Chiamare is a versatile Italian verb that beginners will quickly encounter. At an A1 level, you'll most often use it to mean 'to call' someone on the phone. For example, Voglio chiamare mia madre translates to 'I want to call my mother'.
Beyond telephone calls, chiamare can also mean 'to call out' or 'to summon'. You might hear Il professore chiama il nome dello studente ('The professor calls out the student's name'). It can also be used reflexively, as in Chiamarsi, meaning 'to be called' or 'to be named'. So, if someone asks Come ti chiami?, they are asking 'What are you called?' or 'What's your name?', and you would respond Mi chiamo [your name] ('I am called [your name]').
chiamare en 30 secondes
- Use 'chiamare' for phone calls.
- Use 'chiamare' to ask/say someone's name.
- Can also mean 'to summon' or 'to label'.
Expressions idiomatiques
"Chiamarsi fuori"
To opt out, to withdraw (from a situation, project, etc.)
Ho deciso di chiamarmi fuori da quel progetto. (I decided to opt out of that project.)
neutral"Chiamare in causa"
To call into question, to involve (someone in a legal matter or dispute)
Hanno chiamato in causa l'azienda per i danni. (They called the company into question for the damages.)
formal"Chiamare alle armi"
To call to arms (to recruit for military service, or metaphorically, to rally support)
Il leader ha chiamato alle armi i suoi sostenitori. (The leader called his supporters to arms.)
neutral"Chiamare a raccolta"
To gather, to summon (people for a meeting, a cause, etc.)
Ha chiamato a raccolta tutti i membri del team. (He gathered all the team members.)
neutral"Chiamare pane al pane e vino al vino"
To call a spade a spade (to speak plainly and directly)
Dobbiamo chiamare pane al pane e vino al vino, la situazione è grave. (We need to call a spade a spade, the situation is serious.)
neutral"Chiamare in disparte"
To call aside, to take someone aside (to speak privately)
Il capo mi ha chiamato in disparte per parlarmi. (The boss called me aside to talk to me.)
neutral"Chiamare in aiuto"
To call for help
Ha chiamato in aiuto quando ha visto l'incidente. (He called for help when he saw the accident.)
neutral"Chiamare per nome"
To call by name
Mi piace quando le persone mi chiamano per nome. (I like it when people call me by name.)
neutral"Chiamare la palla"
To call for the ball (in sports)
Il giocatore ha chiamato la palla al suo compagno. (The player called for the ball to his teammate.)
neutral"Chiamarsi fuori dai giochi"
To take oneself out of the running, to withdraw from a competition or situation
Dopo l'infortunio, ha deciso di chiamarsi fuori dai giochi. (After the injury, he decided to take himself out of the running.)
informalQuestions fréquentes
10 questionsThe Italian word for 'to call' is chiamare.
Yes, absolutely! You can use chiamare to talk about calling someone on the phone. For example, 'Ti chiamo dopo' means 'I'll call you later.'
Yes, chiamare can also mean 'to name' or 'to be called'. For example, 'Mi chiamo Paolo' means 'My name is Paolo' (literally, 'I call myself Paolo').
Here's the present tense conjugation for chiamare:
Io chiamo (I call)
Tu chiami (You call)
Lui/Lei chiama (He/She calls)
Noi chiamiamo (We call)
Voi chiamate (You all call)
Loro chiamano (They call)
While both relate to phone calls, chiamare is more general ('to call'), and telefonare specifically means 'to make a phone call' or 'to phone'. You can use both! 'Chiamo mio padre' and 'Telefono a mio padre' are both common.
You use the reflexive form: 'Mi chiamo [your name]'. For example, 'Mi chiamo Sofia'.
Yes, chiamare is a regular -are verb, which means its conjugations follow a predictable pattern.
You can say 'Chiamami!' (informal, to one person) or 'Chiamatemi!' (informal, to multiple people, or formal to one person).
Yes, it can. For example, 'Ho chiamato il mio cane' means 'I called my dog'.
A very useful phrase is 'Come ti chiami?' (What is your name? - informal) or 'Come si chiama?' (What is your name? - formal). This literally means 'How do you call yourself?'
Teste-toi 6 questions
Choose the correct Italian translation for 'I call my mother every day.'
'Chiamo' is the correct conjugation for 'I call'.
Which sentence correctly uses 'chiamare' to mean 'to call' (on the phone)?
'Devo chiamare mio fratello' means 'I need to call my brother.'
How do you say 'They call us often' in Italian?
The direct object pronoun 'ci' (us) comes before the conjugated verb 'chiamano' (they call).
The sentence 'Lei chiama un taxi.' means 'She is calling a taxi.'
'Lei chiama' is the third person singular conjugation of 'chiamare', meaning 'she calls' or 'she is calling'.
In Italian, 'chiamare' can only be used to mean 'to make a phone call'.
'Chiamare' can also mean 'to call out to someone' or 'to name'. For example, 'Mi chiamo...' (I am called/my name is...).
'Chiamiamo' is the correct conjugation for 'We call'.
'Chiamiamo' is the first person plural conjugation of 'chiamare', meaning 'we call'.
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Summary
Remember that 'chiamare' is a fundamental verb for communication and introductions in Italian.
- Use 'chiamare' for phone calls.
- Use 'chiamare' to ask/say someone's name.
- Can also mean 'to summon' or 'to label'.
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Expressions liées
Plus de mots sur daily_life
a
A1to, at
abbandonare
B1To leave behind or give up something
abbastanza
B1Sufficiently or quite a bit.
abbigliamento
B1Clothing or attire.
abitare
A1to live, to reside
abitazione
A1A place where one lives; a home.
abito
A2clothing or a suit
abituale
B2Usual, customary, or habitual.
abitudine
B1A settled or regular tendency or practice.
accanto
A2next to or beside
