telefonear
Lemma Details
Translation: to telephone; to call; to phone
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: Derived from 'teléfono' (telephone), which comes from Greek 'tele' (far) and 'phone' (voice, sound). The verb was formed by adding the Spanish verbal suffix '-ear' to create an action verb meaning 'to use a telephone'. This follows the same pattern as English 'telephone' becoming the verb 'to telephone', though English more commonly uses 'to call' or 'to phone'.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 90%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Te telefonearé mañana para confirmar la cita.
I'll call you tomorrow to confirm the appointment.
Mi madre me telefonea todos los domingos.
My mother calls me every Sunday.
¿Puedes telefonear al médico para cambiar la hora?
Can you call the doctor to change the time?
Telefoneé a la oficina pero nadie contestó.
I called the office but nobody answered.
Mnemonics
- Think of the English word 'telephone' with an '-ear' ending, as if you're using your ear to telephone someone.
- Visualize a telephone with ears attached to it to remember 'telefonear'.
- The '-ear' ending is a common verb ending in Spanish (like 'chatear' - to chat), so remember it follows this pattern.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
While 'telefonear' is understood throughout the Spanish-speaking world, in many regions 'llamar' is more commonly used in everyday speech. The usage of 'telefonear' may sound slightly more formal or old-fashioned in some contexts, especially among younger speakers who might prefer 'llamar' or phrases like 'hacer una llamada'.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While both mean 'to call', 'telefonear' specifically refers to making a phone call, whereas 'llamar' can mean to call in any sense (including to call someone's name, to call for something, etc.).
Confused word:
Te llamaré cuando llegue a casa.
I'll call you when I get home (could be by phone or other means).
Notes: In many contexts, these verbs are interchangeable when referring to phone calls, but 'llamar' is generally more common in everyday speech.
Mnemonic: 'Telefonear' has 'teléfono' (telephone) in it, so it always involves a phone; 'llamar' is shorter and more general.
Explanation: Both start with 'tele-' (meaning 'far' or 'distant'), but 'telefonear' means to call by phone while 'televisar' means to broadcast on television.
Confused word:
Van a televisar el partido de fútbol.
They're going to broadcast the soccer match on TV.
Notes: Both verbs are derived from technologies that transmit information over distances, but they use different sensory channels.
Mnemonic: 'Telefonear' has 'fon' (sound) in it, while 'televisar' has 'vis' (vision) - one is for hearing, one is for seeing.