Lesson 2 - Introduce Yourself in Spanish - Spanish From Scratch with Simple Spanish Now!
- José Alberto
- Aug 13
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 25
Lesson 2 - Introduce Yourself in Spanish
Welcome back to this exciting adventure to learn this wonderful language with Simple Spanish Now!
Hello! My name is José Alberto, and as a Spanish as a foreign language teacher with 10 years of experience, I'm absolutely delighted you're continuing this wonderful adventure I've lovingly created for you.
You can watch the full lesson below (Available on Youtube) and use the supplementary materials we provide here on the blog:
- Vocabulary summaries. (Images in each blog post.)
- Workbook with exercises and solutions for each lesson. (At the bottom of each page.)
And don't forget to subscribe to our Simple Spanish NOW! YouTube channel to stay updated with the course. Your subscription helps us tremendously and keeps us motivated to continue this wonderful mission of sharing the beauty of the Spanish language with you.
Personal Pronouns and the Magic of Introducing Yourself
Today we're diving into one of the most fundamental aspects of Spanish communication: how to introduce yourself properly! Get ready to master personal pronouns, learn essential verbs for sharing personal information, and discover nationality adjectives. Carlos continues his adventure with us, meeting new friends and showing you exactly how native speakers connect with each other. Ready to learn how to say "My name is..." and "I'm from..." like a true Spanish speaker? Let's unlock these essential building blocks together!
Personal Pronouns: Your New Best Friends
In Spanish, personal pronouns are the foundation of communication. They replace names and nouns, helping us talk about people, animals, and things in a more natural way.
The Complete Personal Pronoun System:
Singular:
• yo (I) - for both masculine and feminine
• tú (you - informal) - for both masculine and feminine
• usted (you - formal) - for both masculine and feminine
• él (he) - masculine
• ella (she) - feminine
Plural:
• nosotros (we - masculine) / nosotras (we - feminine)
• vosotros (you all - masculine, used in Spain) / vosotras (you all - feminine, used in Spain)
• ustedes (you all - used in Latin America and formal in Spain)
• ellos (they - masculine) / ellas (they - feminine)
Important Note on Formality:
Usted and ustedes are your formal pronouns - use them to show respect with people you don't know well, older individuals, or in professional settings.
Here is a summary of these personal pronouns:
The Verb "Ser" (To Be) - Your Gateway to Identity
One of the most important verbs you'll learn is "ser" (to be). We use it to express who we are, where we're from, and what we do.
Key Uses of "Ser":
• Origin and nationality: "Soy de México" (I'm from Mexico), "Somos mexicanos" (We are Mexican)
• Identity and profession: "Soy profesor de español" (I'm a Spanish teacher), "Eres estudiante" (You are a student)
• Definitions: "La capital de Perú es Lima" (The capital of Peru is Lima)
Conjugation of "Ser" (Present Tense):
This is an irregular verb, so you'll need to memorize these forms:
Singular:
• yo soy (I am)
• tú eres (you are - informal)
• usted es (you are - formal)
• él/ella es (he/she is)
Plural: • nosotros/nosotras somos (we are)
• vosotros/vosotras sois (you all are - Spain)
• ustedes son (you all are)
• ellos/ellas son (they are)
Here is a summary of "ser" conjugated in the present indicative tense:
Essential Verbs for Personal Information
When introducing yourself in Spanish, you'll use these crucial verbs to share your personal details:
The Complete Verb Arsenal:
For your name: llamarse (to be called)
• yo me llamo (my name is)
• tú te llamas (your name is)
For your last name: apellidarse (to have the last name)
• yo me apellido (my last name is)
• tú te apellidas (your last name is)
For where you live: vivir (to live)
• yo vivo (I live)
• tú vives (you live)
For languages: hablar (to speak)
• yo hablo (I speak)
• tú hablas (you speak)
For your profession: dedicarse (to dedicate oneself to)
• yo me dedico (I work as/I'm dedicated to)
• tú te dedicas (you work as)
For your age: tener (to have)
• yo tengo (I have/I am years old)
• tú tienes (you have/you are years old)
Here is a summary of these verbs conjugated in the present indicative tense:
Pro Tip:
Notice how llamarse, apellidarse, and dedicarse use additional pronouns (me, te, se, etc.). These are reflexive verbs - a special type that requires these extra elements!
Carlos's Introduction: A Perfect Model
Let's learn from our friend Carlos as he introduces himself:
-"¡Buenos días a todos! Yo me llamo Carlos y me apellido Moreno González. Soy de México, soy mexicano. Actualmente vivo en la Ciudad de México. Hablo inglés y español. Soy estudiante y tengo 10 años."
Breaking it down:
• Name: Carlos
• Last name: Moreno González
• Origin: Mexico
• Nationality: Mexican
• Residence: Mexico City
• Languages: English and Spanish
• Profession: Student
• Age: 10 years old
Spanish Grammar Secret: Did you notice? We can say both "Yo me llamo Carlos" and "Me llamo Carlos." In Spanish, we can often omit the subject pronoun because the verb ending tells us who we're talking about!
Nationality Adjectives: Expressing Where You're From
Nationality adjectives in Spanish change depending on gender and number - but don't worry, the patterns are quite logical!
Pattern 1: Adjectives ending in -o/-a These change the ending based on gender:
• mexicano/mexicana (Mexican)
• colombiano/colombiana (Colombian)
• venezolano/venezolana (Venezuelan)
• argentino/argentina (Argentine)
Pattern 2: Adjectives that don't change These stay the same for both genders:
• canadiense (Canadian)
• costarricense (Costa Rican)
• nicaragüense (Nicaraguan)
Pattern 3: Adjectives ending in consonant Add -a for feminine forms:
• español/española (Spanish)
• alemán/alemana (German)
Making Plurals:
• For adjectives ending in vowels (a, e, o): just add -s
• For adjectives ending in consonants: add -es
Here is a summary of these nationality adjectives:
Real Conversations: Carlos Meets New Friends
Watch how Carlos meets Ernesto, a new student from Argentina:
Conversation 1: Carlos and Ernesto
Carlos: ¡Hola! Me llamo Carlos.
