電話

See also: 电话

Chinese

		electric; electricity; electrical	spoken words; speech; dialect spoken words; speech; dialect; language; talk; conversation; what someone said
trad. (電話)		電	話
simp. (电话)		电	话

Etymology

Wasei kango (和製漢語), orthographically borrowed from Japanese 電(でん)話(わ) (denwa) (Liu et al., 1984; Huang, 2020), first attested in 《遊歷日本圖經》 by Fu Yunlong in 1889 (Huang, 2020).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): diànhuà

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄧㄢˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): dian⁴ hua⁴

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): дянхуа (di͡anhua, III-III)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): din⁶ waa^6-2

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): en⁵ va^5*

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): thien-fa

  (Hailu, HRS): tien^˖ fa^ˇ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): tiên⁴ fa⁴

• Jin (Wiktionary): die³ hua³
• Eastern Min (BUC): diêng-uâ
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): tiān-ōe / tiān-ōa

  (Teochew, Peng'im): diang⁶ uê⁷ / diêng⁶ uê⁷

• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁶di-gho₆

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: diànhuà
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄧㄢˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: diànhuà
    • Wade–Giles: tien⁴-hua⁴
    • Yale: dyàn-hwà
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: diannhuah
    • Palladius: дяньхуа (djanʹxua)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ti̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ä⁵¹/
    • Homophones:

      [Show/Hide]
      edit edit 電化 / 电化 電話 / 电话

      
      
  • (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: diànhuàr
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄧㄢˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋㄦ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: diànhuàr
    • Wade–Giles: tien⁴-hua⁴-ʼrh
    • Yale: dyàn-hwàr
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: diannhuall
    • Palladius: дяньхуар (djanʹxuar)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ti̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ɑɻ⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: dian⁴ hua⁴
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: dianxua
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tiɛn²¹³ xua²¹³/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: дянхуа (di͡anhua, III-III)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tiæ̃⁴⁴ xua⁴⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: din⁶ waa^6-2
    • Yale: dihn wá
    • Cantonese Pinyin: din⁶ waa^6-2
    • Guangdong Romanization: din⁶ wa^6-2
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tiːn²² waː²²⁻³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: en⁵ va^5*
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /en³² va³²⁻³²⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thien-fa
    • Hakka Romanization System: tien fa
    • Hagfa Pinyim: tian⁴ fa⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰi̯en⁵⁵ fa⁵⁵/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: tien^˖ fa^ˇ
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰien³³ fa¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: tiên⁴ fa⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰiɛn⁵³⁻⁵⁵ fa⁵³/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: die³ hua³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /tie⁴⁵ xua⁴⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: diêng-uâ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tieŋ²⁴²⁻⁵³ ^(Ø-)ŋuɑ²⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Philippines, Jinjiang, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tiān-ōe
    • Tâi-lô: tiān-uē
    • Phofsit Daibuun: diexn'oe
    • IPA (Taipei): /tiɛn³³⁻¹¹ ue³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tiɛn³³⁻²¹ ue³³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Philippines, Jinjiang): /tiɛn⁴¹⁻²² ue⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Singapore): /tiɛn²²⁻²¹ ue²²/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Penang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tiān-ōa
    • Tâi-lô: tiān-uā
    • Phofsit Daibuun: diexn'oa
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tiɛn²²⁻²¹ ua²²/
    • IPA (Penang): /tiɛn²¹ ua²¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: diang⁶ uê⁷ / diêng⁶ uê⁷
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tiăng uē / tiĕng uē
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tiaŋ³⁵⁻¹¹ ue¹¹/, /tieŋ³⁵⁻¹¹ ue¹¹/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Jiaxing)
    • Wugniu: ⁶di-gho₆
    • MiniDict: di^去 gho^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³di-hho₃
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /di²² ɦo⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /di¹³ ɦo²¹/

Noun

電話

1. (countable) telephone; phone [from 19th c.] (Classifier: 部 m c)

   電話民調／电话民调  ―  diànhuà míndiào  ―  telephone poll

   車載電話／车载电话  ―  chēzài diànhuà  ―  vehicular telephone

   來電話了。／来电话了。  ―  Lái diànhuà le.  ―  The telephone is ringing.

