📖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?

What is your name?

Si necesitas ayuda, me llamas.

If you need help, you call me.

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

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

yollamo

túllamas

él/ella/ustedllama

nosotrosllamamos

vosotrosllamáis

ellos/ellas/ustedesllaman

preterite

yollamé

túllamaste

él/ella/ustedllamó

nosotrosllamamos

vosotrosllamasteis

ellos/ellas/ustedesllamaron

imperfect

yollamaba

túllamabas

él/ella/ustedllamaba

nosotrosllamábamos

vosotrosllamabais

ellos/ellas/ustedesllamaban

subjunctive

present

yollame

túllames

él/ella/ustedllame

nosotrosllamemos

vosotrosllaméis

ellos/ellas/ustedesllamen

imperfect

yollamara

túllamaras

él/ella/ustedllamara

nosotrosllamáramos

vosotrosllamarais

ellos/ellas/ustedesllamaran

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!