chiamarti

Chiamarti is the Italian infinitive of the verb chiamare with the second-person singular pronoun ti attached, meaning “to call you.” It is not a separate word in meaning, but a grammatical form used to express the action of calling the person addressed.

In standard Italian, clitic pronouns like ti are attached to the infinitive when it follows a conjugated verb, forming phrases such as Voglio chiamarti (I want to call you) or Devo chiamarti (I must call you). The form chiamarti can also function as a noun-like infinitive in nonfinite clauses, where the entire infinitive acts as the subject or complement of a sentence: Chiamarti è importante (Calling you is important) or Chiamarti non è facile (Calling you is not easy).

The ti in chiamarti signals the second-person direct object, indicating the person who is to be called. This construction is common in spoken and written Italian and mirrors a broader pattern of attaching clitics to infinitives in periphrastic verb structures. It should not be confused with reflexive forms; ti in this case marks the recipient of the action, not a self-directed action.

Etymology traces to the verb chiamare, “to call,” from Latin clamare. The addition of the clitic ti is part of standard Italian clitic pronoun usage, which attaches to the verb form to indicate person and role of the object.

Related topics include Italian clitic pronouns, infinitive constructions, and periphrastic verb forms.