New here? This is lesson 130 of a free 240-lesson Simplified Chinese course.
Bad signal in Simplified Chinese
On the MRT ride home, Maya tries to call Mr. Wang about a repair. The signal cuts out just as she says his surname.
Practice asking whether someone can hear you, explaining a missed call, and confirming you got a message. One accidental wrong number adds a small detour.
Listen for the completed-action marker at the end of one line, then try the same phone exchange yourself.
By the end of this lesson
Explain that a phone signal is bad, ask whether someone can hear you, talk about missed calls and messages, and correct a wrong number.
- 信号不好The signal's bad.
- 你听得到我吗？Can you hear me?
- 我刚刚没接到你的电话I missed your call just now.
- 我收到你的留言了I got your message.
- 我打来是想问一下I'm calling to ask about ___.
- 我打错了I dialled the wrong number.
Scene — a call under the MRT
Maya is under the MRT on her way home, trying to call Mr. Wang about a repair. The call cuts out when she says his surname.
She redials, reaches the wrong number once, then gets through to Mr. Wang. The fortune slip remains folded away, and A-Li's drink is still unfinished.
Learn — phone problems
These lines help when calls drop, messages arrive late, or you reach the wrong person.
Listen to each phrase and notice how the question checks whether the other person can hear you.
The final particle in one line marks an event as complete.
信号不好
The signal's bad.
When to use it: Say this when a phone or internet connection is weak.
不好 describes the signal as poor, rather than saying the call itself is wrong.
你听得到我吗？
Can you hear me?
When to use it: Ask this when you are unsure whether your voice is coming through.
得到 follows 听 to ask whether the sound reaches someone; 吗 makes it a yes-or-no question.
Say it: 得 is light in this result complement.
我刚刚没接到你的电话
I missed your call just now.
When to use it: Use this to explain that you did not answer someone's recent call.
没 before the verb says the call was not received; 刚刚 places it in the very recent past.
我收到你的留言了
I got your message.
When to use it: Say this to confirm that someone's message reached you.
了 at the end marks receiving the message as a completed event.
Say it: 了 is light here and marks a completed event.
我打来是想问一下
I'm calling to ask about ___.
When to use it: Use this to begin a call and gently introduce your reason for calling.
是想问一下 softens the reason for calling before you state your question.
我打错了
I dialled the wrong number.
When to use it: Say this when you realize you have called the wrong person.
打错了 describes a dialing mistake that has already happened.
Story — a call to Mr. Wang
Maya calls Mr. Wang from under the MRT to ask about a repair. The connection drops at an awkward moment, and one redial reaches a stranger.
Listen for how Maya checks the connection and makes sure her question gets answered.
Maya你好，王先生。Hello, Mr. Wang.
Mr. Wang你好。Hello.- Maya我打来是想问一下，王先生……I'm calling to ask about—Mr. Wang…
- The call drops just after Maya says Wang's surname.
- Maya redials, but accidentally calls the wrong number.
- Stranger喂？Hello?
- Maya不好意思，我打错了。Sorry, I dialled the wrong number.
- Maya hangs up and calls Mr. Wang again.
- Mr. Wang喂？我刚刚有打给你。Hello? I called you just now.
- Maya我刚刚没接到你的电话。I missed your call just now.
- Maya信号不好。The signal's bad.
- Maya你听得到我吗？Can you hear me?
- Mr. Wang听得到，现在比较清楚了。I can hear you; it's clearer now.
- Maya我收到你的留言了。修理是明天早上吗？I got your message. Is the repair tomorrow morning?
- Mr. Wang对，明天早上。That's right, tomorrow morning.
- Maya好，明天早上。谢谢王先生。Okay, tomorrow morning. Thank you, Mr. Wang.
Practice — keep the call going
Work through ten short exercises about calls and messages. Choose a useful phrase, build a line, and listen for the detail that makes the difference.
Some questions revisit familiar greetings and a phrase for saying you did not catch something.
0 of 10 done
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
信号不好
What do you say?
What do you say?
You are calling your landlord to ask about a repair. Begin by giving your reason for calling.
Build the line
Build the line
I got your message.
Tap the words in order.
Fill the gap
Fill the gap
Can you hear me?
你听____我吗？
Match the pairs
Simplified Chinese
你听得到我吗？Drop the English here我刚刚没接到你的电话Drop the English here我收到你的留言了Drop the English here我打错了Drop the English hereEnglish
What did you hear?
What did you hear?
Pick the reply
Mr. Wang says:
Pick the reply
你听得到我吗？
Can you hear me?
And you reply with:
What do you say?
What do you say?
You answer a familiar landlord's call. Greet him in a simple, friendly way.
Build the line
Build the line
I dialled the wrong number.
Tap the words in order.
What do you say?
What do you say?
The connection is clear, but you did not catch Mr. Wang's last words. Tell him you missed them.
Say it — try the phone exchange
You play Maya and call Mr. Wang from under the MRT. Listen to the other person's line, then respond with a useful phrase from the lesson.
The connection improves after a redial. Speak clearly, and finish by confirming the repair time.
- Maya calls Mr. Wang about the repair.
- Maya (you)Begin your call by saying why you are calling.
Begin your call by saying why you are calling.
我打来是想问一下
I'm calling to ask about ___.
0 of 5 said
Recap — what you can say now
| Simplified Chinese | English | Play |
|---|---|---|
| 信号不好 | The signal's bad. | |
| 你听得到我吗？ | Can you hear me? | |
| 我刚刚没接到你的电话 | I missed your call just now. | |
| 我收到你的留言了 | I got your message. | |
| 我打来是想问一下 | I'm calling to ask about ___. | |
| 我打错了 | I dialled the wrong number. |
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