Learn Romanian › chema

chema

to call /keˈma/

verb#322 most common

Also: to summon, to name (as in 'what do they call you'), to invite

Example sentences

Cum te cheamă?
What is your name?
Mama mă cheamă la cină.
Mom is calling me for dinner.
O să te chem mâine dimineață.
I'll call you tomorrow morning.
El o chema în fiecare seară acasă.
He used to call her home every evening.
Directorul va chema o ședință de urgență.
The director will call an emergency meeting.
Bunicul obișnuia să ne cheme cu un fluierat scurt, un obicei pe care nimeni din familie nu l-a uitat.
Grandpa used to call us with a short whistle, a habit no one in the family has forgotten.

Conjugation

Present ActiveSimple Past ActiveSimple Future Active
1sgchemchemaivoi chema
2sgchemichemașivei chema
3sgcheamăchemăva chema
1plchemămchemarămvom chema
2plchemațichemarățiveți chema
3plcheamăchemarăvor chema

Word family

chemarecall, summons, vocation
chematcalled, summoned
rechemato call back, recall
chemătorinviting, beckoning

Etymology

Chema descends from Latin clamare, meaning to cry out or call, a word Romanian kept from everyday Roman speech in the region. The shift from Latin cl- to Romanian ch- is a regular sound change, the same one that turned clavis into cheie (key). The word has stayed close to its Latin sense: to summon someone by voice.

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More Romanian words

echipăteammultumescthank yousperI hopeîntrebarequestionafacerebusiness deal, transactionlegăturăconnection, bondpica drop (a tiny amount, as in "a little bit")soțiewife