Phone Calls
intermediate打电话
Learn how to make and receive phone calls in Chinese, from basic greetings and scheduling to video conferencing and modern communication habits.
39 words12 phrases2 dialogues~25 min study time
Vocabulary
39 words — click any row for an example sentence
Starting a Call
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 喂 | wèi | hello (on the phone) | other |
| 您好 | nín hǎo | hello (polite) | phrase |
| 请问 | qǐngwèn | may I ask | verb |
| 接电话 | jiē diànhuà | to answer the phone | verb |
| 打电话 | dǎ diànhuà | to make a phone call | verb |
| 电话号码 | diànhuà hàomǎ | phone number | noun |
| 手机 | shǒujī | mobile phone | noun |
| 回拨 | huíbō | to call back | verb |
| 占线 | zhànxiàn | the line is busy | verb |
| 未接来电 | wèi jiē láidiàn | missed call | noun |
Purpose
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 我想问一下 | wǒ xiǎng wèn yíxià | I would like to ask | phrase |
| 关于 | guānyú | regarding / about | other |
| 通知 | tōngzhī | to notify / notification | verb |
| 确认 | quèrèn | to confirm | verb |
| 回复 | huífù | to reply / to respond | verb |
| 留言 | liúyán | to leave a message | verb |
| 转接 | zhuǎnjiē | to transfer (a call) | verb |
| 短信 | duǎnxìn | text message / SMS | noun |
Scheduling
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient | adjective |
| 有空 | yǒu kòng | to have free time | verb |
| 改时间 | gǎi shíjiān | to reschedule | verb |
| 约 | yuē | to make an appointment / to arrange | verb |
| 推迟 | tuīchí | to postpone | verb |
| 取消 | qǔxiāo | to cancel | verb |
| 提前 | tíqián | to move forward / in advance | adverb |
Ending a Call
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 就这样 | jiù zhèyàng | that is all / let us leave it at that | phrase |
| 再联系 | zài liánxì | keep in touch / we will be in contact | phrase |
| 挂了 | guà le | I am hanging up | phrase |
| 挂电话 | guà diànhuà | to hang up the phone | verb |
| 再见 | zàijiàn | goodbye | phrase |
Video Calls
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 视频 | shìpín | video | noun |
| 摄像头 | shèxiàngtóu | camera / webcam | noun |
| 静音 | jìngyīn | mute | noun |
| 共享屏幕 | gòngxiǎng píngmù | to share screen | verb |
| 网络 | wǎngluò | network / internet connection | noun |
| 麦克风 | màikèfēng | microphone | noun |
| 信号 | xìnhào | signal | noun |
| 语音通话 | yǔyīn tōnghuà | voice call | noun |
| 视频会议 | shìpín huìyì | video conference | noun |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
请问是...吗？
Qǐngwèn shì...ma?
May I ask, is this...?
Used at the beginning of a phone call to confirm you have reached the right person.
我打电话是因为...
Wǒ dǎ diànhuà shì yīnwèi...
I am calling because...
Used to explain the purpose of your call in a clear and direct way.
你现在方便说话吗？
Nǐ xiànzài fāngbiàn shuōhuà ma?
Is it convenient for you to talk right now?
A polite way to check if the other person is free before starting a conversation.
信号不好，我听不清楚。
Xìnhào bù hǎo, wǒ tīng bù qīngchu.
The signal is bad, I cannot hear you clearly.
Used when you are experiencing poor call quality.
你能大声一点吗？
Nǐ néng dàshēng yìdiǎn ma?
Could you speak louder?
Used when you cannot hear the other person well enough.
我回头给你打过去。
Wǒ huítóu gěi nǐ dǎ guòqu.
I will call you back later.
A casual way to say you will return the call when you are free.
请稍等，我转接一下。
Qǐng shāo děng, wǒ zhuǎnjiē yíxià.
Please hold on, I will transfer you.
Used in a professional setting to transfer a caller to someone else.
你能听到我说话吗？
Nǐ néng tīng dào wǒ shuōhuà ma?
Can you hear me?
Commonly used at the start of video or voice calls to check the audio.
我这边刚断了，不好意思。
Wǒ zhèbiān gāng duàn le, bù hǎoyìsi.
I just got disconnected, sorry about that.
Used to apologize when your call drops and you call back.
那我们就先这样吧。
Nà wǒmen jiù xiān zhèyàng ba.
Let us leave it here for now then.
A natural way to wrap up a phone conversation.
有事给我打电话。
Yǒu shì gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.
Call me if anything comes up.
A friendly closing remark offering your availability.
麻烦你帮我转告一下。
Máfan nǐ bāng wǒ zhuǎngào yíxià.
Could you pass along a message for me?
Used when the person you are trying to reach is unavailable.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
Scheduling a Business Meeting by Phone
An employee calls a client to arrange a meeting time for next week.
Speaker A
喂，您好，请问是王总吗？
Speaker B
是的，我是。请问您是哪位？
Speaker A
我是星辰公司的小陈。我打电话是想跟您约下周见面的时间。
Speaker B
好的。下周二下午你看怎么样？
Speaker A
下周二下午可以。两点方便吗？
Speaker B
没问题。那我们下周二下午两点见。
Speaker A
好的，谢谢王总。到时候见！
Speaker B
好，再见。
Cultural note: In Chinese business calls, it is common to address clients or senior contacts by their surname plus their title, such as 王总 (Wáng zǒng, "Director Wang"). Using the appropriate title shows respect. Younger or junior employees often introduce themselves using 小 (xiǎo, "little") plus their surname, e.g. 小陈, which is a common and humble self-introduction.
Troubleshooting a Video Call
Two colleagues are trying to start a video meeting but experience technical difficulties.
Speaker A
你能听到我说话吗？我这边有回声。
Speaker B
能听到，但是你的画面卡住了。
Speaker A
那我先关掉摄像头，只用语音吧。
Speaker B
好的。你能共享一下屏幕吗？我想看看那份报告。
Speaker A
没问题，你看得到吗？
Speaker B
看到了。字有点小，你能放大一点吗？
Speaker A
好，这样可以了吗？
Speaker B
可以了，谢谢。我们开始吧。
Cultural note: Video meetings in China often use platforms like Tencent Meeting, DingTalk (Dingding), or Feishu (Lark) rather than Zoom or Google Meet. Technical phrases like 共享屏幕 (share screen) and 静音 (mute) have become everyday vocabulary for Chinese office workers, especially since the rise of remote work.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
8 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the Phone Calls Quiz (8 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
23 of 39 words appear in HSK levels
Further Reading
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