How do I ask: "What's your name?" where you are living now?

[Feliz]

How do I ask: "What is your name?" or "What's your name?" in Spanish in the part of the world where you are now? I've learned several different ways, but I'm confused as to where they are actually used. Formal and informal information would also help. Thanks.

Are any of these actually used today where you are?

¿Cómo se llama?

¿Cómo se llama usted?

¿Cuál es su nombre?

¿Cuál es tu nombre?

[hermit]

Tambien se puede decir "¿Cómo (tú) te llamas?"...

[Feliz]

Originally Posted by hermit

Tambien se puede decir "¿Cómo (tú) te llamas?"...

@hermit: Gracias. Just to confirm. I notice in your reply that you use "tú" and "llamas." Here in Arizona, US, where mostly Mexican Spanish is spoken, "tú" means "you." And, "llamas" is plural. Are you saying that it is okay to ask: ¿Cómo tú llamas? and/or ¿Cómo te llamas? in Nova Scotia? If I use your suggestions, then, will I be asking: "What is your name?" or "How/What are you called?" The word "llamas" in this case, with the "as" ending, must be the conjugated verb llamar into its second-person informal usage. I think that it is clearer to me now. Thanks. :>)

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Feliz: Check your conjugation.

The verb "llamar(se)" for second person singular (tú) is "(te) llamas".

"Tú" is informal "you" and "usted" is formal "you".

"Cómo tú llamas" is incorrect for asking a person's name. The question is as Hermit wrote it: "¿Cómo te llamas?"

[Feliz]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

@Feliz: Check your conjugation.

The verb "llamar(se)" for second person singular (tú) is "(te) llamas".

"Tú" is informal "you" and "usted" is formal "you".

"Cómo tú llamas" is incorrect for asking a person's name. The question is as Hermit wrote it: "¿Cómo te llamas?"

@AngelicaDeAlquezar, Gracias por tus correciones. I feel confidant using ¿Cómo te llamas? from now on--even though I have never heard it spoken here or read it anywhere. I have only seen and heard the following:

¿Cómo se llama?

¿Cómo se llama usted?

¿Cuál es su nombre?

¿Cuál es tu nombre?

The few times I have used one of the above, I was understood and not asked to repeat myself, so this comes as a great surprise to me. These forums and the people in them are a great resource for learning. Otra ves, gracias.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

All of them are right too.

"¿Cómo se llama (usted)?" is the formal way to ask and "¿Cómo te llamas (tú)?" is the informal one.

[Feliz]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

All of them are right too.

"¿Cómo se llama (usted)?" is the formal way to ask and "¿Cómo te llamas (tú)?" is the informal one.

@AngelicaDeAlquezar, gracias for clarifying that. I was beginning to doubt the resources that I had been relying upon. I am very pleased that hermit from Nova Scotia and you from Mexico City agree on: ¿Cómo te llamas? given the distance between your two countries. It gives me hope that my language learning is correct--or will be soon, jajaja.

[JPablo]

Estoy de acuerdo.
Por cierto, hablando de eso, ¿cómo te llamas?

[sosia]

Hi Feliz

Most comon one (as stated):
¿Como te llamas? OK for all spanish countries. not formal, because you use tú.
¿cómo te llamas tú? same as above, but we use to skip the tu
¿Cómo se llama usted? The same, but more formal, because you use usted. Normal usage to speak with an stranger in all spanish world.
¿Cómo se llama? same as above, not very used because we like to denote "usted", as respect.

¿Cuál es tu nombre? This is a little more elaborate, an denotes a little high level. But usually it's not used with tu, because is not so formal. A normal usage:
You're with a friend, but you only know the first name. If you want the full name, in order, for example, to write a letter, you can ask
¿Cuál es tu nombre? or ¿cuál es tu nombre completo?
other way is when you know him with an informal name (lets say Sam) and you want to know if he's Sam, Samuel, or something else...

¿Cuál es su nombre? The formal way to ask for the name of a stranger. It denotes no friendship, because it's usted. Not used in everydayspeech.


a very very formal (only for epoch films)
¿podría decirme con quién hablo, por favor?

Saludos

[Feliz]

Originally Posted by JPablo

Estoy de acuerdo.
Por cierto, hablando de eso, ¿cómo te llamas?

@JPablo, Gracias, I needed that--

[irmamar]

(Ella) se llama Feliz.

[JPablo]

Originally Posted by Feliz

@JPablo, Gracias, I need that--

De nada, ¡un placer!

(I meant to ask you your real name, too, besides the nice Avatar and your forum name, Feliz...) Pero está bien...

Me alegro de que te alegrara...

[Feliz]

Originally Posted by sosia

Hi Feliz

Most comon one (as stated):
¿Como te llamas? OK for all spanish countries. not formal, because you use tú.
¿cómo te llamas tú? same as above, but we use to skip the tu
¿Cómo se llama usted? The same, but more formal, because you use usted. Normal usage to speak with an stranger in all spanish world.
¿Cómo se llama? same as above, not very used because we like to denote "usted", as respect.