   電話佔線。／电话占线。  ―  Diànhuà zhànxiàn.  ―  The line is busy.

   你不在的時候，電話響了。 [MSC, trad.]
   你不在的时候，电话响了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ bù zài de shíhou, diànhuà xiǎng le. [Pinyin]

   The phone rang when you weren't here.

   麻煩您幫我接通書記辦公室的電話，好嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
   麻烦您帮我接通书记办公室的电话，好吗？ [MSC, simp.]

   Máfan nín bāng wǒ jiētōng shūjì bàngōngshì de diànhuà, hǎo ma? [Pinyin]

   Could you please connect me to the secretary's office?

   公共電話／公共电话 [Hokkien]  ―  kong-kiōng tiān-ōe [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  public telephone

2. (countable) telephone call; phone call; call [from 20th c.] (Classifier: 通 m mn; 個／个 m c)

   接通電話／接通电话  ―  jiētōng diànhuà  ―  to connect a call

   騷擾電話／骚扰电话  ―  sāorǎo diànhuà  ―  nuisance call

   電話接通了。／电话接通了。  ―  Diànhuà jiētōng le.  ―  The call has been put through.

   我給你打電話。／我给你打电话。  ―  Wǒ gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.  ―  I'll give you a call.

   打個電話俾佢 [Cantonese, trad.]
   打个电话俾佢 [Cantonese, simp.]

   daa² go³ din⁶ waa^6-2 bei² keoi⁵ [Jyutping]

   give them a call

3. (colloquial) telephone number; phone number; number

   你的電話是多少？ [MSC, trad.]
   你的电话是多少？ [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ de diànhuà shì duōshǎo? [Pinyin]

   What's your phone number?

Usage notes

Note that in Mandarin, the noun 電話／电话 (diànhuà, “telephone”) is used in any verb involving a phone, such as 打電話／打电话 (dǎ diànhuà, “to make a phone call”), 回電話／回电话 (huí diànhuà, “to call back”), 接電話／接电话 (jiē diànhuà, “to answer the phone”), etc.

In Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, 電話 / 电话 (diànhuà) often refers to a mobile phone in many contexts.

Synonyms

• (telephone): (chiefly Taishanese, dated) 喊線／喊线; (chiefly Wu, dated) 德律風／德律风 (délǜfēng)

Derived terms

• 公用電話 / 公用电话 (gōngyòng diànhuà)
• 叫電話 / 叫电话
• 回電話 / 回电话 (huí diànhuà)
• 固定電話 / 固定电话 (gùdìng diànhuà)
• 座機電話 / 座机电话 (zuòjī diànhuà)
• 手提電話 / 手提电话 (shǒutí diànhuà)
• 打電話 / 打电话 (dǎ diànhuà)
• 拍電話 / 拍电话
• 接電話 / 接电话 (jiē diànhuà)
• 摃電話 / 𫼱电话
• 敲電話 / 敲电话
• 流動電話 / 流动电话 (liúdòng diànhuà)
• 煲電話 / 煲电话 (bāo diànhuà)
• 煲電話粥 / 煲电话粥 (bāo diànhuàzhōu)
• 移動電話 / 移动电话 (yídòng diànhuà)
• 行動電話 / 行动电话 (xíngdòng diànhuà)
• 要電話 / 要电话 (yào diànhuà)
• 長途電話 / 长途电话 (chángtú diànhuà)
• 電話亭 / 电话亭 (diànhuàtíng)
• 電話卡 / 电话卡 (diànhuàkǎ)
• 電話局 / 电话局
• 電話會議 / 电话会议 (diànhuà huìyì)
• 電話機 / 电话机 (diànhuàjī)
• 電話簿 / 电话簿 (diànhuàbù)
• 電話線 / 电话线 (diànhuàxiàn)
• 電話號碼 / 电话号码 (diànhuà hàomǎ)
• 騷擾電話 / 骚扰电话 (sāorǎo diànhuà)
• 鼓電話 / 鼓电话

