Spanish · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 40
Lo llamoI call him
Phone and messages. Vocabulary: el teléfono, el móvil, llamar, la llamada, el mensaje, contestar, mandar, escribir, hablar por teléfono, colgar. Key point: to avoid repeating the object noun, you use a direct object pronoun: lo (him/it), la (her/it), los, las. And it goes BEFORE the conjugated verb: "¿Llamas a Carlos? — Sí, lo llamo". "¿Ves la película? — La veo". For people, me, te, nos also go in front: "Te llamo mañana", "Me llaman mucho". English speakers, because in English the pronoun goes AFTER the verb ("I call him"), place it wrongly or keep the full noun: "Yo llamo él" ✗ → "Lo llamo" ✓.
Dialogue
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Yo llamo él / Lo llamo
- LucíaMike, ¿vas a llamar a Carlos?Mike, are you going to call Carlos?
- MikeSí, yo llamo él ahora.Yes, I call him now. (slip: the pronoun goes before the verb — "lo llamo")
- LucíaEl pronombre va delante: "lo llamo", no "llamo él".The pronoun goes in front: "lo llamo", not "llamo él".
- MikeAh, claro. Lo llamo ahora. ¿Y a María?Ah, right. I call him now. And Maria?
- LucíaA María la llamas después. "La", porque es femenino.You call Maria afterwards. "La", because it is feminine.
- MikeEntendido: lo llamo a él, la llamo a ella. ¡Gracias!Got it: I call him, I call her. Thanks!
Dialogue
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Una llamada— A phone call
- CarlosLucía, ¿tienes el número de Ana? La quiero llamar.Lucía, do you have Ana's number? I want to call her.
- LucíaSí, te lo mando por mensaje ahora mismo.Yes, I will send it to you by message right now.
- CarlosGracias. La llamo esta tarde para invitarla.Thanks. I will call her this afternoon to invite her.
- LucíaSi no contesta, mándale un mensaje. Siempre los lee.If she doesn't answer, send her a message. She always reads them.
- CarlosBuena idea. La llamo y, si no, le escribo.Good idea. I call her, and if not, I write to her.
- LucíaPerfecto. Te veo luego. ¡Ya cuelgo!Perfect. See you later. I'm hanging up now!
Vocabulary
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- el teléfono
n.m.telephone
- el móvil
n.m.mobile, cell phone
- llamar
verbto call
- la llamada
n.f.phone call
- el mensaje
n.m.message
- contestar
verbto answer, reply
- mandar
verbto send
- escribir
verbto write
- hablar por teléfono
expr.to talk on the phone
- colgar
verbto hang up
Grammar
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Object pronouns: lo, la, los, las
Explanation
When we already know which object we are talking about, there is no need to repeat the noun: we replace it with a direct object pronoun. The forms are: lo (masc. sing., "him/it"), la (fem. sing., "her/it"), los (masc. plural), las (fem. plural). These pronouns ALWAYS go right BEFORE the conjugated verb: "¿Llamas a Carlos? — Sí, lo llamo". "¿Compras el móvil? — Lo compro". "¿Ves la película? — La veo". "¿Escribes los mensajes? — Los escribo". For people there are also "me" (me), "te" (you), "nos" (us), likewise before the verb: "Te llamo esta noche", "Me llaman mucho". Typical mistake: in English the pronoun goes AFTER the verb ("I call him"), so English speakers copy that order and put the pronoun after, or repeat the noun: "Yo llamo él" ✗ → "Lo llamo" ✓.
Examples
- ¿Llamas a Carlos? — Sí, lo llamo ahora.Are you calling Carlos? — Yes, I am calling him now.
- ¿Ves la película? — La veo esta noche.Are you watching the film? — I am watching it tonight.
- Te llamo esta noche, ¿vale?I will call you tonight, okay?
- Mis amigos me escriben mensajes cada día.My friends write me messages every day.
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