Telephone Expressions 1
Practice the following exressions
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1. | Making a phone call |
| [私は] 森さんに 電話を します。 |
| [I] ring Mori-san. |
私76,森70,電141,話122
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2. | Answering a phone |
| [私は] 電話に 出ます。 |
| [I] answer the phone. |
私76,電141,話122,出48
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3. | A phone call from someone |
| [森さん] から 電話が 来ました。 | ||
| [森さん] から 電話が ありました。 |
| There was a phone call from [Mori-san]. |
森70,電141,話122,来33
Telephone Expressions 2
Practice the following exressions
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1. | Answering a phone |
| もしもし。 | ||
| はい。森です。 | ||
| はい。東京電気です。 | ||
| はい。東京電気で ございます。 |
| Hello. |
| Yes, it's Mori. (Mori desu.) |
| Yes, it's Tokyo Denki. (Tokyo Denki de gozaimasu.) |
森70,東91,京247,電141,気83
Moshimoshi means "Hello" on the phone and this is used only on the phone nowadays.
de gozaimasu is a much politer way to say desu.
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2. | Confirming the receiver on the phone |
| 森さんの お宅ですか。 | ||
| 東京電気さんですか。 |
| Is that Mori-san's residence? |
| Is that Tokyo Denki? |
森70,宅778,東91,京247,電141,気83
When phoning a private number, use the phrase otaku desu ka? to confirm that it is the correct number. Otaku means "residence" by the way.
When confirming that it is the correct company or store you're phoning, add -san to the name of that company or store. This habit is also used in other contexts such as business meetings.
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3. | Identifying oneself |
| 山下と 申しますが。 | ||
| 山下ですが。 |
| My name is Yamashita. |
山61,下42,申341
When the receiver doesn't know who you are, say your name and add to mooshimasu.
When the receiver is already familiar with you, use desu.
ga at the end of a sentence, as in Yamashita desu ga., is used for softening the tone of the whole statement and is very often used in everyday conversation.
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4. | Asking for someone |
| 森さんは いらっしゃいますか。 | ||
| 森さん、お願い します。 |
| Is Mori-san there, please? |
| Mori-san, please. |
森70,願525
irasshaimasu ka? is normally used but in a situation such as asking for a colleague of yours on the phone while you're out of the office, use onegai shimasu.
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5. | Telling someone's absence |
| 森は 出かけて おります。 | ||
| 森は 出かけて います。 |
| Mori is out. |
森70,出48
When speaking to someone you don't know, use dekakete orimasu. When speaking to someone you know, use dekakete imasu.
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6. | Asking what time the person you wish to speak to will be back |
| 森さんは 何時頃 お戻りに なりますか。 | ||
| 森さんは 何時頃 お帰りですか。 | ||
| お戻りは 何時頃でしょうか。 |
| Around what time will Mori-san be back? |
森70,何30,時17,頃1431,戻780,帰35
The above three sentences mean more or less the same. It is all right to use any of them.
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7. | Telling that someone is on the phone or at the meeting |
| 森は 今 電話中です。 | ||
| 森は 今 会議中です。 |
| Mori is on the phone at the moment. |
| Mori is at the meeting right now. |
森70,今32,電141,話122,中37,会131,議454
When Mori-san belongs to the same unit with you, e.g. company, and you tell about Mori-san to someone who is outside your unit, you address Mori-san Mori without -san. If you, the person you're speaking to on the phone and Mori-san all belong to the same company, i.e. colleagues, you address Mori-san with -san.
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8. | Holding the line |
| 少々 お待ち ください。 |
| Hold on a second, please. |
少39,々2001,待261
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9. | Forwarding a phone call |
| 森さん、山下さんから 電話です。 |
| Mori-san, a phone call for you from Yamashita-san. |
森70,山61,下42,電141,話122
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10. | Returning to the call which has been put on hold |
| お待たせ しました。 | ||
| お待たせ いたしました。 |
| Thank you for waiting. |
待261
This expression can also be used in many other situations.
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11. | Telling that you will ring again later |
| また 後で お電話 します。 |
| I'll ring again later, thanks. |
後107,電141,話122
O-denwa shimasu is an honorific expression. Use this when you phone a client company and the like. In the telephone conversation with a friend, you can use the usual phrase, denwa shimasu.
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12. | Leaving a message that you've called |
| (森さんに) 山下から 電話が あったと お伝え ください。 |
| Please tell (Mori-san) that I've called. |
森70,山61,下42,電141,話122,伝1040
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13. | Asking someone to call back |
| 折り返し お電話 いただきたいんですが。 | ||
| お戻りに なったら、お電話 いただきたいんですが。 |
| I would like him to ring me back. |
| I would like her to call me when she comes back. |
折989,返338,電141,話122,戻780
Orikaeshi means "return" in Japanese. O-modori ni nattara means "when he/she comes back".
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14. | Asking who is calling |
| 失礼ですが、どちら様でしょうか。 |
| Excuse me but who's calling, please? |
失519,礼867,様249
Dochirasama is the honorific form of dare "who".
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15. | Asking someone their telephone number |
| お電話番号、お願い します。 | ||
| お電話番号、お願い いたします。 |
| May I have your telephone number? |
電141,話122,番234,号235,願525
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16. | Ending a call |
| お願い いたします。 | ||
| お願い します。 | ||
| 失礼 します |
| Thank you. |
願525,失519,礼867
How to hang up, i.e. how to end telephone conversation, depends on how the conversation progresses and reaches an end.
If you asked someone to do you a favour, you should conclude the conversation with Onegai shimasu "Please take care of the matter.". Arigatoo gozaimasu would be wrong.
You can use Arigatoo gozaimasu when you asked someone to do you a favour and this someone has done the favour for you. You asked someone to do you a favour and this someone has not done it yet, then, you cannot use Arigatoo gozaimasu.
Also, when leaving a message or requesting some information to be sent before hanging up, use Onegai shimasu instead of Arigatoo gozaimasu.
This applies in situations such as leaving clothes to a dry cleaner before leaving the shop.
If you didn't make any request during your call, you could say Shitsurei shimasu before hanging up. If it is a friend you've been speaking to, then, simply say Dewa or Mata.