Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| telefonar para | /te.le.foˈna(ʁ) pa.ɾɐ/ (Brazil, word by word) |
| chamar | /ʃaˈma(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /ʃaˈma(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) |
| ligar para | /liˈɡa(ʁ) pa.ɾɐ/ (Brazil, word by word) |
These verbs are used to describe the act of calling someone via a telephone. While telefonar para is a valid option, ligar para is the much more common way to express this action in everyday Portuguese.
Which one should you use?
The verb chamar is used when you are calling out to someone to get their attention or summoning a service, such as an ambulance, rather than using a telephone. For the act of telephoning a person, use ligar para or telefonar para.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In European Portuguese, the word telemóvel is widely used as a synonym for a mobile phone (celular).
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of telefonar para is /te.le.foˈna(ʁ) pa.ɾɐ/. It has five syllables, with the stress on the fourth syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying ligar alguém without a preposition. English speakers often mistakenly omit the word para. You should always say ligar para alguém when phoning someone.
Did you know?
- In Portuguese, ligar is used for both making a phone call and turning on an electrical appliance.
- While you might use 'ligar' to mean 'to phone' in a modern context, the verb actually originates from the Latin 'ligare', which means 'to bind' or 'to tie'.
- When using 'ligar para' to mean phoning someone, you must not forget the preposition 'para', or you will be saying you are 'binding' the person rather than calling them.
Examples in context
- Vou ligar para o Tom.I'll phone Tom.This sentence shows how to use ligar para to express a future intent to phone someone.Tatoeba #5055464 by Ricardo14, translation #2250247 by CK
- Eu esqueci de ligar para ele.I forgot to phone him.This sentence demonstrates using ligar para in a past tense context regarding a forgotten phone call.Tatoeba #8076586 by Mecamute, translation #8074984 by CH
- Devemos chamar uma ambulância.We must phone for an ambulance.This sentence illustrates using chamar when summoning a service like an ambulance.Tatoeba #897374 by alexmarcelo, translation #464418 by lukaszpp
- Eu preciso comprar um telefone novo.I need to buy a new phone.
- Por favor, mantenha o aparelho telefônico desligado durante a reunião.Please keep your phone turned off during the meeting.
- Você viu meu celular?Have you seen my phone?
- Eu comprei um novo telemóvel ontem.I bought a new phone yesterday.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Camila and Gabriel are at home deciding who should contact a friend.
- CamilaEu vou telefonar para a Maria agora.I am going to phone Maria now.
- GabrielVocê pode telefonar para ela mais tarde?Can you phone her later?
- CamilaNão, eu preciso telefonar para ela hoje.No, I need to phone her today.
- GabrielTudo bem, então eu telefono para ela também.Alright, then I will phone her too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “phone” translations and entries chamar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (telefonar, para, ligar) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chamar, ligar, para, telefonar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
