Spanish Phrase
¿Querías una llamada para despertarte?
Meaning
Literally: 'Did you want a call to wake you up?' It is a polite way to ask if someone would like a phone call as an alarm or reminder to get out of bed.
When to use
Use this phrase in the morning when you are offering to give someone a wake‑up call, or when you are confirming a prior arrangement for a call that serves as an alarm.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Queríasunallamadaparadespertarte?
Imperfecto de indicativo (querías)
The imperfect form 'querías' expresses a past habit or a polite request in the past, equivalent to 'did you want' or 'were you wanting'.
Indefinite article (una)
Use 'una' before a feminine singular noun to indicate 'a' or 'one'.
Noun (llamada)
Llamada means 'call' (telephone call). It is feminine, hence 'una llamada'.
Purpose clause (para + infinitive)
The construction 'para + infinitive' expresses purpose: 'to' or 'for'. Here it shows the purpose of the call.
Reflexive infinitive (despertarte)
The infinitive 'despertar' becomes reflexive with the clitic '-te' to mean 'to wake yourself up'.
Question marks
Spanish uses opening (¿) and closing (?) question marks for all interrogative sentences.
🗨In Conversation
¿Querías una llamada para despertarte?
Did you want a call to wake you up?
Sí, por favor. Me ayuda a levantarme a tiempo.
Yes, please. It helps me get up on time.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Quieres una llamada para despertarte?
Using the present 'quieres' would sound like an immediate request; the imperfect 'querías' softens it and references a past plan.
¿Querías una llamada para despertar?
Missing the reflexive pronoun changes the meaning to 'wake someone else' instead of 'wake yourself'.
¿Querías llamada para despertarte?
Dropping the article makes the phrase sound incomplete; Spanish normally requires the article before a singular countable noun.
↔Alternatives
¿Te gustaría que te llamara para despertarte?
Would you like me to call you to wake you up?
¿Quieres que te llame para que te despiertes?
Do you want me to call you so you wake up?
¿Prefieres una llamada de alarma?
Do you prefer a wake‑up call?
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries, a "llamada de despertador" (wake‑up call) is common in hotels and among friends who need a reliable alarm. It is considered friendly and caring, but be mindful of the time you propose; calling before 6 a.m. may be seen as intrusive.