Introducing Yourself (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Introducing yourself
Basic personal information
When meeting someone new in Spanish, you'll need to share basic information about yourself. This includes your name, age, birthday, and where you're from or live. These are fundamental building blocks for any Spanish conversation and will help you make a great first impression.
Key vocabulary
| 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... |
| un pueblo | a village |
| una ciudad | a town/city |
| cerca de | near to |
| Soy de... | I am from the... |
| el norte | the north |
| el sur | the south |
| el este | the east |
| el oeste | the west |
Worked Example: Introducing Yourself
Here's how you might introduce yourself in a typical conversation:
- Hola, me llamo María. (Hello, my name is María.)
- Tengo quince años. (I am fifteen years old.)
- Mi cumpleaños es el cuatro de junio. (My birthday is the fourth of June.)
- Vivo en una ciudad cerca de Madrid. (I live in a city near Madrid.)
- Soy del norte del país. (I am from the north of the country.)
Grammar note: When saying your age, use "tengo" (I have) + number + "años" (years). This is different from English where we say "I am" + age. Never say "Soy quince años" - this is incorrect!
Numbers 1-31
You need these numbers for ages, dates, and birthdays. Learning numbers 1-31 is essential for expressing dates and ages accurately in Spanish.
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| uno | one | doce | twelve | veintitrés | twenty-three |
| dos | two | trece | thirteen | veinticuatro | twenty-four |
| tres | three | catorce | fourteen | veinticinco | twenty-five |
| cuatro | four | quince | fifteen | veintiséis | twenty-six |
| cinco | five | dieciséis | sixteen | veintisiete | twenty-seven |
| seis | six | diecisiete | seventeen | veintiocho | twenty-eight |
| siete | seven | dieciocho | eighteen | veintinueve | twenty-nine |
| ocho | eight | diecinueve | nineteen | treinta | thirty |
| nueve | nine | veinte | twenty | treinta y uno | thirty-one |
| diez | ten | veintiuno | twenty-one | ||
| once | eleven | veintidós | twenty-two |
Notice the pattern for numbers 16-19: they combine "diez" (ten) with the units. From 21-29, they use "veinti-" as a prefix. Numbers like 31 use "y" (and) to connect thirty and one.
Worked Example: Using Numbers for Ages and Dates
- Tengo diecisiete años. (I am seventeen years old.)
- Mi cumpleaños es el veinte de mayo. (My birthday is the twentieth of May.)
Grammar note: For dates, use "el" + number + "de" + month. The number doesn't change except for "uno" which becomes "primero" for the first of the month.
Months of the year
Learning the months is needed for expressing dates and birthdays correctly in Spanish conversations.
| 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 |
Worked Example: Using Months in Sentences
- Mi cumpleaños es en octubre. (My birthday is in October.)
- Vivo aquí desde marzo. (I live here since March.)
Grammar note: Months are not capitalised in Spanish. Use "en" + month to say "in" a particular month.
Phrase bank
Essential phrases for introducing yourself. These are the most common questions and responses you'll encounter when meeting Spanish speakers:
- Hola, ¿cómo te llamas? (Hello, what's your name?)
- Me llamo... (My name is...)
- ¿Cuántos años tienes? (How old are you?)
- Tengo... años. (I am... years old.)
- ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? (When is your birthday?)
- Es el... de... (It's the... of...)
- ¿Dónde vives? (Where do you live?)
- Vivo en... (I live in...)
- ¿De dónde eres? (Where are you from?)
- Soy de... (I am from...)
Practice these phrases until they become automatic. They form the foundation of most introductory conversations in Spanish.
Translation practice
Test your understanding with these translation exercises:
Translation Practice
Spanish to English:
- Me llamo Ana y tengo dieciséis años.
- Mi cumpleaños es el cinco de septiembre.
English to Spanish: 3. I live in a village near the coast. 4. I am from the south of England.
Answers:
- My name is Ana and I am sixteen years old.
- My birthday is the fifth of September.
- Vivo en un pueblo cerca de la costa.
- Soy del sur de Inglaterra.
Common errors and fixes
Avoid These Common Mistakes:
- ❌ Mi cumpleaños es cinco septiembre → ✅ Mi cumpleaños es el cinco de septiembre
- ❌ Tengo dieciséis year → ✅ Tengo dieciséis años
- ❌ Soy Manchester → ✅ Soy de Manchester
- ❌ Vivo Manchester → ✅ Vivo en Manchester
- ❌ Me llamo es David → ✅ Me llamo David
Remember: Always use the correct prepositions ("de" for "from", "en" for "in") and don't forget articles like "el" in dates!
Key Points to Remember:
- Use "Me llamo..." to say your name
- Ages use "Tengo + number + años" (I have + number + years)
- Months are not capitalised in Spanish
- Use "el + number + de + month" for dates
- "Soy de..." means "I am from..." and "Vivo en..." means "I live in..."