The most common way to say "you never call us" in Spanish, particularly as taught on platforms like Duolingo, is nunca nos llamas.
Understanding "Nunca Nos Llamas"
This phrase is a direct and natural translation that effectively conveys the intended meaning in Spanish. It follows a typical word order for negative statements with object pronouns.
Breaking Down the Phrase
Let's examine each component of "nunca nos llamas":
- Nunca: This means "never." It is a negative adverb, and in Spanish, negative adverbs typically come before the verb they modify to express negation.
- Nos: This is a direct object pronoun (or sometimes an indirect object pronoun, depending on context, but here it acts as direct object). It means "us" and is placed before the conjugated verb.
- Llamas: This is the verb "to call" (llamar) conjugated in the present tense for the second-person singular informal "tú" (you). The ending "-as" clearly indicates that the subject is "tú," making the explicit "tú" redundant.
Verb Conjugation: Llamar
The verb llamar (to call) is a regular -ar verb. Here's its conjugation for common subjects in the present tense:
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| yo | llamo | I call |
| tú | llamas | You call |
| él/ella/usted | llama | He/She/You calls (formal) |
| nosotros/as | llamamos | We call |
| vosotros/as | llamáis | You call (plural informal, Spain) |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | llaman | They/You call (plural formal/Latin America) |
As you can see, llamas specifically refers to "tú" (you, singular informal).
Pronoun Placement
In Spanish, object pronouns like nos (us) are generally placed directly before the conjugated verb. This is a key grammatical rule that Duolingo often reinforces.
Why "Tú" Is Often Omitted
Spanish is a "pro-drop" language, meaning that subject pronouns (like tú, yo, él, etc.) are often omitted because the verb's conjugation already indicates who the subject is. In "nunca nos llamas," the "-as" ending of llamas clearly tells us that the subject is "tú" (you, informal singular). Therefore, saying "Tú nunca nos llamas" is grammatically correct but less common in everyday speech than simply "Nunca nos llamas."
Practical Examples and Variations
Here are a few related phrases and how they would be structured:
- You never call me: Nunca me llamas.
- They never call us: Nunca nos llaman. (Note the change in verb ending for "ellos/ellas/ustedes")
- He never calls us: Nunca nos llama. (Note the change in verb ending for "él/ella/usted")
- You always call us: Siempre nos llamas. (Replacing "nunca" with "siempre" for "always")
Duolingo's Approach to Spanish Phrases
Duolingo focuses on teaching common, practical phrases and fundamental grammar patterns. The structure of "nunca nos llamas" is a prime example of a standard, widely understood phrase that beginners would encounter early on to build foundational conversational skills. It clearly demonstrates the use of negative adverbs, object pronouns, and verb conjugation in a concise manner.
