Spanish Phrase
Me gustaría que me llamaran para despertarme.
Meaning
I would like them to call me so that they can wake me up. The sentence expresses a polite wish, often used when arranging a wake‑up call from a friend, family member, or service.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to ask someone to give you a phone call at a specific time to help you get out of bed, especially if you don’t trust an alarm clock or you’re traveling and need a reliable wake‑up.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Megustaríaquemellamaranparadespertarme
Gustaría que + subjuntivo
After the conditional form gustar (gustaría), the verb in the subordinate clause must be in the imperfect subjunctive to express a polite wish.
Imperfect subjunctive -aran
The verb llamar appears in its imperfect subjunctive form (llamaran) because the main clause is in a conditional mood.
Pronombres reflexivos con infinitivo
When an infinitive expresses purpose, the reflexive pronoun (me) attaches to the infinitive (despertarme).
Para + infinitivo (purpose)
The construction para + infinitive indicates the purpose of the action: ‘to wake me up.’
🗨In Conversation
¿A qué hora quieres que te llamen?
What time would you like them to call you?
Me gustaría que me llamaran para despertarme a las siete.
I’d like them to call me to wake me up at seven.
✕Common Mistakes
Me gustaría que me llamen para despertarme.
After ‘gustaría que’ you need the imperfect subjunctive (llamaran), not the present subjunctive (llamen).
Me gustaría que me llamaran para despertarse.
The reflexive pronoun must match the subject; here it’s ‘me’, so use ‘despertarme’.
Me gustaría que me llamaran despertarme.
Avoid omitting the ‘para’ when you want to express purpose; without it the sentence sounds incomplete.
↔Alternatives
Quisiera que me llamaran para despertarme.
I would like them to call me to wake me up.
Me encantaría que me llamaran para despertarme.
I would love for them to call me to wake me up.
Preferiría que me llamaran para despertarme.
I would prefer that they call me to wake me up.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking families, a ‘llamada de despertador’ (wake‑up call) is a common courtesy, especially for children or elderly relatives. It’s considered polite to ask using a conditional like ‘me gustaría que…’ rather than a direct command, which keeps the request courteous and respectful.