HSK Guide

打电话打電話 dǎ diànhuà — to make a phone call

dǎ (third tone, dipping) diànhuà (fourth tone, falling)da3 dian4hua4

Traditional: 打電話

to make a phone call

HSK 1· HSK 1–4 (classic)verbphrase
Practise this wordAsk the AI tutor

Meanings

  1. to make a phone call

    A verb with its object built in: 打 "to strike" plus 电话 "telephone". Because 电话 is already the object, the person called is introduced separately, with 给.

    verb

Character breakdown

  • 电電
    diàn (fourth tone, falling)

    electricity; lightning; a telegram; to give an electric shock

    5 strokesRadical 田
  • 话話
    huà (fourth tone, falling)

    speech, words, what is said; a language or dialect; to talk about

    8 strokes⿰讠舌Radical 言

Example sentences

  • 我想打电话问老师。我想打電話問老師。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) xiǎng (third tone, dipping) dǎ (third tone, dipping) diànhuà (fourth tone, falling) wèn (fourth tone, falling) lǎoshī. (third tone, dipping)···

    I’d like to ring the teacher and ask.

  • 妈妈在打电话。媽媽在打電話。Māma (first tone, high and level) zài (fourth tone, falling) dǎ (third tone, dipping) diànhuà. (fourth tone, falling)···

    Mum is on the phone.