Chinese word

通话

Pronunciation

Pinyintōng huà

Meaning

  • verbtalk on the phone

Example

我正在和朋友通话。wǒ zhèng zài hé péng yǒu tōng huà

I am talking to a friend on the phone.

Illustration for 通话 (talk on the phone)

More examples

请勿打扰，他正在与上司通话。qǐng wù dá rǎo tā zhèng zài yǔ shàng sī tōng huà

Please do not disturb him; he is talking on the phone with his boss.

Core concept

Speech passing through a communication link so two sides can converse.

Common phrases

  • 正在通话zhèng zài tōng huà

    be talking on the phone

  • 与客户通话yǔ kè hù tōng huà

    talk on the phone with a customer

  • 进行通话jìn xíng tōng huà

    make a phone call

Similar words

打电话dǎ diàn huà: Making a phone call to reach someone.
接电话jiē diàn huà: Picking up and responding to a phone call from someone.
联系lián xì: Getting in touch with a person or organization to communicate information or handle a matter.
聊天liáo tiān: Chatting with someone in a light and easygoing way.

Definition in Chinese

在电话或语音通信中，双方通过线路或无线交换声音并进行交谈的行为或状态zài diàn huà huò yǔ yīn tōng xìn zhōng shuāng fāng tōng guò xiàn lù huò wú xiàn jiāo huàn shēng yīn bìng jìn xíng jiāo tán de xíng wéi huò zhuàng tài

Word origin

通话 (tōnghuà, "phone conversation") combines 通 (tōng, "connect or pass through") + 话 (huà, "speech"), presenting spoken exchange as something carried across a link.

Usage tips

  • The word focuses on the live voice exchange rather than merely starting it, which makes it natural for describing a call that is already under way.

Other meanings

  • phone callnoun
  • on the phoneadjective

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word