llamado
Wordform Details
Translation: callednamed
Part of Speech: verb
Inflection Type:
pastparticiplemasculinesingularIs Dictionary Form: No
Dictionary Form Details
Lemma Details
Translation: to call; to name; to summon; to knock
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: From Latin 'clamare' meaning 'to shout, cry out'. This Latin root also gave English words like 'claim', 'clamor', 'exclaim', and 'proclaim'. The initial 'cl-' sound in Latin evolved to 'll-' in Spanish, a common phonetic shift in Romance languages.
Commonality: 95%
Guessability: 30%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Te llamaré mañana.
I will call you tomorrow.
Me llamo Carlos.
My name is Carlos.
Alguien está llamando a la puerta.
Someone is knocking on the door.
El profesor llamó a los estudiantes a la pizarra.
The teacher called the students to the board.
Ese color llama mucho la atención.
That color really attracts attention.
Mnemonics
- Think of a llama making a loud call or cry, connecting to the 'to call' meaning.
- The double 'll' at the beginning looks like two telephone poles, reminding you of making a call.
- Connect it to English 'clamor' (noise, outcry) - when you call someone, you're making your voice heard.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking cultures, 'llamar' is used not only for telephone calls but also for knocking on doors (llamar a la puerta). The reflexive form 'llamarse' is the standard way to express one's name ('Me llamo Juan' = 'My name is Juan', literally 'I call myself Juan').
Easily Confused With
Explanation: 'Llamar' means 'to call' while 'llevar' means 'to carry' or 'to take'. Both are common verbs starting with 'll' but have completely different meanings.
Confused word:
Llevaré mi paraguas porque va a llover.
I will take my umbrella because it's going to rain.
Notes: Both are regular -ar verbs but with completely different meanings and uses in everyday conversation.
Mnemonic: Think: 'llamar' has 'am' in it - 'I AM calling you'. 'Llevar' has 'ev' - 'I'm EVER carrying things'.
Explanation: 'Llamar' is the everyday word for 'to call', while 'clamar' is a more formal or literary term meaning 'to cry out' or 'to clamor'. They share the same Latin root but 'clamar' is much less common.
Notes: 'Clamar' is rarely used in everyday speech, while 'llamar' is extremely common.
Mnemonic: Notice that 'clamar' preserves the original Latin 'cl-' sound and is closer to English 'clamor', while 'llamar' has evolved to the Spanish 'll-' sound.