Introducing people

Este es, esta es – how to introduce someone

You point to the person and say: Este es mi hermano Pablo. For a woman: Esta es mi amiga Sara. You often start with Mira, ... (Look, ...).

With several people, everything is pluralpluralThe grammatical form used for more than one person or thing. – the demonstrative, the verb and the possessive: Estos son mis padres. If they are all women: Estas son mis hermanas.

Saying more about the person

Then you talk about the person, so the verb is in the third person: Es estudiante. Es de Chile, pero vive en Madrid. Tiene veinte años. There is no articlearticleA short word placed before a noun that shows its gender and number, such as el or la. before a job: Es médica., not "es una médica".

If someone wants to know who it is, they ask ¿Quién es? – and you answer: Es mi compañero de trabajo.

Polite: el señor, la señora

You introduce older people or your boss with their surname: Esta es la señora García, mi jefa. When you talk about someone, you use the articlearticleA short word placed before a noun that shows its gender and number, such as el or la.: la señora García. When you speak to the person directly, you drop it: Buenos días, señora García.

How do you react?

You greet the person you meet with their name and Mucho gusto.🔊 or Encantado.🔊 – a woman says Encantada.🔊 The ending depends on you, not on the other person.

Typical mistakes

esta without an accent means "this", está with an accent is a form of estar🔊. So Esta es mi hermana. – not "Está es mi hermana". And you say jobs and origin with ser🔊: Es estudiante., not "Está estudiante".