telefoniamo

Telefoniamo is the first-person plural present indicative form of the Italian verb telefonare, meaning “we phone” or “we call.” It is used to indicate that the speaker and others are making a telephone call or plan to do so.

Conjugation and related forms: The present tense forms are io telefono, tu telefoni, lui/lei telefona, noi telefoniamo, voi telefonate, loro telefonano. The present participle is telefonando and can appear in progressive constructions such as sto telefonando. Perfect tenses are formed with avere, e.g., ho telefonato, hai telefonato, ha telefonato, abbiamo telefonato, avete telefonato, hanno telefonato. The verb follows regular -are conjugation patterns; other tenses such as imperfect, future and conditional also exist with regular endings (telefonavo, telefonerò, telefonerei, etc.). The reciprocal form telefonarsi exists to express calling each other, e.g., ci telefoniamo; the imperative inclusive is telefoniamoci (Let’s call each other).

Usage and grammar: Telefonare is transitive and typically used with the preposition a to specify the recipient: telefonare a qualcuno. In everyday speech, pronouns may replace the recipient, as in ti telefono (I’ll call you) or la telefono (I’ll call you, formal you/he/she). The term is common in both formal and informal contexts, found in personal conversation, journalism, and written Italian.

Etymology: The verb derives from the noun telefono, which itself comes from tele- (far) and phōnē (voice) from Greek roots, via Italian during the expansion of telephone technology in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.