Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| anrufen | [ˈʔanʁuːfɱ̩] (narrow) [ˈʔanʁuːfən] (narrow) |
| telefonieren | /telefoˈniːʁən/ |
You use one to specify the act of calling a specific person, and the other to describe the process of having a conversation over the phone.
Which one should you use?
anrufen is used when you want to specify the person you are calling. In contrast, telefonieren is used to describe the act of having a telephone conversation itself.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Switzerland, you may encounter the term Das Natel, which is equivalent to handy.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
anrufen is a transitive verb that takes a direct accusative object. This means you phone someone directly without using a preposition. Conversely, telefonieren is an intransitive verb and is typically used with the preposition mit to indicate the person you are talking to.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying anrufen mit (to phone with). Because anrufen takes a direct object, you should simply name the person you are calling.
Did you know?
- While English speakers say 'to call' for both phones and voices, anrufen can also be used in a religious context to mean 'to invoke' or 'to pray to' a deity.
- The Swiss term Natel is an acronym for Nationales Telefonienetz, which refers to the national telephone network.
- The German word 'Handy' for a mobile phone is actually an Anglicism that does not exist in English, where 'handy' is merely an adjective meaning 'useful'.
Examples in context
- Ich werde ihn anrufen.I'll phone him.This sentence shows how to use anrufen when phoning a third person.Tatoeba #698852 by jakov, translation #3911085 by CH
- Wann wirst du anrufen?When will you phone?This sentence shows the use of anrufen when asking about the timing of a phone call.Tatoeba #5781350 by dasbeispielholz, translation #11066175 by sundown
- Ich werde Sie anrufen.I'll phone you.This sentence demonstrates using anrufen to phone someone directly (you).Tatoeba #7413102 by Yorwba, translation #480884 by minshirui
- Kann ich bitte das Telefon benutzen?Can I please use the phone?
- Entschuldigen Sie, ich habe mein Mobiltelefon zu Hause vergessen.Excuse me, I left my cell phone at home.
- Die Firma hat ein neues Festnetztelefon installiert.The company installed a new landline phone.
- Wo hast du dein Handy gelassen?Where did you leave your phone?
- Kannst du mir zeigen, wie man das Smartphone benutzt?Can you show me how to use the smartphone?
- 132 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Felix are planning their afternoon.
- JuliaSoll ich dich später anrufen?Should I call you later?
- FelixJa, bitte ruf mich gegen fünf an.Yes, please call me around five.
- JuliaAlles klar, ich rufe dich dann an.All right, I will call you then.
- FelixSuper, bis später, Julia.Great, see you later, Julia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “phone” translations and entries anrufen, telefonieren, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
