llámame cuando llegues a casa
/ʝamame kwando ʝeɡes a kasa/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'call me when you get home' can be said in Spanish as llámame cuando llegues a casa.
This phrase is used to request that someone telephone the speaker once they have arrived at their residence.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression llámame is a combination of the imperative verb llama (call) and the object pronoun me (me). The second part, cuando llegues a casa, literally translates to 'when you arrive at home'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the informal phrase, the command llámame uses the informal imperative form. To make the request polite or formal, you change llámame cuando llegues to llámeme cuando llegue.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying llámame cuando llegas a casa. Using the indicative llegas instead of the subjunctive llegues is a common mistake. llegas implies a habitual action, whereas llegues refers to the specific future arrival.
Did you know?
- The word cuando is a distant relative of the English word 'cue'. Both words share a common ancestor in the Latin word quandō.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, failing to call after a late night out can be seen as a serious breach of social etiquette or even a cause for genuine alarm among family.
- While llamar means 'to call', it is also used to describe the act of naming a child. This creates a linguistic link between summoning someone by phone and assigning them an identity.
Examples in context
- Llámame cuando llegues a casa, por favor.Call me when you get home, please.
- No olvides que te dije: llámame cuando llegues a casa.Don't forget that I told you: call me when you get home.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are saying goodbye at a bus station.
- AlejandroTen cuidado en el viaje, Sofía.Be careful on the trip, Sofía.
- SofíaGracias, Alejandro. No te preocupes.Thanks, Alejandro. Don't worry.
- AlejandroLlámame cuando llegues a casa.Call me when you get home.
- SofíaLo haré, te llamo enseguida.I will, I'll call you right away.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, casa, cuando, CC BY-SA 4.0.
