Where are you from? Introducing yourself in Spanish (A1)

0:00 [Music. The voices in this episode (Mateo, Sam) are AI-generated.]

0:04Mateo Today I'm meeting someone new. I've practised saying my name. It's the one word I'm sure about. Then we'll build on it. Welcome to Copycat Cafe. I'm Mateo. And I'm Sam. Sam and I are AI-generated voices. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to introduce yourself in Spanish: say your name, say nice to meet you, ask where someone is from, say where you're from, and say goodbye. Listen first. Copy the sound. Then try the words for yourself.

0:33Mateo If you miss an answer, let it go. You'll hear the words again, and you don't need a screen. If you're driving, keep your attention on the road and skip the speaking exercises. First, a quick one from the taco stand in Episode 1. If you're new, just listen. Say hello, and ask how it's going.

0:56Sam ¡Hola! ¿Qué tal? Keep that one. Now today's scene, between classes at a university. Sam plays Ana María, a new student. I'm Fernando. Listen for one thing: which city is Fernando from? Hola, me llamo Ana María. Mucho gusto, Ana María. Soy Fernando. ¿De dónde eres? Soy mexicano, de Guadalajara. ¡Qué padre! Soy colombiana. ¿Y qué haces? ¿Eres estudiante? Sí, soy estudiante. ¿Y tú? Soy maestro de español. Me gusta mi trabajo. ¡Qué interesante! Tengo clase. Nos vemos, Fernando.

1:38Mateo Which city? Guadalajara, in Mexico. And Fernando is a Spanish teacher. Bold casting. I prepared for years. Ana María starts with: hola, me llamo Ana María. Me llamo is the usual way to say my name is. Literally, it's closer to I call myself. Copy just that: me llamo. Now the whole line: hola, me llamo Ana María.

2:15Sam With my name, it's: hola, me llamo Sam.

2:19Mateo Now you, with your own name. Say hola, me llamo, and your name. Fernando answers: mucho gusto, Ana María. Soy Fernando. Mucho gusto means nice to meet you. Copy it: mucho gusto. Soy Fernando means I'm Fernando. Soy is I am. For me, it's: mucho gusto, soy Mateo. Now you: say mucho gusto, then soy and your own name.

3:01Mateo Next, Ana María asks: ¿de dónde eres? Where are you from? Eres is the friendly you are, the one you'd use with another student. Copy it: ¿de dónde eres? Once more. ¿De dónde eres? Fernando says: soy mexicano, de Guadalajara. I'm Mexican, from Guadalajara. And Ana María says: ¡qué padre! Soy colombiana. How cool! I'm Colombian. ¡Qué padre! is a very Mexican way to say how cool. Copy it: ¡qué padre!

3:50Mateo So she's Colombian, and she's already using Mexican slang. She's a fast learner. Now listen to the last sound. Fernando is mexicano. Ana María is colombiana. Mexicano, colombiana. Many nationality words change their last sound like this to match the person. A woman from Mexico says: soy mexicana. Copy it: soy mexicana.

4:23Mateo A man from Colombia says: soy colombiano. Copy it: soy colombiano. Now without hearing it first. A woman from Colombia says: I'm Colombian. Soy colombiana. And a man from Mexico says: I'm Mexican. Soy mexicano. The word soy stays the same. Only the last sound changes. For your city, use de, meaning from. Soy de Guadalajara. I'm from Guadalajara. That one works for anyone. Copy it: soy de Guadalajara.

5:17Mateo Now say which city you're from: soy de, and your city.

5:27Sam Soy de Chicago. Not Guadalajara, but we have good tacos too.

5:33Mateo Then Fernando asks: ¿y qué haces? ¿Eres estudiante? And what do you do? Are you a student? Ana María answers: sí, soy estudiante. Yes, I'm a student. Copy it: sí, soy estudiante. Then she turns the question around: ¿y tú? And you? Copy it: ¿y tú? Now the whole answer: sí, soy estudiante. ¿Y tú? Fernando: soy maestro de español. Me gusta mi trabajo. I'm a Spanish teacher. I like my job. Ana María: ¡qué interesante! How interesting! Copy it: ¡qué interesante!

6:32Mateo Then she says: tengo clase. I have class. And she leaves with: nos vemos, Fernando. See you, Fernando. Nos vemos is a friendly see you. Copy it: nos vemos.

6:48Sam Tengo clase. I'm going to use that one at parties.

6:52Mateo Use it wisely. From memory now. Say: see you, Fernando. Nos vemos, Fernando. Let's put it together. You're Ana María, and I'm Fernando. Start by saying hello, and that your name is Ana María. Mucho gusto, Ana María. Soy Fernando. Ask where I'm from. Soy mexicano, de Guadalajara. Say how cool, and that you're Colombian, just as Ana María does.

7:42Mateo ¿Y qué haces? ¿Eres estudiante? Say yes, you're a student, and ask: and you? Soy maestro de español. Me gusta mi trabajo. Say how interesting, and see you, Fernando. Here's one version of your part. Hola, me llamo Ana María. ¿De dónde eres? ¡Qué padre! Soy colombiana. Sí, soy estudiante. ¿Y tú? ¡Qué interesante! Nos vemos, Fernando. In the scene, she also says tengo clase. If you missed a step, that's fine. These gaps are for practice, not a test.

8:35Sam Here's the original scene again, with no explanations. Notice which bits you recognise. Hola, me llamo Ana María. Mucho gusto, Ana María. Soy Fernando. ¿De dónde eres? Soy mexicano, de Guadalajara. ¡Qué padre! Soy colombiana. ¿Y qué haces? ¿Eres estudiante? Sí, soy estudiante. ¿Y tú? Soy maestro de español. Me gusta mi trabajo. ¡Qué interesante! Tengo clase. Nos vemos, Fernando.

9:08Mateo Now be yourself, with your own name and your own city. Sam will stay quiet. I'm still Fernando. Say hello, and tell me your name. Mucho gusto. Soy Fernando. Ask where I'm from. Soy mexicano, de Guadalajara. ¿Y tú? Tell me which city you're from: soy de, and your city. ¡Qué padre! ¿Eres estudiante? You're learning Spanish, so you're a student. Say yes, and ask: and you?

9:59Mateo Soy maestro de español. Say see you, Fernando.

10:08Sam Here's one version, with Sam's name and city. Hola, me llamo Sam. ¿De dónde eres? Soy de Chicago. Sí, soy estudiante. ¿Y tú? Nos vemos, Fernando. I stayed quiet the whole time. I'd like that noted.

10:25Mateo One last one from memory. Say: nice to meet you, I'm, and your name. Mucho gusto, soy Sam. That's Sam's version. Yours has your own name at the end. Keep that, plus me llamo, ¿de dónde eres?, and soy de with your city. Today you heard them, and the gaps gave you room to copy them and use them with your own name. You don't need every word from the scene today. Come back and try the gaps again. This is the free Copycat Cafe audio course. The optional paid app adds pronunciation feedback and conversations that respond to you. Today's matching lesson is Nice to meet you. Next in the course, you'll ask for directions to the metro. Nos vemos.

11:11Sam Nos vemos. Tengo clase.