New here? This is lesson 129 of a free 240-lesson Simplified Chinese course.
Phone calls in Simplified Chinese
Your kitchen tap is broken, so you call your landlord, Mr. Wang. But he is already on another call.
Learn how to ask for someone, find out who is calling, and leave a clear callback message.
Then listen as Mr. Wang gets back to you. The fortune slip stays folded, and A-Li's soy milk is still unfinished.
By the end of this lesson
Ask to speak with someone, find out who is calling, leave a message, and request a callback.
- 请问可以找王先生吗？May I speak to Mr. Wang?
- 请问您是哪位？Who is calling, please?
- 他现在不方便接电话He can't take calls now.
- 需要帮您留言吗？Would you like to leave a message?
- 可以请他回电给我吗？Could you ask him to call me back?
- 我晚点再打给你I'll call you later.
Scene — a call about the tap
Maya is in her apartment in Da'an when she notices the kitchen tap is broken. She calls her landlord, Mr. Wang, to ask what to do.
An office staff member answers. Mr. Wang is on another call, so Maya leaves a message and asks him to call back. The fortune slip remains unsolved.
Learn — phone requests and messages
These six lines help you handle a simple phone call: ask for a person, identify yourself, and arrange a callback.
Listen for the polite request forms, then practise saying each line clearly.
请问可以找王先生吗？
May I speak to Mr. Wang?
When to use it: Use this polite question when asking to speak with someone by phone.
请问 softens a request before you ask to speak with someone.
请问您是哪位？
Who is calling, please?
When to use it: Use this polite question when answering and asking who is calling.
Say it: Keep the third tone in 哪 low and clear.
他现在不方便接电话
He can't take calls now.
When to use it: Say this when the person someone wants is unable to answer.
不方便 is a polite way to say someone cannot take the call right now.
需要帮您留言吗？
Would you like to leave a message?
When to use it: Ask this when the person being called cannot answer.
吗 turns the sentence into a yes-or-no question.
可以请他回电给我吗？
Could you ask him to call me back?
When to use it: Use this polite request when you want someone to call you back.
我晚点再打给你
I'll call you later.
When to use it: Say this when you plan to call someone again later.
再 places the next call after the later time.
Story — Mr. Wang is busy
Maya calls Mr. Wang about the broken tap, but he is on another call.
She speaks with the office staff, leaves a message, and later hears from Mr. Wang.
Maya您好，请问可以找王先生吗？Hello, may I speak to Mr. Wang?- Office staff请问您是哪位？Who is calling, please?
- Maya我是玛雅，厨房的水龙头坏了。This is Maya. The kitchen tap is broken.
- Office staff他现在不方便接电话。He can't take calls now.
- Office staff需要帮您留言吗？Would you like to leave a message?
- Maya可以请他回电给我吗？Could you ask him to call me back?
- Office staff好，我帮您留言。All right, I'll pass along your message.
- Maya谢谢。Thank you.
- Later, Mr. Wang calls Maya back, and she answers.
Mr. Wang水龙头的事我知道了，我晚点再打给你。I know about the tap. I'll call you later.
Practice — make the call
Try ten exercises to handle a call from greeting through message taking. Notice which lines ask a question and which ones make a request.
Check each explanation, then try saying the useful lines aloud.
0 of 10 done
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
请问可以找王先生吗？
Build the line
Build the line
May I speak to Mr. Wang?
？
Tap the words in order.
What do you say?
What do you say?
You answer the phone at an office. Ask politely who is calling.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
He can't take calls now.
他现在____接电话
What do you say?
What do you say?
The person someone called is busy. Offer to take a message.
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Match the pairs
Simplified Chinese
请问可以找王先生吗？Drop the English here请问您是哪位？Drop the English here需要帮您留言吗？Drop the English here可以请他回电给我吗？Drop the English hereEnglish
Swap the word
Swap the word
You cannot talk now and will phone again later.
我____再打给你
Pick the reply
Office staff says:
Pick the reply
我帮您留言。
I'll pass along your message.
And you reply with:
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
您好
Say it — leave a message
Play both sides of a short phone call. Listen to each cue, then say the useful line as Maya or as the person answering.
Speak clearly and politely, especially when asking for someone or offering to take a message.
- Maya calls Mr. Wang's office about the broken tap.
- Maya (you)Ask politely to speak with Mr. Wang.
Ask politely to speak with Mr. Wang.
请问可以找王先生吗？
May I speak to Mr. Wang?
0 of 4 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Simplified Chinese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 请问可以找王先生吗？ | May I speak to Mr. Wang? | |
| 请问您是哪位？ | Who is calling, please? | |
| 他现在不方便接电话 | He can't take calls now. | |
| 需要帮您留言吗？ | Would you like to leave a message? | |
| 可以请他回电给我吗？ | Could you ask him to call me back? | |
| 我晚点再打给你 | I'll call you later. |
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Keep practicing with Yak Cards
Review today's useful phone lines in Yak Cards and practise them again later.
Try saying the request and callback lines aloud before your next call.
Open Yak Cards