call
gb/kˈɔl/ us/kˈɔl/
A1
English
~ 1100
felhív, kiált, hív, nevez, telefonhívás, hívás, telefon, behív, kihív
VERB
A1
1
felhív
A2
Usage pattern:
to call [someone]
I’ll call you when I get home.
Felhívlak, ha hazaérek.
She called her mother to share the good news.
Felhívta az anyját, hogy elmondja neki a jó hírt.
Can you call the restaurant to book a table?
He called me twice this morning.
Please call customer service for assistance.
Learner examples
I will call my friend.
Felhívom a barátomat.
Please call me later.
Kérlek, hívj fel később.
She calls her mom every day.
He called the doctor.
Call the shop to ask about the price.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'call' with 'phone' or 'ring'; all can mean contacting someone by telephone, but 'ring' is more common in British English.
Meaning
contact by telephone
Collocations
call back
|call up
|call number
|make a call
|call directly
Synonyms
phone (More informal and commonly used in speech; interchangeable in most contexts.)
Antonyms
hang up (Refers to ending a phone call, the opposite of initiating one.)
Themes
daily life
|communication
|technology
|daily_life
Definition
To talk to someone by using a phone.
To communicate with someone by making a telephone connection.
VERB
A2
2
kiált
B1
Usage pattern:
to call [to someone]
She called to her dog from across the yard.
Odakiáltott a kutyájának az udvar túlsó végéből.
I heard someone calling my name in the crowd.
Hallottam, hogy valaki a nevemet kiáltja a tömegben.
The teacher called for silence.
He called to me from the balcony.
They called out to the passing boat.
Learner examples
I called to my friend.
Odakiáltottam a barátomnak.
She called my name.
A nevemet kiáltotta.
He called for help.
We called to the man on the street.
They called to their parents.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'call' meaning 'shout' with 'call' meaning 'phone'. Context determines meaning.
Meaning
shout to attract attention
Collocations
call out
|call loudly
|call someone's name
Synonyms
shout (Implies greater loudness or urgency; 'call' can be softer or more neutral.)
Antonyms
whisper (Speaking very softly, the opposite of calling out.)
Themes
daily life
|communication
|daily_life
Definition
To speak loudly so someone can hear you from far away.
To say something loudly in order to get someone's attention or communicate from a distance.
VERB
A2
3
Usage pattern:
to call [someone/something] [name/description]
They decided to call their son James.
Úgy döntöttek, hogy Jamesnek fogják hívni a fiukat.
Everyone calls her 'Doc' because she’s a doctor.
Mindenki Dokinak hívja, mert orvos.
You can call it luck, but I think it was skill.
The town was called Riverton until 1920.
He calls his cat 'Buddy'.
Learner examples
My friends call me Sam.
A barátaim Samnek hívnak.
We call our dog Max.
A kutyánkat Maxnak hívjuk.
They call this place the Old Town.
I call him 'Boss'.
People call her Sunny.
Common mistake:
Learners may omit 'someone/something' in patterns like 'call him John', resulting in ungrammatical sentences.
Meaning
give a name or label
Collocations
call names
|call someone something
|called after
Synonyms
name (A more formal way to assign a name; 'call' is more general and conversational.)
Antonyms
misname (To give the wrong name.)
Themes
communication
|education
Definition
To use a word or name for a person or thing.
To refer to someone or something by a particular name or description.
NOUN
A1
4
I need to make an important call.
Fontos telefonhívást kell elintéznem.
She missed my call this morning.
Ma reggel nem fogadta a hívásomat.
The meeting was interrupted by a phone call.
I'll return your call later.
We had a long call last night.
Learner examples
I got a call from my friend.
Hívást kaptam a barátomtól.
Please make a call now.
Kérlek, telefonálj most.
She missed my call.
I will return your call later.
He made a short call.
Meaning
telephone communication event
Collocations
make a call
|missed call
|phone call
Synonyms
phone call (More explicit; exactly the same meaning but longer form.)
Antonyms
text message (A written communication via phone instead of voice.)
Themes
daily life
|communication
|daily_life
Definition
A time when you talk to someone on the phone.
An instance of speaking to someone by telephone.
VERB
B1
5
Usage pattern:
to call [someone] [to somewhere]
The manager called everyone into the conference room.
A vezető mindenkit behívott a tárgyalóba.
They called the police after hearing noises downstairs.
Rendőrt hívtak, miután zajt hallottak lentről.
The teacher called the students to the front of the class.
I was called to the principal’s office yesterday.
The army was called in to help with the flood.
Learner examples
Please call the doctor now.
Kérlek, hívj most orvost.
The boss called me to his office.
A főnök behívott az irodájába.
Call the police if there is trouble.
They called us into the room.
She called her children home.
Meaning
summon someone to come
Collocations
call a meeting
|call the police
|call together
Synonyms
summon ('Summon' is more formal and used in official contexts; 'call' is broader and less formal.)
Antonyms
dismiss (To send someone away instead of requesting their presence.)
Themes
daily life
|work
|communication
Definition
To tell someone they must come to you or somewhere else.
To ask or order someone to come to you or go somewhere, often officially or urgently.
Grammar
Dictionary form
call
IPA
GB/kˈɔl/
US/kˈɔl/
Syllables & stress
call (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (call)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: call
- Plural: calls
Verb
- Base: call
- 3rd Person Singular: calls
- Present Participle: calling
- Past: called
Word family
Expressions
call for
1/kˈɔl fɚ/
phrasal verb
demand or require something
To say that something should happen or is needed.
Examples
- This situation calls for immediate action.
- The union is calling for higher wages.
call off
1/kˈɔl ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
cancel an event or plan
To decide that something planned will not happen.
Examples
- They had to call off the wedding due to illness.
- The game was called off because of rain.
call out
1/kˈɔl ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
shout or publicly challenge someone/something
To shout so someone can hear you, or to criticize someone in public.
Examples
- She called out his name as he left.
- They called out the company for unfair practices.
close call
1/klˈoʊs kˈɔl/
idiom
Narrow escape from danger or trouble
A situation where something bad almost happened but did not.
Examples
- That was a close call—we almost hit that car!
- That was a close call — we almost hit that car!
- It was a close call, but we finished before the deadline.
- It was a close call, but we made it on time.
call it a day
1/kˈɔl ˈɪt ə dˈeɪ/
idiom
informal
stop working for today or end activity
To stop working because you have done enough for now.
Examples
- We’ve done enough for now—let’s call it a day.
- We've been painting for hours; let's call it a day.
- Let's call it a day and finish tomorrow.
- After finishing the report, I decided to call it a day.
- I think I'll call it a day and head home.
- After three meetings, we decided to call it a day.