你打错电话了
nǐ dǎ cuò diànhuà le
你打错电话了 (nǐ dǎ cuò diànhuà le) is the Chinese phrase for "you have the wrong number".
This phrase is used to tell a caller that they have dialed an incorrect telephone number. It is standard and polite to prefix the phrase with 对不起 (duìbuqǐ – sorry) when informing a caller of their mistake.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "you hit wrong telephone [aspect particle]", where 打 (dǎ) means to hit or dial and 错 (cuò) means wrong.
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual conversation, you can shorten the phrase to 你打错了 (nǐ dǎ cuò le) by omitting 电话 (diànhuà/telephone).
How do you pronounce it?
nǐ dǎ cuò diànhuà le
Did you know?
- While 对不起 (duìbuqǐ) is the standard 'sorry' used here, it literally means 'not able to face' or 'cannot stand opposite' the other person.
- The word 电话 (diànhuà) literally means 'electric speech'. This is a compound of 电 (diàn) for electricity and 话 (huà) for speech or words.
- The verb 打 (dǎ) used in this phrase is so versatile that it is used for everything from 'playing' basketball and 'typing' a message to 'making' a phone call.
Examples in context
- 对不起，你打错电话了。Sorry, you have the wrong number.This sentence is useful for learning how to politely say "Sorry, you have the wrong number."Tatoeba #420620 by sysko, translation #881163 by Martha
- 不好意思，您打错电话了。这是李先生的办公室。Sorry, you dialed the wrong number. This is Mr. Li's office.
- 对不起，您拨错电话了。这是YYY公司的总机。Sorry, you dialed the wrong number. This is the YYY company switchboard.
Example conversation
A man answers a call from a stranger.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你好，请问王先生在吗？Nǐ hǎo, qǐngwèn Wáng xiānshēng zài ma?Hello, is Mr. Wang there, please?
- 浩然 Haoran这里没有王先生，你打错电话了。Zhèlǐ méiyǒu Wáng xiānshēng, nǐ dǎ cuò diànhuà le.There is no Mr. Wang here, you have the wrong number.
- 佳怡 Jiayi真的吗？非常抱歉。Zhēnde ma? Fēicháng bàoqiàn.Really? I am very sorry.
- 浩然 Haoran没关系，再见。Méi guānxì, zàijiàn.It's okay, goodbye.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
