llamada
/ʝaˈmada/
In Spanish, the word for a calling is llamada.
If you want to specify that the call is via video, you can use the phrase llamada de video.
Meaning: occupation (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, telefonear is a regional alternative for calling. In Mexico, hablar is sometimes used instead of llamar when referring to making a phone call.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʝaˈmada/
Did you know?
- If you say you have a 'calling' for a certain task, you might say tengo madera de…, which translates literally to 'I have wood of…'.
- To 'hang up' a llamada is often expressed as colgar, which means 'to hang'. This is a linguistic fossil from the era when telephone receivers were physically hung on a wall bracket.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to start a llamada with ¿Dígame? which literally means 'Tell me'. This is a standard way to answer the phone, particularly in Spain.
Examples in context
- Recibí una llamada importanteI received an important call
- Estableceremos contacto telefónico mañanaWe will establish phone contact tomorrow
- Voy a llamar a mi amigoI'm going to call my friend
- Voy a marcar a mi mamáI'm going to call my mom
- Dame un toque cuando lleguesGive me a call when you arrive
- Voy a hacer un telefonitoI'm going to make a little phone call
- Estoy haciendo una llamada de videoI'm making a video call
- Me llamaronThey called me
- Fui llamado/aI was called
Example conversation
Mateo and María are discussing their career choices.
- MateoMaría, ¿crees que ya encontraste tu llamada?María, do you think you've found your calling yet?
- MaríaSí, creo que ayudar a otros es mi llamada.Yes, I think helping others is my calling.
- MateoEso es maravilloso, tienes mucha paciencia.That is wonderful, you have a lot of patience.
- MaríaGracias, Mateo. ¿Y tú qué piensas?Thank you, Mateo. And what do you think?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry llamada, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
