llamar

Spanish

From Old Spanish lamar, from Latin clāmāre, present active infinitive of clamō (“cry out”), whence also the borrowed Spanish doublet clamar. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- (“to shout”). Cognate with English claim.

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to summon, to call
Te estuve llamando a voces.—“I was summoning you by voice.”

Me llamó con la mano para que me acercase.—“[He] summoned me with [his] hand in order to bring me near.”
1. to call (on the telephone)
  Te llaman desde París.—“They are calling you from Paris.”
  
  Que me llamen a las siete.—“May they call me at seven o'clock.”
  
  Ha llamado a Maribel.—“[He] has called Maribel.”
2. to knock (on a door)
  Entren sin llamar.—“ Enter without knocking.”
3. to ring (a doorbell)
  ¿Quién llama?—“Who is ringing [the doorbell]?”
to refer to
¿Cómo van a llamar al niño?—“How are they going to refer to the child?”

Eso yo lo llamo un auténtico robo.—“I refer to that as an authentic robbery.”

La llamó de todo.—“[He] referred to her about everything.”
to appeal; to attract
El ejército llama a muchos jóvenes.—“The army appeals to many youths.”

El chocolate no me llama demasiado.—“Chocolate does not appeal to me too much.”

llamar la atención—to attract attention
(reflexive) to be called
¿Cómo te llamas? (informal) / ¿Cómo se llama? (formal)—“What is your name?” (literally, “How are [you] called?”)

Mi primo se llama Benjamín.—“My cousin’s name is Benjamin.” (literally, “My cousin is called Benjamin.”)