Introducing yourself (Edexcel GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Introducing yourself
Essential personal information vocabulary
When introducing yourself in Spanish, you'll need these key phrases to share basic information about who you are. These fundamental expressions form the foundation of any personal introduction.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Hola | Hello |
| Me llamo... | I am called / My name is... |
| Tengo ... años | I am ... years old |
| Mi cumpleaños es el... | My birthday is the... |
| Vivo en... | I live in... |
| Soy de... | I am from... |
| un pueblo | a village |
| una ciudad | a town / city |
| cerca de | near to |
| del norte/sur/este/oeste | from the north/south/east/west |
Example sentences in context
- Me llamo María y tengo quince años. (My name is María and I am fifteen years old.)
- Vivo en un pueblo cerca de Madrid. (I live in a village near Madrid.)
- Mi cumpleaños es el veinte de abril. (My birthday is the 20th of April.)
- Soy del norte de España. (I am from the north of Spain.)
Numbers 1-31 for ages and dates
You'll need these numbers to express your age and birthday dates. Pay particular attention to the teens and twenties as these are most commonly used for ages:
| Number | Spanish | Number | Spanish | Number | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | uno | 12 | doce | 23 | veintitrés |
| 2 | dos | 13 | trece | 24 | veinticuatro |
| 3 | tres | 14 | catorce | 25 | veinticinco |
| 4 | cuatro | 15 | quince | 26 | veintiséis |
| 5 | cinco | 16 | dieciséis | 27 | veintisiete |
| 10 | diez | 20 | veinte | 31 | treinta y uno |
Months of the year
Learning the months is essential for expressing dates and discussing when events happen, particularly your birthday.
Critical Grammar Rule: In Spanish, months are never written with capital letters. This is one of the most common mistakes students make in exams!
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| enero | January | julio | July |
| febrero | February | agosto | August |
| marzo | March | septiembre | September |
| abril | April | octubre | October |
| mayo | May | noviembre | November |
| junio | June | diciembre | December |
Pronunciation tip: Be careful not to confuse junio (June) and julio (July) - they sound very similar in Spanish! Practice saying them slowly to distinguish between them.
Using flexible phrases
When answering questions about yourself, try to develop your responses with additional details. This shows better language skills and helps you achieve higher marks in assessments.
Developing Your Answers
Basic answer: Vivo en Bristol.
Developed answer: Vivo en un pueblo cerca de Bristol en el oeste del país.
Notice how the developed answer includes:
- Type of location (un pueblo)
- Proximity reference (cerca de)
- Directional information (en el oeste del país)
Example conversation structure
-
¿Cuántos años tienes? (How old are you?)
-
Tengo quince años. (I am fifteen years old.)
-
¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? (When is your birthday?)
-
Es el veintidós de enero. (It's the 22nd of January.)
-
¿Dónde vives? (Where do you live?)
-
Vivo en un pueblo cerca de Bristol en el oeste del país. (I live in a village near Bristol in the west of the country.)
Translation practice
Testing your understanding through translation helps reinforce the vocabulary and structures you've learned.
Translation Exercise
Spanish to English:
- Me llamo Ana y tengo dieciséis años.
- Mi cumpleaños es el cinco de marzo.
English to Spanish:
- I live in a city near London.
- I am from the south of England.
Answers:
- My name is Ana and I am sixteen years old.
- My birthday is the 5th of March.
- Vivo en una ciudad cerca de Londres.
- Soy del sur de Inglaterra.
Exam Tips for Success
- Always expand your answers when possible to show better Spanish skills
- Remember the grammar rules - months don't use capital letters
- Practice numbers thoroughly - they appear frequently in personal information questions
- Learn directional vocabulary - useful for describing where you're from or live
Key Points to Remember
- Me llamo means "I am called" - use this to introduce your name
- Spanish months never use capital letters - this is a common exam mistake
- Develop your answers with extra details using flexible phrases to improve your grade
- June and July sound similar - be careful with junio and julio
- Use "del norte/sur/este/oeste" to give more specific location information