móvil VS celular

Question

¿En el lugar donde vives le llaman (teléfono) móvil, o (teléfono) celular?

Answer 1

American English speakers normally talk about their "cellphone". British English speakers always call it their "mobile phone".

So I guess that's why American Spanish speakers use "celular" and European Spanish speakers use "móvil" - it's a geographical thing

• Hmm, I guess that explains why I do it then. - Charlius Dec 10, 2010

Answer 2

Japanese: "keitai denwa" = "portable (tele)phone"

• Good to know ;) - bomberapolac Dec 9, 2010

Answer 3

México: celular

Answer 4

No one understands me when I say 'celular' here (Spain), but are able to piece it together through context.

I don't know, I just can't get myself to say 'movil'. It feels sooooo, I don't know..strange to say for me. So even though I know the person I'm talking with won't know it, I continue to say 'celular'. Stubborn as a mule, eh?

-Charlius-

• do they still say ordenador? - margaretbl Dec 9, 2010
• Yup, ordenador is the preferred word. - Charlius Dec 10, 2010

Answer 5

Probably due to the influence of The Who. . .Going Cellular just doesn't quite work the same way.

Answer 6

Celular más bien cell phone.

Answer 7

Argentina: celular

• Ecuador también. - lorenzo9 Dec 9, 2010

Answer 8

Polonia: komórka

• Just in case someone might be interested: "komórka" in Polish means "cubbyhole", "cell". - bomberapolac Dec 9, 2010

Answer 9

En España solo se dice "móvil". El termino "celular" no se usa nunca para referirse a un teléfono. La gente al principio lo llamaba "teléfono móvil" pero por economía verbal se ha quedado en "móvil".

Celular es un término casi exclusivamente reservado a lo relativo a las células.

Answer 10

By the way, do you know what the numbers 50538 50538 stand for in a text message? Spanish native speakers -- mum's the word!

• jeje - lorenzo9 Dec 9, 2010

Answer 11

In German, it is "das Handy", which is very ... er... handy.

No one understands me when I say 'celular' here (Spain), but are able to piece it together through context.

This is also true in English. When I'm in the US and say to someone, "Call me on my mobile.", s/he really doesn't have a clue what I mean and can't seem to work it out, either. Perhaps we need to export more British programmes to them. I have also heard cell phone being used in New Zealand but more often they say mobile.

BTW, it's "il cellulare" in Italian and "le portable" in French.

Answer 12

Phone. Maybe cell phone if you want to be specific, but everyone carries one all the time, and they only use their cell phone, so it's devolving back to phone here in California. Or celular, for much of the population.