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📖3 definitions
📚 llamas has 3 definitions
A cartoon person holding a simple red vintage telephone receiver to their ear, illustrating the action of calling someone.

llamas

YA-mas

VerbA1regular ar
you call?informal 'you', present tense
Also:you name?e.g., '¿Cómo te llamas?' - What do you call yourself?,you knock?on a door

Quick Reference

infinitivellamar
gerundllamando
past Participlellamado

📝 In Action

¿Cómo te llamas?

A1

What is your name?

Si necesitas ayuda, me llamas.

A1

If you need help, you call me.

Tú llamas a la puerta mientras yo espero en el coche.

A2

You knock on the door while I wait in the car.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • telefonear (to telephone)
  • convocar (to summon)

Common Collocations

  • llamar por teléfono – to call on the phone
  • llamar la atención – to attract attention
  • llamar a la puerta – to knock on the door

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Tú' Form

The '-as' ending on verbs like 'llamas' is a big clue that someone is talking to 'tú' (one person, informally). It's one of the most common verb endings you'll see.

❌ Common Pitfalls

'Llamas' vs. 'Llama'

Mistake: "Él llamas por teléfono."

Correction: Use 'llamas' only for 'tú' (you). For 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), or 'usted' (you, formal), the ending changes to '-a': 'Él llama'.

⭐ Usage Tips

The Magic of '¿Cómo te llamas?'

This is one of the first phrases you learn! It literally means 'How do you call yourself?'. The 'te' part tells you the action of calling is done to yourself.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedllama
yollamo
túllamas
ellos/ellas/ustedesllaman
nosotrosllamamos
vosotrosllamáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedllamaba
yollamaba
túllamabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesllamaban
nosotrosllamábamos
vosotrosllamabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedllamó
yollamé
túllamaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesllamaron
nosotrosllamamos
vosotrosllamasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedllame
yollame
túllames
ellos/ellas/ustedesllamen
nosotrosllamemos
vosotrosllaméis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedllamara
yollamara
túllamaras
ellos/ellas/ustedesllamaran
nosotrosllamáramos
vosotrosllamarais
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: llamas

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'llamas' to mean the animals?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

llamar(to call) - verb
llamada(a call) - noun
llamativo(eye-catching, flashy) - adjective
llamarada(a sudden blaze, a flare-up) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'llamas' have three completely different meanings?

It's a cool coincidence of language! The meanings for 'flame' and 'to call' both evolved from Latin, while the word for the animal was adopted directly from Quechua, the language of the Inca Empire. Words that sound and are spelled the same but have different origins and meanings are called homonyms. The only way to know which 'llamas' is being used is from the other words in the sentence.

Is the 'll' in 'llamas' pronounced like a 'y' or a 'j'?

Great question! It varies by region. In most of Spain and Latin America, it sounds like the 'y' in 'yes' (/YA-mas/). In Argentina and Uruguay, it sounds more like the 's' in 'measure' or a 'j' sound (/JA-mas/). Both are perfectly correct, so you can choose the one you like best!