Llamé al fabricante.

I called the manufacturer.

Breakdown of Llamé al fabricante.

• al: to the
• llamar: to call
• el fabricante: the manufacturer

Questions & Answers about Llamé al fabricante.

Why is there an accent mark in llamé?

The accent mark shows both pronunciation and tense/person.

• llamé = I called (first person singular, preterite)
• Without the accent, llame is a different form, usually:
  • the present subjunctive: que yo llame
  • or the formal command: llame usted

The accent tells you the stress goes on the last syllable: lla-MÉ.

What tense is llamé?

It is the preterite tense, specifically:

• first person singular
• from the verb llamar
• llamé = I called

The Spanish preterite is commonly used for a completed action in the past.

For example:

• Llamé al fabricante ayer. = I called the manufacturer yesterday.
• Llamé y nadie respondió. = I called and nobody answered.

Why is it al and not a el?