電話
denwa[dẽ̞ɰ̃β̞a̠]
In Japanese, the phrase for 'phone call' is 電話 (denwa).
電話 refers to a conversation between two or more people using telephones. To say 'to do a phone call', you can use denwa suru. To say 'to take a phone call', use denwa o toru and to say 'to answer the phone', use denwa ni deru.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While 電話 is the standard term, you can make it more polite by adding the honorific prefix 'o-', creating お電話. This polite form is often used in business settings or when speaking to customers.
How do you pronounce it?
denwa
Did you know?
- The greeting もしもし is used exclusively for phone calls. Using it to greet someone in person would be very strange and is often associated with checking if someone is conscious or awake.
- When answering a professional phone call, Japanese people often say はい ('yes') instead of a greeting like 'hello'.
- In Japanese business culture, it is common to start a phone call by stating one's company and name before the other person speaks, regardless of who initiated the call.
Examples in context
- 電話をかけよう。I'll make a phone call.Tatoeba #124669 by KK_kaku_, translation #279325 by CK
- 電話はどこでできる？Where can one make a phone call?Tatoeba #5115 by bunbuku, translation #1713 by Swift
- 山田さんお電話です。Mr Yamada, there's a phone call for you.Tatoeba #169381 by small_snow, translation #1611218 by human600
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple discussing their daily communication habits at home.
- 陽太 Yota最近、電話が多いね。Saikin, denwa ga ooi ne.There are a lot of phone calls lately, aren't there?
- 美咲 Misaki仕事の電話が止まらないの。Shigoto no denwa ga tomaranai no.The work phone calls just won't stop.
- 陽太 Yota大変そうだね、美咲。Taihen sou da ne, Misaki.That sounds tough, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misakiうん、少し疲れたよ。Un, sukoshi tsukareta yo.Yeah, I'm a little tired.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 電話, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
