dǎ diànhuà: 打电话 - To Make a Phone Call, To Call

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.”

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.

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 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.”

• 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?

• 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.