What does it mean word for word?
The word quieres is the second-person singular conjugation of the verb querer, meaning "you want" and llamar is the infinitive form of the verb, meaning "to call".
Which one should you use?
While ¿quieres llamar? is a simple and direct way to ask the question, you can also use the more explicit phrase ¿Quieres hacer una llamada? to mean "Do you want to make a call?" For an informal approach that adds a touch of politeness, you can say ¿Te gustaría hacer una llamada? or ¿Te gustaría llamar?
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, when addressing a group of people you are on familiar terms with, use ¿queréis llamar? to mean "Do you (plural) want to call?" In Latin America, ¿quieren llamar? is used to address any group of people, regardless of whether the situation is formal or informal.
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask the question politely or formally, use the third-person singular form quiere instead of quieres, as in ¿quiere llamar? When addressing a group, the conjugation changes based on regional usage: queréis in Spain for informal groups and quieren in Latin America for both formal and informal groups.
Did you know?
- Spanish uses the same verb llamar to mean both 'to call' and 'to be named', as in me llamo, meaning 'I call myself'.
- While llamar is used for the act of calling, a Spanish speaker might instead say dar un toque in very informal slang to mean 'to give someone a ring' or 'to call'.
- The verb llamar actually comes from the Latin word for 'to cry out' or 'to shout'. While we use it for phone calls today, its historical roots lie in raising one's voice to get someone's attention.
Examples in context
- ¿Te apetece hablar por teléfono?Do you feel like talking on the phone?
- Si tienes tiempo, ¿quieres llamar?If you have time, do you want to call?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries llamar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
