Use of "llamar a" when "llamar" will do
Is it just a "whatever one feels like doing" situation when it comes to choosing between "llamar a" and "llamar"?
Background: It is my understanding that llamar never needs to be followed by "a" (unless of course it is a situation requiring a "personal a"). Yet, I keep seeing examples of "llamar a" being used when only "llamar" will do. For instance:
- "¡LLama a la estación de bomberos!" (from a Spanish lesson on my software program)
- "llamar (a) un taxi" (from SpanishDict......here expressing that the "a" is optional)
So, what´s the deal with "a" after "llamar"? Should I just do whatever I want? Is that what everyone else does? Or, is it better to be consistent and choose to use either "llamar" or "llamar a"?
7 Answers
When llamar means 'to call' it is transitive and requires an object - and in this case the direct object will be introduced by 'a'.
Hence ....
Llama a la estacíon de bomberos.
But there is a bit of a grey area here because llamar when it means 'to telephone' (also to knock, ring etc) is intransitive that doesn't have direct object and therefore no 'a' is needed.
Hence ...
llama un taxi or llama a un taxi are both acceptable
Basically, when we summon or make an appointment using llamar the a is used, so technically in your examples the a should be used. Of course if the senario is to call the fire station just to chat with someone there, then the a is not used.
Ok, I finally found this thread again, and I found you an answer.
As is often the case it's quite simple really.
Llamar can mean 'to call' someone or something a name etc or 'to call' someone or something as in to contact them.
To avoid ambiguity you use the 'a'.
Llamo un taxi. I'm calling a taxi.
Ok then, what are you going to call it?
No, llamo a un taxi.
Oh you're calling a taxi, to pick you up or something, right, I get it.
That answer is thanks to Lazarus, for those who remember him when he used to help out on this site, gracias maestro!
Kiwi:
Correct, although I think the "a" should be placed there and it is the only proper way to say it, the other option has become accepted simply because people in the long run got confused when people say such thing as "llama a un taxi" that gets shortened to "llama un taxi" cause of talking too fast..
Hear that for a couple of decades or even centuries, granted that taxis as such didn't exist centuries ago, and you are bound to find a mess with the language, any language.
Llamar a mi un taxi.- call a taxi for me .
Llamar mi un taxi , Ok tu eres un taxi . - call me a taxi , Ok you are a taxi.
Am I getting warm Kiwi aye?
thank you for coming back to this. It makes sense and it doesn´t. Just goes to show how comfortable a person is in their native language. I would never misinterpret "I´m calling a taxi" but I also see your point how it could be misinterpreted. - Trieltor 1
Ok I think the confusion has arisen because call can mean so many different things.
But probably call a taxi falls into this transitive use of llamar
Rae - llamar - 1. tr. Dar voces a alguien o hacer ademanes para que venga o para advertirle algo.
although .... just to confuse the issue jeje ..... to name something is also transitive
- tr. Designar con una palabra; aplicar una denominación, título o calificativo. Aquí llamamos falda a lo que en Argentina llaman pollera. Desde aquel día llamaron don Luis a Luisito. Todos la llamaban orgullosa.
Ignoring the personal "a" this again may be the survival of the old Latin "ad" with direction or purpose--in some instances at least.
There is a similar construction in English:
"Did you call to him before he jumped off the cliff?"
"Did you call him before he jumped off the cliff?"