¿Cuál es tu nombre? This is a little more elaborate, an denotes a little high level. But usually it's not used with tu, because is not so formal. A normal usage:
You're with a friend, but you only know the first name. If you want the full name, in order, for example, to write a letter, you can ask
¿Cuál es tu nombre? or ¿cuál es tu nombre completo?
other way is when you know him with an informal name (lets say Sam) and you want to know if he's Sam, Samuel, or something else...

¿Cuál es su nombre? The formal way to ask for the name of a stranger. It denotes no friendship, because it's usted. Not used in everydayspeech.


a very very formal (only for epoch films)
¿podría decirme con quién hablo, por favor?

Saludos

Hi, sosia, well, here is the final product of our work-effort (hermit, Angelica, you, JPablo, irmamar, and me). Please edit if necessary. You have been very helpful with your examples of real-life situations.

What is your name?


¿Cómo se llama? (US; not respectful in Spain without usted)


¿Cómo se llama usted? (US; Mexico; Spain) formal


¿Cuál es su nombre? (US; Spain) formal


¿Cuál es tu nombre? (US; Spain (semi-formally ¿Cuál es tu nombre? ¿Cuál es tu nombre completo?)


¿Cómo te llamas? (ok in all Spanish countries) informal tú


¿Podría decirme con quién hablo, por favor? (Spain, very formal, only for epoch films) :>)

Originally Posted by irmamar

(Ella) se llama Feliz.

Hi, irmamar. Thanks. I guess that I got a little confused about the role of our user names/online personas. With that in mind, it was very funny.

Originally Posted by JPablo

De nada, ¡un placer!

(I meant to ask you your real name, too, besides the nice Avatar and your forum name, Feliz...) Pero está bien...

Me alegro de que te alegrara...

Hi, JPablo. Thanks for using, thereby confirming, the use of "¿Cómo te llamas?" in California. I believe the correct response to "¿Cómo te llamas?" is Me llamo Feliz.. There might be other responses as well. About the avatar, I created about a half dozen of them, and the one that is there now seems to be the best of the lot for these forums. Paint programs are challenging and a lot of fun.

[irmamar]

So, you can paint words in Spanish in order to learn them.

[JPablo]

Gracias, Feliz, por las aclaraciones.

[sosia]

only a little detail...
Cómo se llama? (US; not respectful in Spain without usted) is the same as
¿Cómo se llama usted? (US; Mexico; Spain) formal. We only skip the usted.
So really:
¿Cómo se llama? (US; México, Spain) respectful
¿Cómo se llama usted? (US; Mexico; Spain) a bit more respectful, because you take the time to say "usted", and are not lazy to skip it. But really is the same.

it's like adressing to a gentleman
How are you? and How are you sir? Both are the same....

Saludos

[Feliz]

Originally Posted by sosia

only a little detail...
Cómo se llama? (US; not respectful in Spain without usted) is the same as
¿Cómo se llama usted? (US; Mexico; Spain) formal. We only skip the usted.
So really:
¿Cómo se llama? (US; México, Spain) respectful
¿Cómo se llama usted? (US; Mexico; Spain) a bit more respectful, because you take the time to say "usted", and are not lazy to skip it. But really is the same.

it's like adressing to a gentleman
How are you? and How are you sir? Both are the same....

Saludos

Gracias, otra vez, sosia. Éstos son los cambiós. Es perfecto ahora.

What is your name?


¿Cómo se llama? (US; Mexico; Spain) respectful


¿Cómo se llama usted? (US; Mexico; Spain) formal, and even more respectful


¿Cuál es su nombre? (US; Spain) formal


¿Cuál es tu nombre? (US; Spain (semi-formally ¿Cuál es tu nombre? ¿Cuál es tu nombre completo?)


¿Cómo te llamas? (ok in all Spanish-speaking countries, including Nova Scotia ) informal tú


¿Podría decirme con quién hablo, por favor? (Spain, very formal, only for epoch films) :>)


Saludos

[sosia]

Yes, its perfect

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by Feliz

Gracias, otra vez, sosia. Éstos son los cambiós. Es perfecto ahora.

What is your name?


¿Cómo se llama? (US; Mexico; Spain) respectful


¿Cómo se llama usted? (US; Mexico; Spain) formal, and even more respectful


¿Cuál es su nombre? (US; Spain) formal


¿Cuál es tu nombre? (US; Spain (semi-formally ¿Cuál es tu nombre? ¿Cuál es tu nombre completo?)


¿Cómo te llamas? (ok in all Spanish countries) informal tú


¿Podría decirme con quién hablo, por favor? (Spain, very formal, only for epoch films) :>)


Saludos

The last ones isn't very used, but anyway that phrase is more respectful.

[Feliz]

Originally Posted by sosia

Yes, its perfect

Gracias por tu ayuda. Estoy feliz que me pidió.

Originally Posted by CrOtALiTo

The last ones isn't very used, but anyway that phrase is more respectful.

Gracias por la confirmación desde México. Feliz de saber que.