How to Ask Someone's Name in Spanish: Formal and Informal Politeness
Learn to ask someone's name in Spanish with ¿Cómo te llamas?, ¿Cómo se llama? and ¿Me permite preguntarle su nombre? Understand tú and usted politeness levels.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
To ask someone's name in Spanish, the most common question is ¿Cómo te llamas? with people you address as tú, and ¿Cómo se llama? with people you address as usted. A more formal option is ¿Me permite preguntarle su nombre? meaning May I ask your name? The key choice is not the verb itself but the pronoun and verb form: tú forms suit casual peers, while usted forms show respect to strangers, older people, customers or staff. This lesson focuses only on asking for a name, not on introducing yourself.
By the end, you can…
- ask someone's name in Spanish using both informal tú and formal usted forms.
- choose an appropriately polite question for a stranger, staff member or new acquaintance.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿Cómo te llamas?
What's your name?
KOH-moh teh YAH-mahs
Informal; use with friends, classmates, children and people you already address as tú. In Spain, the ll in llamas sounds like y; in most of Latin America it is also y.
¿Cómo se llama?
What's your name?
KOH-moh seh YAH-mah
Formal; use with strangers, older people, customers or anyone you address as usted. It can also mean What is his or her name? depending on context.
¿Me permite preguntarle su nombre?
May I ask your name?
meh pehr-MEE-teh preh-goon-TAR-leh soo NOHM-breh
Very polite and somewhat formal; useful in professional, service or respectful first encounters. The pronoun su matches usted.
¿Y tú? ¿Cómo te llamas?
And you? What's your name?
ee TOO KOH-moh teh YAH-mahs
Informal follow-up after someone has asked you something. The short ¿Y tú? softens the transition.
Disculpe, ¿cómo se llama usted?
Excuse me, what's your name?
dees-KOOL-peh KOH-moh seh YAH-mah oos-TEHD
Formal and clear; adding usted removes ambiguity when you are asking about the person you are speaking to. Disculpe is a polite attention-getter.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Spanish marks politeness through pronouns and verb forms. With tú, say ¿Cómo te llamas? With usted, say ¿Cómo se llama? The verb llamarse is reflexive: me llamo, te llamas, se llama. If you want to be extra polite, use ¿Me permite preguntarle su nombre? or Disculpe, ¿cómo se llama usted? These patterns ask for a name directly and do not require you to introduce yourself first.
When to use it
Use ¿Cómo te llamas? with peers, friends, children and people who have already invited tú. Use ¿Cómo se llama? with strangers, older adults, officials, clients or staff in a formal setting. In many Latin American contexts, usted also appears among family members to show respect. If you are unsure, usted is the safer choice; the other person may then invite you to use tú. Avoid asking ¿Cómo te llamas? to a much older stranger unless the situation is clearly casual.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Disculpe, ¿cómo se llama usted?
Excuse me, what's your name?dees-KOOL-peh KOH-moh seh YAH-mah oos-TEHDMe llamo Ana Torres. ¿Y usted?
My name is Ana Torres. And you?meh YAH-moh AH-nah TOH-rrehs ee oos-TEHDMe llamo Carlos. Mucho gusto.
My name is Carlos. Nice to meet you.meh YAH-moh KAR-lohs MOO-choh GOOS-tohIgualmente. ¿Me permite preguntarle su nombre completo?
Likewise. May I ask your full name?ee-gwal-MEN-teh meh pehr-MEE-teh preh-goon-TAR-leh soo NOHM-breh kohm-PLEH-tohA little context goes a long way
In Spanish, politeness is often shown by choosing usted rather than by adding many words. A service worker may use usted with you, and you may use usted with them. In Spain, tú is common in many casual settings; in parts of Latin America, usted can be the default even among acquaintances. Follow the other person's lead when possible.
One thing to watch for
Using ¿Cómo te llamas? with a stranger in a clearly formal situation, such as speaking to an older official.
Try this instead: Use ¿Cómo se llama? or Disculpe, ¿cómo se llama usted? The tú form is not grammatically wrong, but it can sound too familiar. For example, Disculpe, ¿cómo se llama usted? is a safe polite choice.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are speaking to an older stranger. Which question is more appropriate: ¿Cómo te llamas? or ¿Cómo se llama?
Show a sample answer
¿Cómo se llama?
The usted form ¿Cómo se llama? shows respect to an older stranger. ¿Cómo te llamas? is grammatically correct but informal and may sound too familiar in this context.
2How would you ask May I ask your name? in a very polite way?
Show a sample answer
¿Me permite preguntarle su nombre?
This pattern uses permite and the indirect pronoun le, matching usted. Other polite options include Disculpe, ¿cómo se llama usted? and ¿Podría decirme su nombre?
3A new classmate your age says ¿Cómo te llamas? How can you answer with your name and return the question informally?
Show a sample answer
Me llamo [your name]. ¿Y tú?
Me llamo gives your name, and ¿Y tú? returns the informal question. You could also say ¿Cómo te llamas? again, but ¿Y tú? is shorter and natural.
Use ¿Cómo te llamas? for informal tú situations and ¿Cómo se llama? for formal usted situations. When in doubt, choose the usted form and add Disculpe for extra politeness.
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