diàn
huà
(Mandarin)
(Cantonese)

打電話 (Traditional: 打電話)

HSK 1

Dictionary

to make a telephone call

Examples

我正在给妈妈打电话。

Wǒ zhèngzài gěi māma dǎ diànhuà.

I am calling my mom.

Did You Know?

Word Order

Word Formation

打 means 'to hit/make', 电 means 'electric', and 话 means 'speech', together meaning 'to make a phone call'.

Usage Tips

打电话 is a verb-object phrase; time words go before it: 我明天打电话 (I'll call tomorrow).