Phrase · 📨 Passing on messages
Te habló tu mamá, que le marques en la noche.
Your mum called: she wants you to call her tonight.
B1passing on messagescolloquiales-MXAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Te1object pronoun(to) you2nd sing. · indirect objecthabló1verbcalled (phoned)hablar · past · 3rd sing.tudetermineryour2nd sing.mamánounmumfem. · sing.,que2conjunction(she says) thatle3object pronoun(to) her3rd sing. · indirect objectmarques3verbyou callmarcar · subjunctive · present · 2nd sing.en4prepositionin, atla4determinertheel · fem. · sing. · definitenoche4nounnightfem. · sing..
- Te → habló: te → hablarle (call you)
- tu → mamá: possessive + noun
- que → marques: que (message) → subjunctive
- le → marques: le → marcarle
Word for word: “Your mum spoke to you, that you dial her at night.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Mexico: hablarle a alguien = to phone someone, so te habló = she called you.
- 2In speech, que alone can introduce a message (= dice que); a request still takes the subjunctive. Reported speech I and indirect questions →
- 3Mexico: marcarle a alguien = to call someone (literally, to dial). Elsewhere: que la llames.
- 4en la noche = in the evening, tonight; very common in Latin America (also por la noche). Prepositions and adverbs of place and time →
Variations
- Te llamó tu mamá, dice que la llames en la noche.
- Llamó tu mamá: que la llames esta noche.