1.1 Introducción: Encantado

¡Hola! Welcome to the first section of  Chapter 1! As you might expect, this section is all about introductions.

When you are introducing yourself – or even when you introduce one person to another person – there are some standard phrases that we typically use.

First, you usually give your name or the name of the person you introduce.  Then, you usually indicate in some way that you are pleased to meet the other person.

With greetings and goodbyes (farewell expressions) in Spanish, the conversation will vary somewhat depending on the relationship you have or will have with the person you are meeting.  This relationship ranges from being very familiar to very formal.

For example, if you are introducing yourself to someone your age or with whom you would be considered a peer, to children, or friends of friends, you would likely use a more informal greeting.

However, if you are addressing someone with whom you maintain a certain social distance, such as an authority figure, someone with a title (like a professor, doctor, boss, etc.), an elder, or a potential employer, you would opt for a more formal greeting.

The choice between informal and formal greetings may also differ across Spanish-speaking countries and within the specific cultures of families.

As you learn the phrases for introductions and goodbyes, you might find that there are words or grammatical points you don’t understand. Don’t worry that you don’t know why ¿Cómo se llama? and ¿Cómo te llamas? are different– for now, just focus on learning the phrases and patterns. Most importantly, listen to the audio clips and repeat them aloud.