_Making a phone call

When Chinese people make a phone call, they ask for the person they wish to speak to by name. It is not the Chinese caller’s habit to give their own name first when making or receiving a call.

When answering the telephone the standard response upon picking up the receiver is 喂 (wèi).

When giving telephone numbers, Chinese speakers normally read out the numbers one by one so that: 020 7900 0283 would be read: 零二零 七九零零 零二八三 líng’èrlíng qījiǔlínglíng líng’èrbāsān

When making a phone call, you might want to say:

喂？(wèi) Hello?

请问…在吗？(qǐngwèn...zài ma) Could I speak to … please?

是…吗？(shì...ma) Is that …?

我怎么拨外线电话？(wǒ zěnme bō wàixiàn diànhuà) How do I make an outside call?

…的区号是多少？(...de qūhào shì duōshao) What is the code for … ?

我5分钟后打回来。(wǒ wǔ fēnzhōng hòu dǎ huílái) I’ll call back in 5 minutes.

他回来时,可否让他给我回电话？(tā huílái shí, kěfǒu ràng tā gěi wǒ huí diànhuà) Could you ask him to call me when he gets back?

对不起，我拨错号了。(duìbuqǐ,wǒ bōcuò hào le) Sorry, I must have dialled the wrong number.

电话掉线了。(diànhuà diàoxiàn le) We were cut off.

线路很不清楚。(xiànlù hěn bù qīngchu) This is a very bad line.

You might hear:

请讲。(qǐng jiǎng) Speaking.

请问您是哪位？(qǐngwèn nín shì nǎ wèi) Who’s speaking?

请问您找哪位？(qǐngwèn nín zhǎo nǎ wèi) Who would you like to speak to?

请别挂断。(qǐng bié guàduàn) Please hold (the line)

.

没人接听。(méi rén jiētīng) There’s no reply.

电话占线。(diànhuà zhànxiàn) The line is engaged (Brit) or busy (US).

请问您是哪位？(qǐngwèn nín shì nǎ wèi) Who shall I say is calling?

您要留言吗？(nín yào liúyán ma) Would you like to leave a message?