láidiàn xiǎnshì: 来电显示 - Caller ID, Caller Display

• Keywords: 来电显示, laidian xianshi, caller ID in Chinese, what is caller ID in Chinese, how to say caller ID, Chinese phone vocabulary, incoming call display, Chinese tech terms, 显示, 来电, phone number display.
• Summary: “来电显示” (láidiàn xiǎnshì) is the standard Chinese term for “Caller ID” or “Caller Display,” the feature on your phone that shows the number or name of an incoming call. This highly practical and literal term, meaning “incoming call display,” is essential vocabulary for anyone using a mobile phone in China. Understanding 来电显示 is key to managing calls, from recognizing friends to avoiding spam, making it a crucial term for modern communication.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): láidiàn xiǎnshì
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A (Compound of HSK1-4 characters: 来, 电, 显, 示)
• Concise Definition: The telecommunications service or feature that transmits a caller's number to the recipient's phone, displaying it on the screen.
• In a Nutshell: `来电显示` is simply the Chinese word for “Caller ID.” It's not a brand name but a descriptive term. If you break it down, it literally means “incoming electricity display,” which in the context of a phone, means “incoming call display.” It's exactly what it says it is, making it easy to remember once you know the characters.

• 来 (lái): To come, arrive, or incoming. It signifies that something is coming towards you.
• 电 (diàn): Electricity. In many modern words, it's a shorthand for anything electric, especially `电话 (diànhuà)`, the telephone.
• 显 (xiǎn): To show, to appear, to be obvious.
• 示 (shì): To show, to reveal, to indicate.

The term is formed by combining two distinct ideas: `来电 (láidiàn)`, meaning “incoming call” (literally “come electricity”), and `显示 (xiǎnshì)`, a common tech word meaning “to display” or “a display.” Together, `来电显示 (láidiàn xiǎnshì)` transparently means “incoming call display.”

Unlike deeply philosophical terms like `道 (dào)` or `关系 (guānxi)`, the significance of `来电显示` is rooted in its practicality and its reflection of modern Chinese life. Its existence and common usage highlight China's rapid technological adoption and integration into daily routines. The key cultural insight here is linguistic. In English, “Caller ID” is a somewhat abstract name for a service. In contrast, `来电显示` is a highly logical and descriptive compound. This reflects a common pattern in modern Chinese, where new technological concepts are often named by combining existing characters to describe the function literally. This makes the language feel both ancient and incredibly modern, as old characters are constantly repurposed to describe new inventions. Socially, the function of `来电显示` is universal: screening calls. In the context of China's hyper-connected society, with its ubiquitous delivery services (`外卖 wàimài`), couriers (`快递 kuàidì`), and high volume of spam calls, `来电显示` is not just a convenience but a crucial tool for navigating daily interactions and maintaining a boundary between public and private life.

`来电显示` is a common, everyday term used in any context involving phones.

• Activating the Service: When getting a new SIM card, you might ask the clerk if the service is included: `这个套餐包括来电显示吗？` (Does this plan include Caller ID?).
• Troubleshooting: If the feature isn't working, you might tell a friend: `我的手机不知道怎么了，没有来电显示了。` (I don't know what's wrong with my phone, there's no Caller ID anymore.)
• Screening Calls: This is the most common use. You might say: `没有来电显示，我一般不接。` (If there's no Caller ID, I usually don't answer.) This is a very common sentiment.
• Identifying Callers: You can use it to talk about who is calling: `来电显示是“妈妈”，我得马上接。` (The Caller ID says “Mom,” I have to pick it up right away.)

The term is neutral in connotation and is used in both formal (e.g., with a phone company) and informal (e.g., with friends) settings.

