电话
diànhuà
In Mandarin, 'phone' (to call someone on the telephone) is 电话 (diànhuà).
The most commonly used term for phone in Mandarin is 手机.
Meaning: to call (someone) on the telephone (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 电话 is a compound of 电, meaning electricity and 话, meaning speech or words, literally translating to 'electric speech'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 电话 as a verb meaning 'to call', you must add 打 (to hit/to do) to form the phrase 打电话. The verb 接 (to receive/to pick up) is used with 电话 to mean answering a phone call. The verb 挂 (to hang) is used with 电话 to mean hanging up the phone.
How do you pronounce it?
diànhuà
Did you know?
- The character 电 (electricity) was originally a pictograph of a lightning bolt. This ancient imagery is still embedded in the modern word for 'phone'.
- In some contexts, 打电话 is used metaphorically to mean 'getting in touch' or 'networking' to solve a problem, often implying the use of personal connections or 'guanxi'.
- The verb 挂 for hanging up is used even for smartphones and touchscreens. Even though there is no physical hook to 'hang' the phone on, the traditional terminology remains.
Examples in context
- 接一下电话。Pick up the phone.This sentence shows how to use 电话 when telling someone to pick up the phone.Tatoeba #4104698 by maple, translation #2891805 by CK
- 我在打电话。I'm on the phone.This sentence demonstrates the use of 电话 to indicate someone is currently making a call.Tatoeba #10695961 by GlossaMatik, translation #2280346 by CK
- 电话簿在哪里？Where's the phone book?This sentence shows how to use 电话 when asking for a phone book.Tatoeba #7768287 by jiangche, translation #3795282 by Muskwalker
- 你的手机很漂亮！Your phone is very beautiful!
- 我需要一个新的电话。I need a new telephone.
- 我在外地订了一个新的电话机。I ordered a new telephone from another city.
- 71 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Xiaowen and Wei are talking about contacting a friend.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你给他打电话了吗？Nǐ gěi tā dǎ diànhuà le ma?Did you call him?
- 志强 Zhiqiang还没，我等一下电话。Hái méi, wǒ děng yīxià diànhuà.Not yet, I'll phone him in a bit.
- 佳怡 Jiayi现在打吧，他现在有空。Xiànzài dǎ ba, tā xiànzài yǒu kòng.Call him now, he is free.
- 志强 Zhiqiang好的，我这就给他打电话。Hǎo de, wǒ zhè jiù gěi tā dǎ diànhuà.Okay, I will call him right now.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
