llamamos
“llamamos” means “we call” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
we call
Also: we are calling
📝 In Action
Llamamos a mi madre cada noche para ver cómo está.
A1We call my mother every night to see how she is.
¿A qué hora llamamos al restaurante para hacer la reserva?
A2What time should we call the restaurant to make the reservation?
we name, we refer to (it) as
Also: we designate
📝 In Action
A esta parte de la máquina, la llamamos el 'motor'.
B1We call this part of the machine the 'engine'.
En nuestra familia, a las galletas caseras las llamamos 'recuerdos de la abuela'.
B2In our family, we call homemade cookies 'Grandma's memories'.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: llamamos
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'llamamos' in the sense of 'to name or designate'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'llamar' comes from the Latin word *clāmāre*, which meant 'to cry out' or 'to shout'. Over time, the initial 'cl' sound softened into the 'll' sound we hear today, and the meaning broadened to include calling by phone or giving a name.
First recorded: Around the 10th or 11th century in early Spanish texts.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if 'llamamos' means 'we call' (present) or 'we called' (past)?
You have to look at the other words in the sentence. If you see time words like 'ayer' (yesterday), 'la semana pasada' (last week), or 'anoche' (last night), it means 'we called' (past). If you see 'hoy' (today), 'siempre' (always), or nothing specific, it usually means 'we call' (present).
If I want to say 'We are calling right now,' should I use 'llamamos'?
Yes, 'Llamamos ahora mismo' works perfectly and is very common. However, you can also use the continuous form, 'Estamos llamando,' which puts more emphasis on the action happening at this exact moment.