Llamar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

llamar — to call — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Llamar means to call and to be called: llamar por teléfono, me llamo Ana. As a reflexive verb, llamarse gives your name — the first sentence every learner needs. It is regular, and it takes the personal a before the person called: llamo a María. On this page you will find llamar in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself.

Example sentences with llamar

In the present tense

  • “Yo llamo a mi madre cada domingo.” — “I call my mother every Sunday.”
  • “Ella llama al médico por la mañana.” — “She calls the doctor in the morning.”
  • “Nosotros llamamos a los invitados uno por uno.” — “We call the guests one by one.”
  • “Ellos llaman a la puerta con fuerza.” — “They knock loudly on the door.”
  • “¿Tú llamas por teléfono o en persona?” — “Do you call by phone or in person?”
  • “Vosotros llamáis al profesor si hay dudas.” — “You call the teacher if there are doubts.”

In the preterite

  • “Ayer yo llamé a mi hermano dos veces.” — “Yesterday I called my brother twice.”
  • “Ella llamó a la policía anoche.” — “She called the police last night.”
  • “Nosotros llamamos al hotel para reservar.” — “We called the hotel to book.”
  • “Ellos llamaron a sus padres desde el aeropuerto.” — “They called their parents from the airport.”
  • “¿Tú llamaste al mecánico?” — “Did you call the mechanic?”
  • “El jefe llamó a todos a una reunión.” — “The boss called everyone to a meeting.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect — the four tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “De niño, yo llamaba a mi madre por teléfono.” — “As a child, I used to call my mother by phone.”
  • “Mañana, yo llamaré a mi madre por teléfono.” — “Tomorrow, I will call my mother by phone.”
  • “Si pudiera, yo llamaría a mi madre por teléfono.” — “If I could, I would call my mother by phone.”
  • “Yo he llamado a mi madre por teléfono.” — “I have called my mother by phone.”

Llamar in context

Cada día, yo llamo a mi madre por teléfono. Mi amigo también llama a mi madre por teléfono cuando tiene tiempo. Después, yo llamo a mi madre de nuevo por la tarde. Es una parte normal de mi rutina, y por eso el presente de llamar es la primera forma que conviene aprender.

Ayer, yo llamé a mi madre por teléfono. Mi amigo llamó a mi madre por teléfono también, y por la noche yo llamé a mi madre otra vez. Fue un día normal, pero es justo en días así cuando el pretérito de llamar aparece una y otra vez: una acción terminada, un momento concreto, y la historia sigue.

Common mistakes with llamar

Mistake 1

Wrong: Me llamo Ana — learners say soy Ana for introductions.

Right: Me llamo Ana.

Introductions use llamarse: me llamo Ana, not soy Ana — though soy Ana is also heard, llamarse is the standard form.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Llamo María — missing personal a.

Right: Yo llamo a María.

People as direct objects need the personal a: llamo a María.

Quiz: llamar in everyday use

Ten questions on llamar across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of llamar in the present tense?

  • A) llamo
  • B) llamas
  • C) llama
  • D) llamamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is llamo.

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of llamar in the present tense?

  • A) llamo
  • B) llamas
  • C) llamamos
  • D) llama

Answer: D — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is llama.

3. What is the yo form of llamar in the preterite?

  • A) llamó
  • B) llamamos
  • C) llamé
  • D) llamaste

Answer: C — The yo form in the preterite is llamé.

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of llamar in the preterite?

  • A) llamó
  • B) llamaron
  • C) llamé
  • D) llamaste

Answer: B — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the preterite is llamaron.

5. What is the yo form of llamar in the imperfect?

  • A) llamaba
  • B) llamabas
  • C) llamaba
  • D) llamábamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the imperfect is llamaba.

6. What is the tú form of llamar in the future?

  • A) llamaré
  • B) llamará
  • C) llamaremos
  • D) llamarás

Answer: D — The tú form in the future is llamarás.

7. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of llamar in the conditional?

  • A) llamarías
  • B) llamaríamos
  • C) llamaría
  • D) llamaría

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional is llamaría.

8. What is the nosotros/as form of llamar in the present perfect?

  • A) ha llamado
  • B) hemos llamado
  • C) he llamado
  • D) has llamado

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present perfect is hemos llamado.

9. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ a mi madre cada domingo.” (I call my mother every Sunday.)

  • A) llamo
  • B) llamas
  • C) llama
  • D) llamamos

Answer: A — The sentence needs llamo.

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Me llamo Ana.
  • B) Me llamo Ana — learners say soy Ana for introductions.

Answer: A — Introductions use llamarse: me llamo Ana, not soy Ana — though soy Ana is also heard, llamarse is the standard form.

Frequently asked questions

What does llamar mean?

llamar means “to call” in English. Llamar means to call and to be called: llamar por teléfono, me llamo Ana. As a reflexive verb, llamarse gives your name — the first sentence every learner needs. It is regular, and it takes the personal a before the person called: llamo a María.

Is llamar regular?

Yes. llamar is a regular -ar verb, so its forms follow the standard endings in every tense. That makes it a good verb to learn early — once you know the endings, you know the verb.

When do I use llamar in the past — preterite or imperfect?

Use the preterite — llamé, llamaste, llamó — for a finished action at a specific moment, and the imperfect — llamaba, llamabas, llamaba — for what was happening, what used to happen, or the background. The same rule applies to llamar as to every Spanish verb; the tense changes the meaning, not the verb.

How can I practise llamar?

Start with the examples above, say them aloud, then take the quiz on this page. For more practice, use the Spanish Verb Quiz and the Llamar Conjugator, and read the full conjugation page for llamar to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo llamo…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo llamé…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo llamaré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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