llamaba
“llamaba” means “was calling” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
was calling, used to call
Also: was shouting/yelling for
📝 In Action
Yo llamaba a mi abuela todos los domingos.
A1I used to call my grandmother every Sunday.
Ella llamaba a la policía cuando escuchó el ruido.
A2She was calling the police when she heard the noise.
Usted llamaba a la puerta, pero nadie abrió.
A2You (formal) were knocking on the door, but no one opened.
was naming, used to call
Also: was referring to
📝 In Action
Antes, la gente llamaba a esa calle 'El Camino Real'.
A2Before, people used to call that street 'The Royal Road'.
Ella llamaba a su perro 'Capitán', aunque era muy pequeño.
B1She used to call her dog 'Captain', even though he was very small.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: llamaba
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'llamaba' to describe a repeated action in the past?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'llamar' comes from the Latin word *clamare*, which meant 'to cry out' or 'to shout.' Over time, the meaning evolved from just shouting to also covering verbal communication, naming, and later, telephone calls.
First recorded: Around the 10th or 11th century in Spanish, developing from its Latin root.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'llamaba' mean both 'I was calling' and 'He/She/You formal was calling'?
This is common in the Spanish imperfect tense! The 'yo' (I) and 'él/ella/usted' (he/she/you formal) forms of 'ar' verbs always look exactly the same. You have to rely on the context or the pronoun used to know who is doing the action.
How is 'llamaba' different from 'se llamaba'?
'Llamaba' means someone else was doing the calling ('He was calling me'). 'Se llamaba' is the reflexive form, meaning 'He was called' or 'His name was.' The added 'se' changes the meaning completely to refer to the person's identity.