al teléfono
/al telefono/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'on the phone' is translated into Spanish as al teléfono.
The phrase al teléfono is used to describe the act of calling someone or connecting a person to a telephone device.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression al teléfono is a contraction of a el teléfono, which literally means 'to the phone'.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish al teléfono from por teléfono. Use al teléfono when you are referring to the act of calling someone or connecting them specifically to the device.
When do people say it?
In colloquial settings, you may hear the expression Estoy pegado/a al teléfono, which means 'I'm stuck to the phone'.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to use ¿Aló? or ¿Diga? to answer the phone, which serves as a functional equivalent to the English 'hello'.
- While al teléfono describes being on the call, Spanish speakers use the verb colgar to end a call, which literally means 'to hang up' from the era of wall-mounted phones.
- In Spain, the word móvil is used for the device, but in Latin America, celular is preferred, though both are used when someone is al teléfono.
Examples in context
- Lo llamé al teléfono.I called him up on the phone.This sentence shows how to use al teléfono when calling someone up.Tatoeba #1543194 by marcelostockle, translation #260970 by CK
- Pasa a Tom al teléfono.Get Tom on the phone.This sentence demonstrates using al teléfono when asking to put someone on the phone.Tatoeba #4364117 by pchamorro, translation #2647176 by CK
- Ella lo llamó al teléfono.She called him on the phone.This sentence illustrates the use of al teléfono when stating that someone called a person.Tatoeba #1425662 by marcelostockle, translation #887025 by CK
- Estoy en el teléfonoI'm on the phone.
- Estoy manteniendo una conversación telefónicaI'm having a phone conversation.
- Últimamente estoy pegado/a al teléfonoLately, I'm glued to my phone.
- ¿Está disponible?Are you available?
- ¿Quién habla?Who is speaking?
- Un momento, por favorOne moment, please
- Buenos días, me gustaría hablar con alguien en el departamento de ventas. ¿Estoy hablando con la persona correcta?Good morning, I would like to speak with someone in the sales department. Am I speaking with the right person?
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía enters the living room and sees Daniel talking.
- Lucía¿Está Daniel al teléfono?Is Daniel on the phone?
- DanielSí, estoy al teléfono con mi jefe.Yes, I am on the phone with my boss.
- LucíaLo siento, no sabía que estabas al teléfono.I'm sorry, I didn't know you were on the phone.
- DanielNo importa, dame un minuto.It doesn't matter, give me a minute.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
