What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the object pronoun te (you) and the first-person singular preterite of the verb llamar (to call/to name).
Which one should you use?
While te llamé refers to a completed action at a specific point in the past, te llamaba is used to describe an ongoing or habitual action in the past (imperfect tense), meaning "I was calling you". Additionally, in informal conversations, particularly in Latin America, you might hear te marqué, which means "I dialed you".
Is it said differently in some regions?
If you are addressing more than one person, you would use los llamé (in Latin America/Spain) or os llamé (in Spain) to mean "I called you all".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form te llamé uses the informal singular pronoun te to address the person you called. To say 'I called you' in a formal or polite manner, you should use le llamé instead of te llamé.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ʝame/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, if you say te llamo (I will call you) as a way to end a conversation, it is often understood as a polite social gesture rather than a firm promise to actually call.
- Because llamar means 'to name', the standard way to introduce yourself, me llamo, literally translates to 'I call myself'.
- Beyond phone calls, the noun llamada is used to describe a spiritual or vocational 'calling', such as a divine pull toward the priesthood.
Examples in context
- Por eso te llamé.That's why I called you.This sentence is useful for explaining the reason why you called using te llamé.Tatoeba #3519654 by teskmon, translation #3519315 by CK
- Te llamé hace tres horas.I called you three hours ago.This sentence is useful for specifying the time interval using te llamé.Tatoeba #3309171 by gianich73, translation #2300093 by CK
- Tom no sabe por qué te llamé.Tom doesn't know why I called you.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone else is unaware of why you used te llamé.Tatoeba #1530645 by marcelostockle, translation #1094423 by CK
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are talking on the phone after a missed connection.
- DanielTe llamé ayer por la tarde.I called you yesterday afternoon.
- LucíaLo siento, no vi tu llamada.I'm sorry, I didn't see your call.
- DanielNo te preocupes, Lucía.Don't worry, Lucía.
- Lucía¿Podemos hablar ahora?Can we talk now?
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
