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How to Say ‘What's your name? (formal)’ in Mexican Spanish

¿Cómo se llama usted?

KOH-moh seh YAH-mah oos-TEHD

[KOH-moh seh YAH-mah oos-TEHD]

💬 Usage Tip: The formal form swaps te for se and drops the -s: te llamas becomes se llama.

Phrase Breakdown

¿Cómo se llama

KOH-moh seh YAH-mah

What is the name of / How is (someone) called

'Se llama' is the formal or third-person form of 'te llamas'. Say 'll' like 'y': 'se YA-ma'. Keep 'Cómo se' flowing together.

Example

¿Cómo se llama tu hermano?

What's your brother's name?

Words in this phrase

Cómo

[KOH-moh]

how

Used to ask about the nature or character of something.

Example

¿Cómo se usa «Cómo» en preguntas sobre la empresa?

How is “Cómo” used in questions about the company?

[seh]

yourself

Reflexive pronoun used with preocuparse, meaning to worry oneself.

Example

No se preocupe por el tráfico.

Don't worry about the traffic.

llama

[YAH-mah]

is called

From 'llamarse'; used to ask or say what someone is named.

Example

Mi vecino se llama Carlos.

My neighbor is named Carlos.

usted?

oos-TEHD

you (formal)

This makes the question formal and polite. Stress 'us-TED' and keep the final 'd' soft.

Example

¿Y usted?

And you?

Words in this phrase

usted

[oos-TEHD]

you (formal)

“Usted” is the respectful form of “you,” often appropriate with a mother-in-law or father-in-law.

Example

Esto es para usted, señora.

This is for you, ma’am.

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