Phone Call Conversations

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand and use key phrases for answering the phone, asking for someone, leaving a message, and ending a call in Japanese.

Phone calls in Japanese follow a set of polite, formulaic expressions. Unlike casual conversation, phone language uses specific verbs and phrases to show respect and clarity. The core pattern is: greeting → identifying yourself → stating your purpose → ending politely.

1. Answering the Phone (Receiving a Call)

When you pick up the phone, the standard greeting is:

• もしもし (Moshi moshi) – "Hello?" (used only on the phone)
• はい、もしもし (Hai, moshi moshi) – "Yes, hello?"

After this, you usually state your name or company:

• 〜ですが (〜 desu ga) – "This is ~" (polite, "ga" softens the statement)
• 〜でございます (〜 de gozaimasu) – "This is ~" (very polite, used in business)

Example:

はい、もしもし。田中ですが。
Hai, moshi moshi. Tanaka desu ga.
"Yes, hello. This is Tanaka."田中

2. Asking for Someone

To ask to speak with a specific person, use:

• 〜をお願いします (〜 o onegai shimasu) – "May I speak with ~?"願
• 〜さんはいらっしゃいますか (〜 san wa irasshaimasu ka) – "Is ~ there?" (polite)

Example:

すみません、山田さんをお願いします。
Sumimasen, Yamada-san o onegai shimasu.
"Excuse me, may I speak with Mr./Ms. Yamada?"山田願

3. Leaving a Message

When the person is not available, use:

• 伝言をお願いします (Dengon o onegai shimasu) – "Please take a message."伝言願
• 〜とお伝えください (〜 to otsutae kudasai) – "Please tell them that ~"伝

Example:

もしもし、田中から電話があったとお伝えください。
Moshi moshi, Tanaka kara denwa ga atta to otsutae kudasai.
"Hello, please tell them that Tanaka called."田中電話伝

4. Ending the Call

Common closing phrases:

• 失礼します (Shitsurei shimasu) – "Goodbye / Excuse me" (polite)失礼
• お電話ありがとうございました (O-denwa arigatou gozaimashita) – "Thank you for the call"電話

Example:

では、失礼します。
Dewa, shitsurei shimasu.
"Well then, goodbye."失礼

Mistake: Using もしもし (moshi moshi) in formal business calls.
Why it's wrong: もしもし is casual and used mostly with friends/family. In business, skip it and go straight to stating your name/company.

Correct:

はい、山田商事の鈴木でございます。
Hai, Yamada Shouji no Suzuki de gozaimasu.
"Yes, this is Suzuki from Yamada Trading."山田商事鈴木

Fill in the blanks:

1. もしもし、___ですが。 (Say your name: "Tanaka")
   → Answer: 田中 (Tanaka)田中

   田中

2. すみません、___をお願いします。 (Ask for "Yamada-san")
   → Answer: 山田さん (Yamada-san)願山田

   願山田

3. ___から電話があったとお伝えください。 (Say your name: "Suzuki")
   → Answer: 鈴木 (Suzuki)電話伝鈴木

   電話伝鈴木

You now know the key phrases for phone conversations: answering with もしもし or your name, asking for someone with 〜をお願いします, leaving a message with 伝言をお願いします, and ending with 失礼します.願伝言失礼

Next step: Practice these phrases by role-playing a short phone call with a partner or using a language app. Focus on the rhythm and politeness level.