Chinese word

回电话

Pronunciation

Pinyinhuí diàn huà

Meaning

  • verbcall back

Example

你下班后可以给我回电话吗？nǐ xià bān hòu ké yǐ gěi wǒ huí diàn huà ma

Can you call me back after work?

Illustration for 回电话 (call back)

More examples

我现在不在办公室，请给我回电话。wǒ xiàn zài bú zài bàn gōng shì qǐng gěi wǒ huí diàn huà

I'm away from the office right now, so please call me back.

Core concept

A previous attempt to make contact is met by a new call from the responder.

Common phrases

  • 给我回电话gěi wǒ huí diàn huà

    call me back

  • 给他回电话gěi tā huí diàn huà

    call him back

  • 给客户回电话gěi kè hù huí diàn huà

    call the customer back

Similar words

打电话dǎ diàn huà: Calling someone by phone in order to talk with them.
接电话jiē diàn huà: Picking up an incoming call and responding to the caller.
挂电话guà diàn huà: Finishing a phone conversation and disconnecting the call.
留言liú yán: Recording or writing a message for someone who cannot take a call.

Definition in Chinese

在接到对方来电、未接来电或留言后，为了回复或继续联系而再次拨打对方电话的动作。zài jiē dào duì fāng lái diàn wèi jiē lái diàn huò liú yán hòu wèi le huí fù huò jì xù lián xì ér zài cì bō dǎ duì fāng diàn huà de dòng zuò

Word origin

回 (huí, "return") + 电话 (diànhuà, "telephone") turns the idea of returning into a telephone action, which explains its response-to-contact sense.

Usage tips

  • A voicemail can count as the earlier contact as well as a missed call, so the expression also suits calls made in response to recorded messages.

Related words

Word lists with this word