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llamarle

yah-MAHR-leh/ʝaˈmaɾle/

“llamarle” means “to call him/her/you” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to call him/her/you

Also: to phone him/her
VerbA1regular with attached pronoun ar
SpainLatin America
A person standing on a small hill, cupping their hands around their mouth to shout towards a friend in the distance.
gerundllamándole
past Participlellamado
infinitivellamarle

📝 In Action

Tengo que llamarle por teléfono esta tarde.

A1

I have to call him/her on the phone this afternoon.

Si ves a Juan, puedes llamarle para que venga.

A2

If you see Juan, you can call him so he comes over.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • telefonearle (to phone him/her)
  • avisarle (to notify him/her)

Antonyms

  • colgarle (to hang up on him/her)
  • ignorarle (to ignore him/her)

Common Collocations

  • llamarle enseguida – to call him/her immediately
  • llamarle por su nombre – to call him/her by his/her name

Idioms & Expressions

  • llamarle la atención – to catch someone's eye or to scold someone

to call/label him/her

Also: to name him/her
VerbA2regular with attached pronoun ar
A friendly teacher pointing to a student wearing a bright name tag.

📝 In Action

Podemos llamarle 'jefe' si él quiere.

A2

We can call him 'boss' if he wants.

No es correcto llamarle mentiroso.

B1

It isn't right to call him a liar.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • nombrarle (to name him/her)
  • apodarle (to nickname him/her)

Common Collocations

  • llamarle por su apodo – to call him/her by their nickname

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesle llamaran
yole llamara
túle llamaras
vosotrosle llamarais
nosotrosle llamáramos
él/ella/ustedle llamara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesle llamen
yole llame
túle llames
vosotrosle llaméis
nosotrosle llamemos
él/ella/ustedle llame

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesle llamaron
yole llamé
túle llamaste
vosotrosle llamasteis
nosotrosle llamamos
él/ella/ustedle llamó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesle llamaban
yole llamaba
túle llamabas
vosotrosle llamabais
nosotrosle llamábamos
él/ella/ustedle llamaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesle llaman
yole llamo
túle llamas
vosotrosle llamáis
nosotrosle llamamos
él/ella/ustedle llama
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: llamarle

Question 1 of 2

How do you say 'I want to call him' using 'llamarle'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
llamar(to call) — Verb
llamada(a call) — Noun
llamativo(showy/flashy) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Derived from the Spanish verb 'llamar' (from Latin 'clamare', meaning 'to shout' or 'to cry out') combined with the pronoun 'le' (from Latin 'ille').

First recorded: 13th Century (as the separate parts combined in syntax)

Cognates (Related words)

English: claimPortuguese: chamarFrench: clamer

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between llamarle and llamarlo?

Technically, 'lo' is for a direct object and 'le' is for an indirect object. However, in many parts of Spain, people use 'llamarle' to mean 'call him' (a practice called 'leísmo'). In Latin America, 'llamarle' is mostly used for set phrases like 'llamarle la atención'.

Can 'llamarle' mean 'to call her'?

Yes! 'Le' is gender-neutral when it refers to 'him,' 'her,' or 'you (formal).'