打电话

You use this phrase like a standard verb-object construction. If you want to say you are calling someone, you use the structure: '给 (Gěi) + Person + 打电话.' For example, 给我妈妈打电话 means 'calling my mom.' You can also add a duration at the end, like 打了十分钟电话 (called for ten minutes). It is very flexible. You can use it in the past, present, or future tense without changing the words themselves. Just add a 了 if you already finished the call!

Use this whenever a voice or video call is involved. It works for landlines (if you can find one), mobile phones, and even voice calls over apps like WeChat. Whether you are calling a restaurant to make a reservation or calling your best friend to gossip, this is your phrase. It’s perfect for the office when you need to 'call a client.' It’s also the standard thing to say when you’re leaving a party and tell someone, 'I’ll call you later!'

Do not use 打电话 if you are just sending a text message. For texting, you should use 发短信 (fā duǎnxìn) or 发微信 (fā wēixìn). Also, if you are 'calling' someone's name across a room, this isn't the word. That would be 喊 (hǎn) or 叫 (jiào). Using 打电话 implies a literal telecommunication device is involved. If you try to 'hit the electric machine' to a person standing next to you, they might think you've spent too much time in the metaverse.

Back in the day, phones had physical cranks or operator switchboards that you had to 'strike' or 'hit' to connect. That is likely where the 打 comes from. In modern China, almost everyone uses WeChat for everything. While 打电话 originally meant a cellular call, people now use it to mean a WeChat voice call too. It’s a classic phrase that survived the leap from rotary phones to high-tech smartphones. It’s the linguistic equivalent of the 'save' icon still being a floppy disk.

You will often hear people shorten it to just 打个电话 (dǎ gè diànhuà), which adds a 'measure word' to make it sound softer and more casual. It’s like saying 'make a quick call' instead of 'perform a telephone operation.' If someone is busy, they might say 回电话 (huí diànhuà), which means 'to call back.' If you are calling long-distance, you might hear 打长途 (dǎ chángtú). But for 99% of your life, the simple three-syllable version is all you need.