Starting a conversation
A conversation starts with a greeting that fits the time of day and the person: Hola among friends, Buenos días or Buenas tardes with strangers or at work as well.
When you listen, notice whether people use tú or usted: ¿Cómo estás? sounds familiar, ¿Cómo está usted? polite and more distant. Answer in the same form – so if someone uses usted, reply with ¿Y usted?, not ¿Y tú?.
Introducing yourself and asking back
You give your name with Me llamo Ana. or simply Soy Ana. You ask for someone's name with ¿Cómo te llamas? – politely with ¿Cómo se llama usted?
Origin and where you live often come next: Soy de España. and Vivo en Madrid. With ¿Y tú? you simply return the question.
To introduce someone else, use the demonstrative: Este es mi amigo Pablo. – for a woman, Esta es mi amiga Laura.
Responding to an introduction
New in this topic: when someone introduces themselves, you say Mucho gusto. (Nice to meet you.) or Encantado. – a woman says Encantada. The form depends on the person speaking, not on the other person.
Listening tip
In introductions, the important information almost always follows the same signal words: the name after me llamo or soy, the origin after soy de, where someone lives after vivo en. Listen out for these words.
Examples
- Hola, buenas tardes. ¿Cómo te llamas?
- Me llamo Marta. ¿Y tú?
- Soy Daniel. Mucho gusto.
- Encantada.