Travel to wherever Spanish is spoken, and chances are you'll meet people you've never seen before. You need not be tongue-tied as you introduce yourself.

Difficulty Level: easy      Time Required: 5 minutes

1. To say hello, merely say "Hola" or "oh-la" (rhymes with "Lola"; note that the letter H is silent in Spanish).
2. To intoduce yourself, merely say "Me llamo" (may YAHM-oh) followed by your name. For example, "Hola, me llamo Chris" ("OH-la, may YAHM-oh Chris") means "Hi, I'm Chris."
3. To ask someone's name in a formal setting, say "¿Cómo se llama usted?" or "KOH-moh say YAHM-ah oo-STED." (The "oo" rhymes with "moo." This means, "What is your name?"
4. In an informal setting, or if speaking to a child, say "¿Cómo te llamas?" or "KOH-mo tay YAHM-ahss." That also means, "What is your name?"
5. After the person responds, you may say, "Mucho gusto" or "MOOCH-oh GOOSE-toe." The phrase means "much pleasure" or, in this context it is understood as "pleased to meet you."
   
   

1. To sound better with these phrases, learn how the Spanish letters are pronounced.
2. Don't be afraid to sound silly. In nearly any Spanish-speaking area, even the feeblest attempts to speak Spanish will be honored.
   

Related Features:

• http://spanish.about.com/blsoundclips.htm
• http://spanish.about.com/library/howto/htpolite.htm
• http://spanish.about.com/msub14.htm
• http://spanish.about.com/library/clase/blintroduction.htm