llama al 911
To call 911 in Spanish, you say llama al 911.
This phrase is used to instruct someone to contact emergency services by dialing the telephone number 911.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a contraction of llama a el 911, where al combines the preposition a (to) and the masculine article el (the).
Which one should you use?
The choice of form depends on who you are addressing: llama al 911 is the informal command, llame al 911 is the polite/formal command and llamen al 911 is used when addressing a group of people.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you can use the expression Llama al 112.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form llama al 911 uses the informal imperative (command) form of the verb llamar. To use the polite imperative, change llama to llame.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget the preposition a (contained in al) and mistakenly say llamar 911 instead of llamar al 911.
Did you know?
- While llama refers to the action of calling, it is also the exact same word used for the 'llama', a domesticated pack animal from the Andes. This is a coincidence of spelling and sound rather than a shared linguistic origin.
- In some Latin American regions, people might say marcar al 911 instead of llamar, using a verb that literally means 'to mark'.
- The verb llamar used in this phrase is also used in Spanish to ask for someone's name using the reflexive form llamarse.
Examples in context
- Ante una emergencia, ¡llame al 911 de inmediato!In case of an emergency, call 911 immediately!
- Si necesitas ayuda inmediata, llama al 911.If you need immediate help, call 911.
- Por favor, llama al 112, ¡es una emergencia!Please, call 112, it's an emergency!
- Ante cualquier emergencia, llame al 911 para solicitar ayuda.In case of any emergency, call 911 to request assistance.
- ¡Llama al 911 ahora mismo!Call 911 right now!
- Si ves un accidente, llama al 911.If you see an accident, call 911.
- Por favor, llama al 911 de inmediato.Please, call 911 immediately.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier witness a car crash on the street.
- Elena¡Javier, llama al 911!Javier, call 911!
- JavierEstá bien, lo hago ahora.Okay, I'm doing it now.
- ElenaDiles que hay un accidente.Tell them there is an accident.
- JavierSí, ya estoy hablando con ellos.Yes, I am already talking to them.
