ELONIO
Log inSign up

Volvimos a llamarte, pero mandaste un mensaje en lugar de contestar.

Volvimos a llamarte, pero mandaste un mensaje en lugar de contestar.
We called you again, but you sent a message instead of answering.
FromLesson 15inHardcore Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Volvimos a llamarte, pero mandaste un mensaje en lugar de contestar.

What does volver a + infinitive mean, and why is there an a?

It means “to do something again.” The preposition a is obligatory and links volver to the infinitive:

  • Volvimos a llamarte = We called you again. You cannot drop the a: Volvimos llamarte is ungrammatical.
Can the pronoun te go somewhere else? Te volvimos a llamar vs Volvimos a llamarte?

Yes. Spanish clitic pronouns can be:

Why doesn’t llamarte take an accent?
Because llamarte ends in a vowel and is stressed on the penultimate syllable (lla-MAR-te), which follows the normal stress rule, so no accent is needed. Accents appear when attachment breaks the rule, e.g. llamándote, dímelo, cómetelo.
Could I say Volvimos llamarte without the a?
No. The pattern is volver a + infinitive. Without a, it’s ungrammatical.
Why is it pero and not sino?

Use pero to contrast two statements in general. Use sino (que) only after a negation to correct the first part:

  • With negation: No te llamamos, sino que te mandamos un mensaje.
  • In your sentence there is no negation, so pero is correct.
Is the comma before pero necessary?
Recommended. In Spanish, a comma is normally placed before adversatives like pero when they join independent clauses: Volvimos a llamarte, pero…. If the second part is very short, some writers omit it, but the comma is standard.
Why is the preterite used (volvimos, mandaste)? Could I use the present perfect?

The preterite (volvimos, mandaste) presents completed past events. In Spain, the present perfect is also common for recent, “today-type” past:

  • Hemos vuelto a llamarte, pero has mandado un mensaje… (more natural if it happened today). Both are correct; choice depends on timeframe and style.
Is mandar the best verb for sent? Can I use enviar?

Both work:

  • mandar = very common and informal in Spain: mandaste un mensaje, me mandó un WhatsApp.
  • enviar = a bit more formal/neutral: enviaste un mensaje. Meaning is the same here.
Should it be nos mandaste un mensaje? Do I need nos?

Optional. If context makes it clear the message was to us, mandaste un mensaje is fine. To make the recipient explicit, add the indirect object:

  • Nos mandaste un mensaje.
  • Long form (less common in speech): Mandaste un mensaje a nosotros.
Does contestar need an object? Should it be contestar al teléfono or contestarnos?

All are possible, with slight nuances:

  • Generic/intransitive: en lugar de contestar (= instead of answering/picking up).
  • To us: en lugar de contestarnos or en lugar de contestarnos la llamada.
  • Explicit phone: en lugar de contestar al teléfono or, in Spain, en lugar de coger el teléfono.
Can I use responder instead of contestar?

You can, but preferences differ:

  • For calls, Spaniards commonly say contestar (al teléfono) or coger el teléfono. Responder is less idiomatic for picking up a call.
  • For messages, questions, emails: both responder and contestar are fine.
Is coger el teléfono okay in Spain?
Yes, very idiomatic in Spain: coger el teléfono = answer/pick up the phone. Note: in much of Latin America, coger can be vulgar, so they avoid it; they use contestar/atender el teléfono instead.
Why is contestar an infinitive and not contestaste?

Because en lugar de takes an infinitive when it means “instead of doing X”:

  • …mandaste un mensaje en lugar de contestar. If you use a finite clause, you’d say: …en lugar de que contestaras (subjunctive), which is a different structure.
Is en lugar de the same as en vez de?
Yes, they’re near-synonyms. En lugar de is a touch more formal; en vez de is very common in speech. Either works here.
Can I say both volver a and otra vez/de nuevo together, or is that redundant?

It’s often considered redundant, though you’ll hear it in speech. Prefer one:

  • Volvimos a llamarte.
  • Te llamamos otra vez / de nuevo.
Why llamarte and not llamar a ti?

People are direct objects with the personal a, but when you use a clitic pronoun, you don’t keep a ti:

  • With a name: Volvimos a llamar a María.
  • With a pronoun: Volvimos a llamarte. (not a ti) Using both is only for contrast/emphasis: a ti (and not someone else).
How would this change with usted or with him/her/them? Any Spain-specific notes?
  • Usted: Hemos/Volvimos a llamarle, … pero nos mandó un mensaje…. In Spain, le for masculine direct human objects is common (leísmo), so llamarle is widely accepted.
  • Él/Ella: Lo/La volvimos a llamar, … pero nos mandó un mensaje….
  • Ellos/Ellas: Los/Las volvimos a llamar, … pero nos mandaron un mensaje….
Can I move en lugar de to the front?
Yes: En lugar de contestar, mandaste un mensaje. Both orders are fine. Keep the comma after the introductory phrase.
Could I refer to the phone or the call with a pronoun: contestarlo/contestarla?

Yes, if you make the object explicit:

  • Phone: contestar el teléfono / contestarlo (less common than coger el teléfono in Spain).
  • Call: contestar la llamada / contestarla is clear and natural.
Is Volvimos a llamarte the only natural wording? What about Te llamamos de nuevo/otra vez?

All are natural:

  • Volvimos a llamarte.
  • Te volvimos a llamar.
  • Te llamamos de nuevo / otra vez. Choose what flows best; meaning is the same.
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Spanish grammar?”
Spanish grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.

Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor

Start learning Spanish

Master Spanish — from Volvimos a llamarte, pero mandaste un mensaje en lugar de contestar to fluency

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
  • ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
  • ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
  • ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions
Start learning Spanish→