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Me llamo Carmen.

Me llamo Carmen.
My name is Carmen.
From Lesson 36:What's your name? (me llamo, encantado)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Me llamo Carmen.

Why does it say Me llamo instead of something like "Mi nombre es"?
While you can say Mi nombre es Carmen (My name is Carmen), Spanish speakers usually prefer to use the verb llamar (to call). Me llamo literally translates to "I call myself."
Where is the word for "I" in this sentence?
In Spanish, the ending of the verb usually tells you who is doing the action. The -o at the end of llamo tells us that "I" am doing it. You could say Yo me llamo Carmen, but the Yo (I) is usually dropped because it is already understood.
What does the Me do in this sentence?
Me means "myself" in this context. Because you are talking about what you call yourself, you need this word before the verb. If you just said Llamo Carmen, it would mean "I am calling Carmen" (like on the phone).
How would I ask someone else their name using this same pattern?
To ask "What is your name?" informally to a single person, you change both the "myself" word and the verb ending. You would say ¿Cómo te llamas? (literally: How do you call yourself?).

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