Introducing Yourself (Leaving Cert Spanish): Revision Notes
Introducing yourself
When learning Spanish, one of the first skills you need is introducing yourself and sharing basic personal information. This covers essential vocabulary for names, ages, birthdays, and where you live – all crucial for everyday conversations and exam scenarios.
Essential personal information vocabulary
The foundation of introducing yourself involves several key phrases that you'll use constantly in Spanish conversations.
- When stating your name, Spanish uses "Me llamo" (literally "I call myself") followed by your name.
- For your age, you'll use "Tengo" (I have) plus the number and "años" (years).
- Birthdays require "Mi cumpleaños es el" (My birthday is the) plus the date.
- For location, you can use either "Vivo en" (I live in) for current residence or "Soy de/del" (I am from) for your origin.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| 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/del | I am from the |
| un pueblo | a village |
| una ciudad | a town/city |
| cerca de | near to |
Example sentences:
- Me llamo María y tengo diecisiete años. (My name is María and I am seventeen years old.)
- Mi cumpleaños es el cinco de marzo. (My birthday is the fifth of March.)
- Vivo en una ciudad cerca de Dublin. (I live in a city near Dublin.)
- Soy del norte de Irlanda. (I am from the north of Ireland.)
Grammar note: Notice that "del" is the contraction of "de" + "el" (from the). Use "de la" with feminine places and "del" with masculine places.
Numbers 1-31
Numbers are essential for expressing ages, dates, and addresses. Spanish numbers follow patterns that make them easier to memorise once you understand the system.
| 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 |
| 6 | seis | 17 | diecisiete | 28 | veintiocho |
| 7 | siete | 18 | dieciocho | 29 | veintinueve |
| 8 | ocho | 19 | diecinueve | 30 | treinta |
| 9 | nueve | 20 | veinte | 31 | treinta y uno |
| 10 | diez | 21 | veintiuno | ||
| 11 | once | 22 | veintidós |
Example sentences:
- Tengo dieciocho años. (I am eighteen years old.)
- Hoy es el treinta de abril. (Today is the thirtieth of April.)
Grammar note: Numbers 16-19 and 21-29 are written as one word, while 31 onwards use "y" (and) to connect the tens and units.
Months of the year
Months are crucial for discussing birthdays, holidays, and important dates. Unlike English, Spanish months are not capitalised unless they begin a sentence.
| 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 |
Example sentences:
- Mi cumpleaños es el cuatro de junio. (My birthday is the fourth of June.)
- En septiembre empiezan las clases. (Classes start in September.)
Grammar note: When giving dates, use "el" (the) before the number, followed by "de" (of) and the month. Remember that June and July are very similar in Spanish - be careful not to confuse "junio" and "julio".
Directional vocabulary
When describing where you live or are from, directional terms help give more precise location information.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| norte | north |
| sur | south |
| este | east |
| oeste | west |
Example sentences:
- Vivo en el norte de España. (I live in the north of Spain.)
- Soy del oeste del país. (I am from the west of the country.)
Common questions and conversation patterns
Understanding how to ask and answer basic questions is essential for natural conversation flow. Spanish question formation often involves placing the question word at the beginning and using inverted question marks.
Typical questions you might hear:
- ¿Cómo te llamas? (What's your name?)
- ¿Cuántos años tienes? (How old are you?)
- ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? (When is your birthday?)
- ¿Dónde vives? (Where do you live?)
Sample conversation:
- A: Hola, ¿cómo te llamas?
- B: Me llamo David. ¿Y tú?
- A: Soy Carmen. ¿Cuántos años tienes?
- B: Tengo quince años.
Phrase bank for exams
These functional phrases will help you sound natural and confident in speaking exams:
- Para presentarme... (To introduce myself...)
- En cuanto a mi edad... (As for my age...)
- Por lo que respecta a mi cumpleaños... (Regarding my birthday...)
- En lo que se refiere a donde vivo... (As far as where I live is concerned...)
Translation exercises
Spanish to English:
- Me llamo Ana y tengo dieciséis años.
- Vivo en un pueblo cerca de Cork en el sur de Irlanda.
English to Spanish: 3. My birthday is the twenty-first of December. 4. I am from a city in the north.
Answers:
- My name is Ana and I am sixteen years old.
- I live in a village near Cork in the south of Ireland.
- Mi cumpleaños es el veintiuno de diciembre.
- Soy de una ciudad en el norte.
Common errors and fixes
Error: Using capital letters for months Fix: Months are lowercase unless starting a sentence Example: Wrong: "Mi cumpleaños es en Enero" → Correct: "Mi cumpleaños es en enero"
Error: Forgetting "el" before dates Fix: Always use "el" before the day number Example: Wrong: "cinco de marzo" → Correct: "el cinco de marzo"
Error: Confusing "soy" and "tengo" for age Fix: Use "tengo" for age, "soy" for identity/origin Example: Wrong: "Soy quince años" → Correct: "Tengo quince años"
Error: Wrong accent placement on numbers Fix: Learn which numbers carry accents Example: Wrong: "dieciseis" → Correct: "dieciséis"
Key Points to Remember:
- Use "Me llamo" to introduce your name and "Tengo... años" for your age
- Months in Spanish are never capitalised unless they start a sentence
- Always include "el" when giving specific dates (el cinco de marzo)
- Numbers 16-29 are written as single words with specific accent patterns
- Master the basic question forms as you'll encounter them frequently in exam