Japanese word

公衆電話

Pronunciation

Romajikōshūdenwa

Meaning

  • nounpay phone

Example

駅で公衆電話を見つけました。eki de kō shū den wa o mi tsu ke ma shi ta

I found a pay phone at the station.

Illustration for 公衆電話 (pay phone)

More examples

公衆電話から母に無事を知らせました。kō shū den wa ka ra haha ni bu ji o shi ra se ma shi ta

I let my mother know I was safe from a pay phone.

Core concept

Centers on access to a telephone provided for shared public use rather than private ownership, usually in return for payment.

Common phrases

  • 公衆電話の場所kō shū den wa no ba sho

    the location of a pay phone

  • 公衆電話を使うkō shū den wa o tsuka u

    use a pay phone

  • 公衆電話を探すkō shū den wa o saga su

    look for a pay phone

Definition in Japanese

公共の場所で誰でも料金を支払って通話できるように設けられた電話。kō kyō no ba sho de dare de mo ryō kin o shi hara tte tsū wa de ki ru yō ni mō ke ra re ta den wa

Word origin

公衆電話 (kōshū denwa) is a Sino-Japanese compound of 公衆 (kōshū, "the public") and 電話 (denwa, "telephone"), so it denotes a telephone made available to the public.

Usage tips

  • British English also uses public telephone for this object, while phone box names the booth that houses it.

Word lists with this word