 

Descendants

• → Bouyei: dianqhuaq
• → Lü: ᦶᦎᧃᧈᦧᦱᧈ (ṫaen¹ẋwaa¹)
• → Zhuang: denva

See also

• 大哥大 (dàgēdà)
• 手機／手机 (shǒujī)

Further reading

• “Entry #10333”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2024.
• Chia, Caroline, Hoogervorst, Tom, editors (2021), “Chapter 5 Native Lexical Innovation in Penang Hokkien: Thinking beyond Rojak”, in Sinophone Southeast Asia: Sinitic Voices across the Southern Seas (Chinese Overseas: History, Literature, and Society; 20 [Open Access])‎^[1], Brill, →ISBN, page 177: “Sino-Japanese words for some of these new things – such as tiān-ōa 電話 ‘telephone’ – did make their way into Penang Hokkien”

Japanese

Kanji in this term
電	話
でん Grade: 2	わ Grade: 2
goon	kan'yōon

Alternative forms

• (honorific) お電話(でんわ) (o-denwa)

Etymology

Wasei kango, from 電 (den, “electric”) +‎ 話 (wa, “conversation”). See also 話す (hanasu).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) でんわ [dèńwá] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [dẽ̞ɰ̃β̞a̠]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

電(でん)話(わ) • (denwa) 

1. telephone

   電話(でんわ)を引(ひ)く

   denwa o hiku

   to install a telephone

   電話(でんわ)に出(で)る

   denwa ni deru

   to answer the phone

2. telephone call; phone call; call

   電話(でんわ)を掛(か)ける

   denwa o kakeru

   to make a call

   電話(でんわ)が掛(か)かって来(く)る

   denwa ga kakatte kuru

   to receive a call

   電話(でんわ)を切(き)る

   denwa o kiru

   to hang up

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 電話(でんわ)を切(き)る (denwa o kiru): to hang up
• 携帯電話(けいたいでんわ) (keitaidenwa): a cellular [mobile] phone
• 移動電話(いどうでんわ) (idōdenwa): a mobile telephone
• 衛星電話(えいせいでんわ) (eiseidenwa): a satellite phone
• 親子電話(おやこでんわ) (oyakodenwa): an extension telephone
• 公衆電話(こうしゅうでんわ) (kōshūdenwa): a pay public phone
• 青電話(あおでんわ) (aodenwa)
• 赤電話(あかでんわ) (akadenwa)
• アドオン電話(でんわ) (adoondenwa)
• 糸電話(いとでんわ) (itodenwa): a string telephone
• 脅迫電話(きょうはくでんわ) (kyōhakudenwa)
• コードレス電話(でんわ) (kōdoresudenwa): a cordless phone
• 国際電信電話(こくさいでんしんでんわ) (kokusaidenshindenwa)
• 国際電話(こくさいでんわ) (kokusaidenwa): international phone (calls)
• 市外電話(しがいでんわ) (shigaidenwa): a long-distance call
• 自動車電話(じどうしゃでんわ) (jidōshadenwa): a car telephone
• 卓上電話(たくじょうでんわ) (takujōdenwa)
• 長距離電話(ちょうきょりでんわ) (chōkyoridenwa): a long distance call
• 直通電話(ちょくつうでんわ) (chokutsūdenwa)
• 通常加入電話(つうじょうかにゅうでんわ) (tsūjōkanyūdenwa)
• テレビ電話(でんわ) (terebidenwa): a videophone
• 転送電話(てんそうでんわ) (tensōdenwa)
• 内線電話(ないせんでんわ) (naisendenwa)
• 長電話(ながでんわ) (nagadenwa): a long telephone conversation
• 無言電話(むごんでんわ) (mugondenwa): a silent call
• 無線電話(むせんでんわ) (musendenwa)
• 呼(よ)び出(だ)し電話(でんわ) (yobidashidenwa)
• 留守番電話(るすばんでんわ) (rusubandenwa): answering machine
• 電話(でんわ)ボックス (denwabokkusu): a telephone booth[box]
• 電話会社(でんわがいしゃ) (denwagaisha)
• 電話回線(でんわかいせん) (denwakaisen)
• 電話機(でんわき) (denwaki)
• 電話局(でんわきょく) (denwakyoku)
• 電話交換局(でんわこうかんきょく) (denwakōkankyoku)
• 電話交換手(でんわこうかんしゅ) (denwakōkanshu)
• 電話交換台(でんわこうかんだい) (denwakōkandai)
• 電話口(でんわぐち) (denwaguchi)
• 電話室(でんわしつ) (denwashitsu)
• 電話世論調査(でんわせろんちょうさ) (denwaseronchōsa)
• 電話線(でんわせん) (denwasen): a telephone wire
• 電話中(でんわちゅう) (denwachū)
• 電話帳(でんわちょう) (denwachō): a telephone book
• 電話調査(でんわちょうさ) (denwachōsa)
• 電話番号(でんわばんごう) (denwabangō): a telephone number
• 電話網(でんわもう) (denwamō): a telephone net
• 電話料(でんわりょう) (denwaryō)
• 電話加入者(でんわかにゅうしゃ) (denwakanyūsha)
• 悪戯電話(いたずらでんわ) (itazuradenwa): a prank call
• 共同電話(きょうどうでんわ) (kyōdōdenwa): a party line
• ダイヤル式電話(しきでんわ) (daiyarushikidenwa): a dial telephone
• プッシュホン式電話(しきでんわ) (pusshuhonshikidenwa): a push-button telephone

