Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| telefonar | /te.le.foˈna(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /te.le.foˈna(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) |
| ligar | /liˈɡa(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /liˈɡa(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) |
The primary meaning for these terms is to contact someone by telephone. However, the verb ligar is also used to mean 'to turn on' or 'to switch on' electronic devices or lights. If you are referring to a beckoning or summoning, you might use the nouns chamada or chamado, while canto refers to the characteristic cry of a bird or other animal.
Which one should you use?
While telefonar is correct, ligar is the much more common, everyday verb used to mean 'to call' or 'to phone' someone.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When specifying the person being called using ligar, the verb is typically followed by the preposition para (for example, Ligar para ela for 'To call her').
How do you pronounce it?
telefonar is pronounced /te.le.foˈna(ʁ)/. It has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 4th syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying ligar alguém without a preposition. English speakers often mistakenly omit the preposition para. Instead, use ligar para alguém.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, ligar is used as a slang term to mean 'to care' or 'to pay attention' to someone.
- The word ligar is a linguistic relative of the English word 'ligament'.
- The word ligar is used to describe the act of 'connecting' a romantic or social link between two people.
Examples in context
- Eu vou te ligar.I'll call you.This sentence is useful for showing how to use ligar.Tatoeba #5037087 by Ricardo14, translation #624894 by saeb
- E se eu te ligar?Why don't I call you?Tatoeba #869511 by alexmarcelo, translation #869510 by CK
- Eu posso te ligar?Can I call you?Tatoeba #8028557 by Ricardo14, translation #3327385 by CK
- Posso ligar para você mais tarde?Can I call you later?
- Preciso telefonar para a empresa.I need to call the company.
- Vou chamar meu advogado.I'll call my lawyer.
- Te ligo mais tarde.I'll call you later.
- Vou telefonar para minha amiga.I'm going to call my friend.
- Chamei o técnico para consertar a máquina.I called the technician to fix the machine.
- 246 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Camila and Felipe are planning a meeting.
- CamilaFelipe, você pode telefonar para o cliente?Felipe, can you call the client?
- FelipeSim, eu vou telefonar para ele agora.Yes, I will call him now.
- CamilaÓtimo, avise-me assim que você falar com ele.Great, let me know once you speak with him.
- FelipeCombinado, Camila.It's a deal, Camila.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “call” translations and entries telefonar, ligar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
