give a call

IPA/ɡˈɪv ɐ kˈɔːl/
IPA/ɡˈɪv ɐ kˈɔːl/

give a call — idiom

1. to phone someone, usually in a casual or everyday situation where you want to ta

1.慣用語A2
釋義

to phone someone, usually in a casual or everyday situation where you want to talk, ask for something, or pass on news.

例句

Otis gave his sister a call to tell her the train was delayed.

collocation: give + [person] + a call

Trang gave the clinic a call to see if her test results were ready.

give + [place/organisation] + a call for an enquiry

同義詞
  • call

    shorter, more direct — 'call' works in any register

  • phone

    slightly more formal than 'give a call' but still everyday

  • ring

    British English; similar informality to 'give a call'

用法筆記

Common in informal spoken English. The object of 'give' is the person or place being called. Often used when the act of calling is routine or friendly rather than formal.

常見錯誤

❌I gave a call to him yesterday.
✅I gave him a call yesterday.
💡The person called should come between 'gave' and 'a call', not after 'to'.

2. to shout something to someone, especially to get their attention across a distan

2.慣用語B1
釋義

to shout something to someone, especially to get their attention across a distance or in a noisy place.

例句

Adisa gave a call to Iker across the crowded train station platform.

collocation: give a call + across [location]

Ziad gave a call to warn Minh about the icy patch on the sidewalk.

give a call + to-infinitive (purpose)

同義詞
  • shout

    more direct; 'shout' doesn't imply calling someone's name specifically

  • call out

    very similar meaning; 'call out' is slightly more common in writing

  • yell

    stronger, louder, often with emotion like anger or excitement

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (PHONE CALL): in this sense, no phone is used — the person literally raises their voice. The object is the person being shouted at, or the content starting with 'for' or 'to'.

常見錯誤

❌She gave a call across the room but nobody heard the phone.' (ambiguous context)
✅She gave a call across the room but the noise drowned out her voice.
💡When the setting implies a shout (across a room, across a field), make sure the context makes clear no phone is involved.