llaman
/YAH-mahn/
they call
When people shout to get someone's attention, llaman (they call).
llaman(Verb)
they call
?as in phoning or shouting
,you all call
?formal address (Ustedes form)
they summon
?calling someone over
,they are calling
?present continuous action
📝 In Action
Ellos llaman a la puerta, ¿puedes abrir?
A1They are knocking on the door, can you open it?
Mis vecinos llaman a la policía si hay mucho ruido.
A2My neighbors call the police if there is a lot of noise.
Ustedes llaman a su jefe una vez por semana.
B1You all (formal) call your boss once a week.
💡 Grammar Points
Identifying the 'Who'
'Llaman' means the action is being done by 'they' or 'you all' (formal). Look for ellos, ellas, or ustedes to know who is calling.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up 'Call' and 'Say'
Mistake: "They use 'dicen' when they mean 'llaman' in the sense of 'to call someone's name'."
Correction: Use 'llaman' for summoning or phoning. Use 'dicen' only for speaking or reporting information.
⭐ Usage Tips
Need a Direct Object
When calling a person, 'llaman' is followed by the preposition 'a' plus the person: Llaman a María (They call María).
When a family decides what to call their new pet, llaman (they name) it.
llaman(Verb)
they name
?giving a name to something
it is called
?impersonal passive construction (e.g., 'In Spain, they call this...')
📝 In Action
En México, llaman 'coche' al carro.
A2In Mexico, they call a car a 'coche'. (Meaning: A car is called a 'coche'.)
Los científicos llaman a esa criatura 'el fantasma de mar'.
B2The scientists name that creature 'the sea ghost'.
💡 Grammar Points
Impersonal 'They'
When 'llaman' is used to talk about how a place or object is known (like llaman 'coche' al carro), the 'they' is a general, unnamed group of people, similar to saying 'people call it...'
Active vs. Reflexive
Remember: 'Llaman' is active ('they call'). If you want to say something is called X, the most common structure is 'Se llama': El libro se llama El Quijote (The book is called The Quixote).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: llaman
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'llaman' in the sense of 'referring to something'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
How is 'llaman' different from 'llaman a'?
The conjugation 'llaman' is simply the verb form ('they call'). The structure 'llaman a' is required when the 'call' is directed at a person or named object, because Spanish requires the personal 'a' when referring to a specific person: *Ellos llaman a Juan* (They call Juan).
Can 'llaman' be used in passive voice?
Yes, but often Spanish prefers the impersonal construction using 'Se llama' (It is called) or the simple 'Llaman' (They call it) rather than the standard passive voice (Es llamado).