• Example 1:
  • 我的手机有来电显示功能。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de shǒujī yǒu láidiàn xiǎnshì gōngnéng.
  • English: My mobile phone has the Caller ID function.
  • Analysis: A simple statement of fact. `功能 (gōngnéng)` means “function” or “feature” and is often paired with tech terms like `来电显示`.
• Example 2:
  • 你需要去营业厅开通来电显示服务。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào qù yíngyètīng kāitōng láidiàn xiǎnshì fúwù.
  • English: You need to go to the service provider's office to activate the Caller ID service.
  • Analysis: `开通 (kāitōng)` means “to activate” a service, and `服务 (fúwù)` means “service.” This is a typical sentence you'd hear when dealing with a phone company.
• Example 3:
  • 这是一个陌生号码，来电显示上没有名字。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì yí ge mòshēng hàomǎ, láidiàn xiǎnshì shàng méiyǒu míngzi.
  • English: This is an unfamiliar number; there's no name on the Caller ID.
  • Analysis: Highlights the practical use of the feature. `陌生号码 (mòshēng hàomǎ)` means “unfamiliar number.”
• Example 4:
  • 如果没有来电显示，很多骚扰电话我就接了。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ méiyǒu láidiàn xiǎnshì, hěn duō sāorǎo diànhuà wǒ jiù jiē le.
  • English: If it weren't for Caller ID, I would have answered a lot of spam calls.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses a hypothetical `如果…就…` (if…then…) structure to explain the benefit of Caller ID. `骚扰电话 (sāorǎo diànhuà)` is the specific term for spam/harassment calls.
• Example 5:
  • 我的旧手机坏了，连来电显示都看不清了。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de jiù shǒujī huài le, lián láidiàn xiǎnshì dōu kànbuqīng le.
  • English: My old phone is broken, I can't even see the Caller ID clearly.
  • Analysis: The `连…都… (lián…dōu…)` structure adds emphasis, meaning “even…”. It stresses how broken the phone is.
• Example 6:
  • 你能查一下这个月的来电显示费用是多少吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ néng chá yíxià zhè ge yuè de láidiàn xiǎnshì fèiyòng shì duōshǎo ma?
  • English: Can you check how much the Caller ID fee is for this month?
  • Analysis: `费用 (fèiyòng)` means “fee” or “cost.” In some places or on some older plans, Caller ID was a paid add-on.
• Example 7:
  • 刚才的来电显示是一个国外的号码。
  • Pinyin: Gāngcái de láidiàn xiǎnshì shì yí ge guówài de hàomǎ.
  • English: The Caller ID just now was an international number.
  • Analysis: `刚才 (gāngcái)` means “just now,” and `国外 (guówài)` means “foreign country/abroad.”
• Example 8:
  • 谢天谢地有来电显示，我才没错过你的电话。
  • Pinyin: Xiètiānxièdì yǒu láidiàn xiǎnshì, wǒ cái méi cuòguò nǐ de diànhuà.
  • English: Thank goodness for Caller ID, otherwise I would have missed your call.
  • Analysis: `谢天谢地 (xiètiānxièdì)` is a common idiom for “Thank heavens.” `才 (cái)` here indicates that it was *only because of* Caller ID that the positive outcome occurred.
• Example 9:
  • 他用了特殊软件，所以来电显示是假的。
  • Pinyin: Tā yòng le tèshū ruǎnjiàn, suǒyǐ láidiàn xiǎnshì shì jiǎ de.
  • English: He used special software, so the Caller ID was fake.
  • Analysis: This touches on the concept of “caller ID spoofing.” `软件 (ruǎnjiàn)` means “software,” and `假的 (jiǎ de)` means “fake.”
• Example 10:
  • 来电显示虽然方便，但有时也会泄露隐私。
  • Pinyin: Láidiàn xiǎnshì suīrán fāngbiàn, dànshì yǒushí yě huì xièlòu yǐnsī.
  • English: Although Caller ID is convenient, sometimes it can also leak privacy.
  • Analysis: A more complex sentence showing balanced thought. `虽然…但是… (suīrán…dànshì…)` means “although…but…”. `泄露隐私 (xièlòu yǐnsī)` means “to leak private information.”

• Noun, not a Verb: `来电显示` is a noun phrase referring to the feature or service itself. A common mistake is to use it as a verb.
  • Incorrect: `我的手机没来电显示你的号码。` (My phone didn't Caller ID your number.)
  • Correct: `我的手机上没有显示你的号码。` (My phone didn't display your number.)
  • Correct: `我的来电显示功能坏了。` (My Caller ID function is broken.)

• No Direct English Equivalent: Do not try to translate “Caller ID” word-for-word. “呼叫者身份 (hūjiàozhě shēnfèn)” would be a very awkward, literal translation meaning “caller's identity.” The standard, universally understood term is `来电显示`.
• Distinguishing from `身份 (shēnfèn)`: While Caller ID shows the *identity* of the caller in a loose sense, do not confuse it with the formal word for identity, `身份 (shēnfèn)`. `身份` refers to one's legal status, social position, or personal identity (e.g., student ID, national ID). `来电显示` only refers to the phone feature.

• 电话 (diànhuà) - Telephone. The device on which `来电显示` operates.
• 手机 (shǒujī) - Mobile phone. The most common device with this feature today.
• 接电话 (jiē diànhuà) - To answer the phone. The action you take after checking the `来电显示`.
• 挂电话 (guà diànhuà) - To hang up the phone. The action you might take if you don't recognize the `来电显示`.
• 未接来电 (wèijiē láidiàn) - Missed call. A related phone notification. `未接 (wèijiē)` means “unanswered.”
• 陌生号码 (mòshēng hàomǎ) - Unfamiliar number. A common sight on the `来电显示`.
• 骚扰电话 (sāorǎo diànhuà) - Spam/harassment call. A major problem that `来电显示` helps to mitigate.
• 显示 (xiǎnshì) - To display; display (screen). The verb component of the term and a useful tech word on its own.
• 号码 (hàomǎ) - Number (e.g., phone number, room number). What the `来电显示` primarily shows.
• 开通 (kāitōng) - To activate (a service). The verb used when you want to start using `来电显示`.