Descendants

• → Amis: tingwa, dingwa
• → Atayal: renwa'
• → Bunun: ding-ua, zing-ua
• → Chinese: 電話 / 电话 (diànhuà)
• → Kavalan: dingwa
• → Korean: 전화 (jeonhwa)
• → Okinawan: 電話 (でぃんわ, dinwa)
• → Paiwan: dingwa
• → Pingelapese: dengiwa
• → Pohnpeian: dengwa
• → Puyuma: dingwa
• → Rukai: dingwa, dinva
• → Taroko: dengwa
• → Tsou: tenva
• → Vietnamese: điện thoại
• → Yami: dingwa

Verb

電(でん)話(わ)する • (denwa suru) suru (stem 電(でん)話(わ)し (denwa shi), past 電(でん)話(わ)した (denwa shita))

1. to make a phone call; to telephone; to call

Usage notes

• In order to imply whom one is calling as is done in English with the preposition to in make a phone call to or by the objective case as him in the sentence I called him, the Japanese use に (ni):

  私(わたし)は彼(かれ)に電話(でんわ)するつもりだ。

  Watashi wa kare ni denwa suru tsumori da.

  I'm going to call him.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "電話する" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	電話し	でんわし	denwa shi
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	電話し	でんわし	denwa shi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	電話する	でんわする	denwa suru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	電話する	でんわする	denwa suru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	電話すれ	でんわすれ	denwa sure
Meireikei ("imperative")	電話せよ¹ 電話しろ²	でんわせよ¹ でんわしろ²	denwa seyo¹ denwa shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	電話される	でんわされる	denwa sareru
Causative	電話させる 電話さす	でんわさせる でんわさす	denwa saseru denwa sasu
Potential	電話できる	でんわできる	denwa dekiru
Volitional	電話しよう	でんわしよう	denwa shiyō
Negative	電話しない	でんわしない	denwa shinai
Negative continuative	電話せず	でんわせず	denwa sezu
Formal	電話します	でんわします	denwa shimasu
Perfective	電話した	でんわした	denwa shita
Conjunctive	電話して	でんわして	denwa shite
Hypothetical conditional	電話すれば	でんわすれば	denwa sureba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative

Korean

Hanja in this term
電	話

Noun

電話 • (jeonhwa) (hangeul 전화)

1. hanja form^? of 전화 (“telephone”)

Okinawan

Kanji in this term
電	話
でぃん Grade: 2	わ Grade: 2

Noun

電(でぃん)話(わ) (dinwa) 

1. telephone

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
電	話

Noun

電話

1. chữ Hán form of điện thoại (“telephone”).