"Llamame un tonto"

[jemenake]

So, I was wondering, English has a humorous ambiguity in the phrase "call me a ...", as it can mean that I want you to call one of those things for me, but it can also mean that I want you to consider me to be one of those things, in a way.

For example, if I say "call me a fool", it can mean that I want you to find a fool's phone number and call them for me, but it could also mean that I want you to respond with "okay... you're a fool!".

In Spanish, I'm a little intrigued by this, as we do use llamar to indicate how we are addressed, "¿cómo se llama?", but we also use it to refer to requesting something for someone else. For example, if I say "llamame un abogado", it means that I want you to call a lawyer for me, correct?

So, if were to say "llamame un tonto", which meaning does it have, and what would I change about the phrase to make it mean the other thing?

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by jemenake

For example, if I say "llámame a un abogado", it means that I want you to call a lawyer for me, correct? (notice the addition of the personal 'a', needed when the direct object is a person)

So, if were to say "llámame un tonto", which meaning does it have, and what would I change about the phrase to make it mean the other thing?

The last request you wrote means "call me a fool," and could go on to say "for thinking that."
The first request has an important change. If you want to have someone call someone who they think is a fool, for you, you would add the personal 'a'.

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

I agree with Rusty.
I would just like to add that in Spanish there would be no ambiguity because we'd use two different constructions:

- Llámame tonto (no article)
Say that I am a fool.

- Llámame a un tonto (with the personal "a" Rusty talked about)
Call a fool for me.

[iCurvaceous]

Ohh that is interesting. I didn't know this. Thanks!