Chinese word

来电

Pronunciation

Pinyinlái diàn

Meaning

  • nounincoming call

Example

我有两个未接来电，需要回电吗？wǒ yǒu liǎng gè wèi jiē lái diàn xū yào huí diàn ma

I have two missed calls; should I call back?

Illustration for 来电 (incoming call)

More examples

今晚我错过了一个重要的来电，现在才看到。jīn wǎn wǒ cuò guò le yí gè zhòng yào de lái diàn xiàn zài cái kàn dào

Tonight I missed an important incoming call and only just saw it.

Core concept

The visible or audible arrival of a phone call at a handset.

Common phrases

  • 未接来电wèi jiē lái diàn

    missed call

  • 接听来电jiē tīng lái diàn

    answer an incoming call

  • 来电号码lái diàn hào mǎ

    incoming call number

Similar words

未接来电wèi jiē lái diàn: An incoming phone call that was not answered and remains in the call history.
来电显示lái diàn xiǎn shì: A phone feature that shows the caller's information when a call comes in.

Definition in Chinese

指接收到的电话呼叫，常用来表示手机或座机上出现的来电记录或正在呼入的状态。zhǐ jiē shōu dào de diàn huà hū jiào cháng yòng lái biǎo shì shǒu jī huò zuò jī shàng chū xiàn de lái diàn jì lù huò zhèng zài hū rù de zhuàng tài

Word origin

来 (lái, "come") + 电 (diàn, "electricity") presents a phone call as an electrical signal that has reached the handset.

Usage tips

  • Phone menus and call-history labels favor this compact noun, while ordinary conversation often uses a fuller sentence to say that someone has called.

Other meanings

  • receive a callverb
  • callverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word