. Here is a video that can help you understand this pronunciation and the translation of “What is your name?” in Spanish:
“Cómo Te Llamas”
Professionally known as Claydee, Klejdi Lupa is a Greek-Albanian singer and songwriter. His songs have topped the charts not only in Albania and Greece but also in Cyprus, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Russia.
Born in Tirana, Albania, Claydee turned 41 on June 7, 2026. His song “Cómo Te Llamas” was released on March 26, 2021 by Yellowcake, Inc.
“¿Cuál Es Su Nombre?”
Marco Ignacio Sepúlveda Pérez and Jeremías Tobar Llevul are both from Santiago, Chile. They are professionally known as Lucky Brown and Jere Klein, respectively.
On September 14, 2023, Stars Music Chile released Brown and Klein’s song “¿Cuál Es Su Nombre?” Gaspar Alvarez directed its music video.
CONAN Daily 