Spanish Conversation · Level 12
90 words
Spanish word
teléfono
Pronunciation
IPA/teˈlefono/
Meaning
- masculine nounphone
Example
¿Puedo usar tu teléfono?
Can I use your phone?
More examples
¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono?
What's your phone number?
Core concept
Device for distant voice calls and text messages.
Common phrases
número de teléfono
phone number
teléfono móvil
mobile phone
contestar el teléfono
answer the phone
Similar words
móvil: Handheld phone designed for easy carrying and everyday portability.
celular: Cell-network phone that uses mobile towers to provide calls and data.
número: String of digits assigned to reach a particular telephone or subscriber.
Definition in Spanish
Dispositivo empleado para hacer y recibir llamadas de voz y mensajes, ya sea como teléfono fijo o como teléfono móvil.
Word origin
From Greek tele 'far' and phonē 'voice', adopted into Spanish via French/English in the 19th century as the name for the technology that links voices across distance.
Usage tips
- Use teléfono for the device in general, while speakers commonly say móvil in Spain and celular in much of Latin America when they mean a cell phone.
Other meanings
- telephonenoun
Related words
- telefoníatelephone servicenoun
- telefónicotelephonicadjective
- telefonistatelephone operatornoun