llamar

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish lamar, from Latin clāmāre (“cry out”), whence also the borrowed Spanish doublet clamar. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- (“to shout”). Cognate with English claim and clamor.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: lla‧mar

Verb

llamar (first-person singular present llamo, first-person singular preterite llamé, past participle llamado)

1. to summon, to call

   Te estuve llamando a voces.

   I was summoning you by voice.

   Me llamó con la mano para que me acercase.

   summoned me with hand in order to bring me near.

   1. to call (on the telephone)

      Te llaman desde París.

      They are calling you from Paris.

      Que me llamen a las siete.

      May they call me at seven o'clock.

      Ha llamado a Maribel.

      has called Maribel.

   2. to knock (on a door)

      Entren sin llamar.

      Enter without knocking.

   3. to ring (a doorbell)

      ¿Quién llama?

      Who is ringing ?

2. to refer to

   ¿Cómo van a llamar al niño?

   How are they going to refer to the child?

   Eso yo lo llamo un auténtico robo.

   I refer to that as an authentic robbery.

   La llamó de todo.

   referred to her about everything.

3. to appeal; to attract

   El ejército llama a muchos jóvenes.

   The army appeals to many youths.

   El chocolate no me llama demasiado.

   Chocolate does not appeal to me too much.

   llamar la atención

   to attract attention

4. (reflexive) to be called

   ¿Cómo te llamas? (informal) ― What is your name? (literally, “How are called?”)

   ¿Cómo se llama usted? (formal) ― What is your name? (literally, “How are called?”)

   Mi primo se llama Benjamín.

   My cousin’s name is Benjamin.

   (literally, “My cousin is called Benjamin.”)

Conjugation

Derived terms

• como se llame, como-se-llame (“what's-his-name, what's-his-face, what's-her-name, what's-her-face”) (n.)
• llamar las cosas por su nombre

Related terms

See also

• apodar
• apellidar
• llama

Further reading

• “llamar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014