Вообще-то я как раз собирался тебе позвонить, когда ты написал.

Actually, I was just about to call you when you wrote.

Breakdown of Вообще-то я как раз собирался тебе позвонить, когда ты написал.

• я: I
• когда: when
• ты: you
• позвонить: to call

Questions & Answers about Вообще-то я как раз собирался тебе позвонить, когда ты написал.

What does вообще-то add here?

Вообще-то often means something like actually, as a matter of fact, or in fact.

In this sentence, it adds a mild corrective or explanatory tone:

• Вообще-то я как раз собирался тебе позвонить...
• Actually, I was just about to call you...

It can sound like the speaker is clarifying a situation, sometimes even defending themselves a little:

• I wasn’t ignoring you — actually, I was about to call you.

So it is not just extra filler; it gives the sentence a particular attitude.

What does как раз mean in this sentence?

Как раз is a very common phrase with meanings like:

• just
• exactly
• right at that moment
• precisely

Here it means something like just about to or right then:

• я как раз собирался тебе позвонить
• I was just about to call you

It emphasizes the timing: the message arrived at exactly the moment when the speaker was planning to call.

Why is it собирался, and what does it mean?