chiamava

Chiamava is the imperfect indicative form of the Italian verb chiamare, meaning to call or to name. It corresponds to English phrases such as he was calling, she was calling, or you (formal) were calling. In the imperfect, chiamava denotes an action that was ongoing or habitual in the past, or a background action in a narrative. The form can also appear in the formal address Lei, meaning you were calling, when used in past context.

Etymology and related forms: chiamare comes from the Latin clamare, to cry out or proclaim, evolving in Italian to express both calling by name and making a telephone call. The imperfect suffix -ava yields forms like chiamavo, chiamavi, chiamava, which collectively convey past habitual or ongoing action.

Usage notes: The imperfect is contrasted with the passato prossimo (eg, ha chiamato, she called) to indicate a completed past action. In storytelling, chiamava is common to describe ongoing activities or recurring events. It can also express politeness in indirect discourse or formal address in past contexts when combined with Lei.

Common meanings and contexts:

- To call someone by name: “Mi chiamava per nome.”

- To make a phone call in the past: “Chiamava la madre ogni sera.”

- To name or designate: “Lo chiamava fratello per scherzo.”

Examples:

- Lui chiamava spesso la nonna al telefono. (He often called his grandmother on the phone.)

- Quando ero piccolo, lei mi chiamava per nome. (When I was small, she called me by my name.)

- Lei chiamava, ma non rispondeva. (She was calling, but she didn’t answer.)

See also: chiamare, the infinitive; telephone-related usage with telefonare.