Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== dǎ diànhuà: 打电话 - To Make a Phone Call, To Call ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** dǎ diànhuà, 打电话, make a phone call in Chinese, how to say call someone in Chinese, Chinese verb for calling, dǎ gěi, phone call, telephone, Mandarin Chinese for beginners, HSK 1 vocabulary. * **Summary:** Learn the essential Chinese phrase **打电话 (dǎ diànhuà)**, which means "to make a phone call." This is a fundamental verb for everyday communication in Mandarin. This comprehensive guide breaks down its meaning, grammar (including the crucial "dǎ gěi" structure for calling a specific person), and cultural context. Packed with practical examples, you'll master how to talk about making, receiving, and missing phone calls in Chinese. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** dǎ diànhuà * **Part of Speech:** Verb-Object Phrase * **HSK Level:** HSK 1 * **Concise Definition:** To perform the action of making a telephone call. * **In a Nutshell:** **打电话 (dǎ diànhuà)** is the go-to phrase for making a phone call in Chinese. It's a combination of a verb, **打 (dǎ)**, meaning "to do an action" (or literally "to hit"), and a noun, **电话 (diànhuà)**, meaning "telephone." Think of it as "to do the telephoning." This structure is very common in Chinese and is one of the first and most useful phrases you will learn. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **打 (dǎ):** This character's primary meaning is "to hit" or "to strike." However, it's an incredibly versatile verb used for performing a wide range of actions, especially those involving the hands. For example, `打字 (dǎzì)` means "to type," and `打球 (dǎqiú)` means "to play ball." In **打电话**, it functions as the action verb "to make" or "to do." * **电 (diàn):** This character means "electric" or "electricity." It's a key component in almost all modern words related to electronics, such as `电脑 (diànnǎo)` for "computer" and `电视 (diànshì)` for "television." * **话 (huà):** This character means "speech," "talk," or "words." It's made of the "speech" radical `讠` and the character for "tongue" `舌`. When combined, **电话 (diàn + huà)** literally means "electric speech," which is a perfect and logical word for "telephone." Adding the action verb **打 (dǎ)** creates the full phrase **打电话 (dǎ diànhuà)**, "to make a phone call." ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== While making a phone call is a universal action, its social context in China has evolved significantly. In the past, when private phones were a luxury, making a call was a more deliberate act, often done at a public phone booth. Today, with the universal adoption of smartphones, the culture has shifted. A direct phone call (**打电话**) can sometimes be seen as more urgent, formal, or even slightly intrusive compared to the preferred method for casual communication: **微信 (Wēixìn)**, or WeChat. Comparing it to Western culture, the text-vs-call debate is similar. However, the all-encompassing nature of WeChat in China (for messaging, payments, social media, work) makes it the default for non-urgent contact. Receiving an unscheduled **电话 (diànhuà)**, especially from a colleague, might imply a matter that needs immediate attention. For friends and family, however, a spontaneous call is still very common and welcome. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== **打电话** is a verb-object phrase, which gives it special grammatical properties. **1. Calling a Specific Person:** You cannot say "wǒ dǎ diànhuà nǐ" (I call you). You must insert **给 (gěi)**, which means "to give" but here functions as a preposition "to." * **Structure:** `Subject + 给 + Person + 打电话` * **Example:** `我给妈妈打电话。 (Wǒ gěi māma dǎ diànhuà.)` - I'm calling Mom. **2. As a Separable Verb:** You can insert other words between **打** and **电话**. This is a key feature of verb-object phrases. * **Adding a number/measure word:** `我打了一个电话。 (Wǒ dǎ le yí ge diànhuà.)` - I made a phone call. * **Adding duration:** `他打了半个小时的电话。 (Tā dǎ le bàn ge xiǎoshí de diànhuà.)` - He was on the phone for half an hour. **3. Formality:** The phrase itself is neutral. Its formality depends on the context and the person you are addressing. It is used in all situations, from calling a friend to calling a company's customer service line. ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 我每天都给妈妈**打电话**。 * Pinyin: Wǒ měitiān dōu gěi māma **dǎ diànhuà**. * English: I call my mom every day. * Analysis: This shows the standard `给 + Person + 打电话` structure for calling someone specific. The word `都 (dōu)` emphasizes that this happens "every" day. * **Example 2:** * 他昨天给我**打**了一个**电话**。 * Pinyin: Tā zuótiān gěi wǒ **dǎ** le yí ge **diànhuà**. * English: He gave me a call yesterday. * Analysis: This demonstrates the separable nature of the verb. `了 (le)` indicates a completed action, and `一个 (yí ge)` specifies "one" call. * **Example 3:** * 你在给谁**打电话**？ * Pinyin: Nǐ zài gěi shéi **dǎ diànhuà**? * English: Who are you calling? * Analysis: A very common question. `在 (zài)` indicates an action in progress, and `谁 (shéi)` is the question word for "who." * **Example 4:** * 对不起，我现在不方便**打电话**。 * Pinyin: Duìbuqǐ, wǒ xiànzài bù fāngbiàn **dǎ diànhuà**. * English: Sorry, it's not convenient for me to make a call right now. * Analysis: A useful phrase for when you are busy. `不方便 (bù fāngbiàn)` means "not convenient." * **Example 5:** * 快**打电话**叫救护车！ * Pinyin: Kuài **dǎ diànhuà** jiào jiùhùchē! * English: Quick, call an ambulance! * Analysis: Shows the phrase used as an urgent command. `快 (kuài)` means "quick" or "hurry up." * **Example 6:** * 如果你迷路了，就给我**打电话**。 * Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ mílù le, jiù gěi wǒ **dǎ diànhuà**. * English: If you get lost, just give me a call. * Analysis: A great example of the `如果...就... (rúguǒ...jiù...)` "if...then..." structure. * **Example 7:** * 他正在**打电话**，请稍等。 * Pinyin: Tā zhèngzài **dǎ diànhuà**, qǐng shāo děng. * English: He's on the phone right now, please wait a moment. * Analysis: `正在 (zhèngzài)` strongly emphasizes that the action is currently in progress. `请稍等 (qǐng shāo děng)` is a polite way to say "please wait." * **Example 8:** * 我今天**打**了好多**电话**，太累了。 * Pinyin: Wǒ jīntiān **dǎ** le hǎoduō **diànhuà**, tài lèi le. * English: I made so many calls today, I'm so tired. * Analysis: Another example of separating the verb. `好多 (hǎoduō)` means "a lot of" or "so many." * **Example 9:** * 你为什么不接我**电话**？ * Pinyin: Nǐ wèishénme bù jiē wǒ **diànhuà**? * English: Why aren't you answering my calls? * Analysis: This sentence uses the related verb `接 (jiē)`, meaning "to receive" or "to answer." Note that "my call" is `我电话` (wǒ diànhuà), a shorthand for `我打的电话` (the call I made). * **Example 10:** * 我需要**打电话**预订一张桌子。 * Pinyin: Wǒ xūyào **dǎ diànhuà** yùdìng yì zhāng zhuōzi. * English: I need to make a call to reserve a table. * Analysis: This shows how to state the purpose of the call using another verb, `预订 (yùdìng)`, which means "to reserve" or "to book." ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **Mistake 1: Not using "给 (gěi)".** * **Incorrect:** `我打电话你。 (Wǒ dǎ diànhuà nǐ.)` * **Correct:** `我给你打电话。 (Wǒ gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.)` * **Explanation:** This is the most common error for English speakers. In Chinese, you call "to" a person. The preposition **给 (gěi)** is mandatory when specifying the recipient of the call. * **Mistake 2: Confusing `打电话` with `叫 (jiào)`.** * **Incorrect:** `我叫你昨天。 (Wǒ jiào nǐ zuótiān.)` * **Correct:** `我昨天给你打电话了。 (Wǒ zuótiān gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà le.)` * **Explanation:** `叫 (jiào)` means "to call out to," "to shout for," or "to be called (a name)." It is used for hailing a taxi (`叫车`) or calling someone's name across a room, but **never** for making a phone call. * **Nuance: Separating the verb and object.** * As a "verb-object" phrase, **打电话** can be split up to add more detail. This is a higher-level skill but important for fluency. * `打完电话 (dǎ wán diànhuà)` - to finish a call * `打一次电话 (dǎ yí cì diànhuà)` - to call one time * `打什么电话？(dǎ shénme diànhuà?)` - What call are you making? / What's the point of calling? ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[接电话]] (jiē diànhuà) - To answer the phone; the opposite action of **打电话**. * [[挂电话]] (guà diànhuà) - To hang up the phone. * [[手机]] (shǒujī) - Mobile phone (literally "hand machine"). This is the device you use to **打电话**. * [[电话号码]] (diànhuà hàomǎ) - Telephone number. * [[微信]] (Wēixìn) - WeChat. In modern China, sending a WeChat message is often preferred over **打电话** for casual communication. * [[联系]] (liánxì) - To contact; to get in touch. **打电话** is a specific way to **联系** someone. * [[打给]] (dǎ gěi) - A common and slightly more informal spoken version of `给...打电话`. For example: `我晚点打给你。 (Wǒ wǎndiǎn dǎ gěi nǐ.)` - "I'll call you later." * [[未接来电]] (wèijiē láidiàn) - Missed call (literally "not-answered incoming-call"). * [[占线]] (zhànxiàn) - The line is busy (literally "occupy line"). * [[回电话]] (huí diànhuà) - To call back, to return a phone call.