Ernesto: ¡Hola! Yo me llamo Ernesto. ¿Y tú, cómo te apellidas?
Carlos: Me apellido Moreno González. ¿Y tú?
Ernesto: Me apellido Gutiérrez Fernández.
Carlos: ¿Dónde vives?
Ernesto: Vivo en la Ciudad de México, en Coyoacán. ¿Y tú?
Carlos: Vivo en la Ciudad de México también, pero en el centro de la ciudad.
Ernesto: ¿Cuántos años tienes?
Carlos: Tengo 10 años. ¿Y tú?
Ernesto: Tengo 10 años también.
Carlos: ¿De dónde eres?
Ernesto: Soy de Argentina, de Buenos Aires. ¿Y tú?
Carlos: Soy mexicano.
Ernesto: ¿Hablas otros idiomas?
Carlos: Sí, hablo un poco de inglés. ¿Y tú?
Ernesto: Hablo un poco de francés, pero no hablo inglés.
Carlos: ¿Eres nuevo en la clase?
Ernesto: Sí, soy nuevo en la clase.
Carlos: Yo soy estudiante aquí también. ¡Ahora somos amigos!
Ernesto: ¡Qué bien! Mucho gusto.
Carlos: ¡Mucho gusto, Ernesto!
Ernesto: Adiós.
Carlos: ¡Nos vemos!
This natural exchange shows you exactly how Spanish speakers get acquainted. Notice the flow: name first, then last name, always asking "¿Y tú?" (And you?) to keep the conversation going.
Key Information About Ernesto:
• Full name: Ernesto Gutiérrez Fernández
• Lives: Mexico City, in Coyoacán neighborhood
• Age: 10 years old
• Origin: Argentina, Buenos Aires
• Languages: A little French (but no English!)
• Status: New student in the class
Now let's see Carlos meet Mariana, a Colombian girl:
Conversation 2: Carlos and Mariana
Carlos: ¡Hola! ¿Cómo te llamas?
Mariana: Hola, me llamo Mariana. ¿Y tú?
Carlos: Me llamo Carlos.
Mariana: ¿Y cómo te apellidas?
Carlos: Me apellido Moreno González. ¿Y tú?
Mariana: Me apellido Ramírez López.
Carlos: ¿Dónde vives?
Mariana: Vivo en la Ciudad de México. ¿Y tú?
Carlos: Vivo en la Ciudad de México también.
Mariana: ¿Cuántos años tienes?
Carlos: Tengo 10 años. ¿Y tú?
Mariana: Tengo 9 años.
Carlos: ¿De dónde eres?
Mariana: Soy colombiana, de Bogotá, pero ahora vivo en la Ciudad de México. ¿Y tú?
Carlos: Soy mexicano.
Mariana: ¿Hablas otros idiomas?
Carlos: Sí, hablo un poco de inglés. ¿Y tú?
Mariana: Hablo inglés también.
Carlos: ¿Eres estudiante aquí?
Mariana: Sí, soy nueva en la clase.
Carlos: ¡Yo soy estudiante aquí también! ¿Cómo estás, Mariana?
Mariana: Estoy muy contenta.
Carlos: ¡Mucho gusto, Mariana!
Mariana: ¡Mucho gusto, Carlos! Nos vemos.
Key Information About Mariana:
• Full name: Mariana Ramírez López
• Lives: Mexico City (currently)
• Age: 9 years old
• Origin: Colombian, from Bogotá
• Languages: English
• Status: New student in the class
• Mood: Very happy ("Estoy muy contenta")
Practice Makes Perfect: Essential Questions and Answers
The Questions You Need to Master:
• ¿Cómo te llamas? (What's your name?)
• ¿Cómo te apellidas? (What's your last name?)
• ¿De dónde eres? (Where are you from?)
• ¿Dónde vives? (Where do you live?)
• ¿Cuántos años tienes? (How old are you?)
• ¿Hablas otros idiomas? (Do you speak other languages?)
• ¿Eres estudiante aquí? (Are you a student here?)
Sample Answers You Can Adapt:
• Me llamo [your name] (My name is...)
• Me apellido [your last name] (My last name is...)
• Soy de [your country/city] (I'm from...)
• Vivo en [your city] (I live in...)
• Tengo [number] años (I'm _ years old)
• Hablo [languages] (I speak...)
• Sí, soy nuevo/nueva en la clase (Yes, I'm new in the class)
Making Friends: The Art of Spanish Politeness
Notice how Carlos's conversations end warmly: "¡Mucho gusto!" (Nice to meet you!) "¡Nos vemos!" (See you!) This shows the importance of politeness and warmth in Spanish-speaking cultures. Building connections isn't just about exchanging information - it's about creating genuine human bonds.
Supplementary Materials
Lesson 2 - Workbook with answers.
Didactic exercises:
Excercise 1:
Excercise 2:
Excercise 3:
Congratulations!
Fantastic work on this essential lesson! You've just learned the fundamental building blocks for introducing yourself in Spanish. With personal pronouns, the verb "ser," essential information verbs, and nationality adjectives, you now have everything you need to make meaningful connections in Spanish.
Remember, Carlos is building friendships with Ernesto and Mariana - and now you have the same tools to build your own Spanish-speaking relationships. Don't miss the next adventure as we continue exploring this beautiful language together!
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