What does it mean word for word?
The phrase devuelva la llamada literally means "return the call".
Which one should you use?
You can also use the formal alternative llámeme de nuevo, por favor, which means "call me again, please".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal situations, you can use devuelva la llamada, por favor or Por favor, devuélvame la llamada to say "Please return my call". For an even more polite tone, Le ruego que me devuelva la llamada can be used to say "I kindly ask you to call me back", which utilizes the formal pronoun le. In informal situations, such as when speaking with friends or peers, you may use Devuélveme la llamada, por favor to say "Call me back, please" or Por favor, llámame de regreso to say "Please call me back".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Latin American countries, the phrase Te pido que me llames de vuelta is used to mean "I ask you to call me back".
How does it change in a sentence?
Using devuelve instead of devuelva makes the request informal. To address more than one person, use the plural form devuelvan la llamada.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to say le devuelvo la llamada to mean 'I will call you back' even if you have no intention of doing so immediately, using it as a polite way to end a conversation.
- While devuelva is used for returning a call, the verb devolver is used for any object you return, such as a book to a library or a product to a store.
- In some regions, using de regreso in llámame de regreso is influenced by English 'back', whereas traditional Spanish typically prefers de vuelta or nuevamente.
Examples in context
- Por favor, llámame tan pronto como puedasPlease call me as soon as you can.
- Por favor, si no es mucha molestia, ¿podría devolverme la llamada?Please, if it's not too much trouble, could you call me back?
- Devuelva la llamada, por favor, cuando esté libre.Please call back when you are free.
Example conversation
Alejandro leaves a voicemail for Sofía.
- AlejandroHola Sofía, soy Alejandro. ¿Podemos hablar?Hello Sofía, it's Alejandro. Can we talk?
- SofíaHola Alejandro, ahora estoy en una reunión.Hello Alejandro, I am in a meeting right now.
- AlejandroNo hay problema, devuelva la llamada, por favor.No problem, please call back.
- SofíaEstá bien, te llamo en una hora.Okay, I'll call you in an hour.
