Hanyu Jiaocheng • BLCU • Telephone Lesson
Hanyu Jiaocheng Telephone Lesson — 喂 and Phone Call Vocabulary
The telephone chapter in 汉语教程 (Hanyu Jiaocheng) by Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU) introduces the phone greeting 喂 (wèi) and the patterns for answering calls, asking for someone, taking messages and ending conversations. This page covers all 17 core vocabulary items and two practice dialogues.
Core Vocabulary — 17 Words
These are the words you must know before the dialogue practice. Pay close attention to 喂 (wèi, 4th tone) — it is used only on the phone, never as a face-to-face greeting.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 喂 | wèi | Hello (phone only) | 4th tone — used only when answering the phone, not face-to-face |
| 电话 | diànhuà | telephone / phone call | 打电话 = to make a call |
| 打电话 | dǎ diànhuà | to make a phone call | 打 = to hit / to do (versatile verb) |
| 接电话 | jiē diànhuà | to answer a phone call | 接 = to receive / to meet |
| 挂电话 | guà diànhuà | to hang up | 挂 = to hang |
| 请问 | qǐngwèn | may I ask / excuse me | Polite opener for any question |
| 是哪位 | shì nǎ wèi | who is this? | 请问是哪位？— polite way to ask who is calling |
| 我找 | wǒ zhǎo | I am looking for / I'd like to speak to | 我找王老师 = I'd like to speak to Teacher Wang |
| 在吗 | zài ma | is (he/she) there? | 王老师在吗？= Is Teacher Wang there? |
| 请稍等 | qǐng shāo děng | please hold on a moment | 稍 = a little; 等 = to wait |
| 等一下 | děng yī xià | wait a moment (informal) | More casual than 请稍等 |
| 不在 | bú zài | not here / not available | 他不在 = He is not in |
| 开会 | kāihuì | in a meeting / to have a meeting | 他在开会 = He is in a meeting |
| 留言 | liúyán | to leave a message / message | 能留言吗？= May I leave a message? |
| 回电话 | huí diànhuà | to call back / return a call | 请他给我回电话 = Please ask him to call me back |
| 电话号码 | diànhuà hàomǎ | phone number | |
| 方便 | fāngbiàn | convenient / a good time | 现在方便吗？= Is now a good time? |
Practice Dialogue 1 — Calling a Classmate
A student (A) calls their classmate's home. The classmate's mother (B) answers.
喂？请问是王明家吗？
Wèi? Qǐngwèn shì Wáng Míng jiā ma?
Hello? Is this Wang Ming's home?
对，请问你是哪位？
Duì, qǐngwèn nǐ shì nǎ wèi?
Yes, may I ask who is calling?
我是他的同学李红。请问王明在吗？
Wǒ shì tā de tóngxué Lǐ Hóng. Qǐngwèn Wáng Míng zài ma?
I am his classmate Li Hong. Is Wang Ming there?
他在，请稍等。
Tā zài, qǐng shāo děng.
He is here. Please hold on a moment.
好的，谢谢。
Hǎo de, xièxie.
Okay, thank you.
Practice Dialogue 2 — Leaving a Message
A student (A) calls the teacher's office. The office assistant (B) answers. The teacher is unavailable.
喂，请问是中文系办公室吗？
Wèi, qǐngwèn shì Zhōngwén xì bàngōngshì ma?
Hello, is this the Chinese department office?
是的，请问找谁？
Shì de, qǐngwèn zhǎo shuí?
Yes, who would you like to speak to?
我找李老师，她现在方便吗？
Wǒ zhǎo Lǐ lǎoshī, tā xiànzài fāngbiàn ma?
I'd like to speak to Teacher Li. Is she available?
不好意思，李老师现在在开会，不方便接电话。
Bù hǎoyìsi, Lǐ lǎoshī xiànzài zài kāihuì, bù fāngbiàn jiē diànhuà.
Sorry, Teacher Li is in a meeting right now and can't take calls.
好的，能帮我留言吗？请她给我回电话，我的号码是一三八零零一二三四五六。
Hǎo de, néng bāng wǒ liúyán ma? Qǐng tā gěi wǒ huí diànhuà, wǒ de hàomǎ shì yī sān bā líng líng yī èr sān sì wǔ liù.
Okay, could you take a message for me? Please ask her to call me back. My number is 138 0012 3456.
好的，我会转告她。再见。
Hǎo de, wǒ huì zhuǎngào tā. Zàijiàn.
Okay, I will pass on the message. Goodbye.
Grammar Patterns
Is [person] there?
王明在吗？— Is Wang Ming there?
Add 请问 at the front to make it more polite: 请问王明在吗？
Please do [verb] — polite request
请稍等。/ 请留言。/ 请他回电话。
请 raises the politeness level of any instruction.
[Subject] is currently doing [verb]
他在开会。— He is (currently) in a meeting.
在 before a verb indicates an ongoing action, similar to English -ing.
Can / is it possible to…?
能帮我留言吗？— Could you take a message for me?
能 asks about capability or permission. More direct than 可以 (kěyǐ).
Ending a Call — 6 Phrases
These closing expressions appear at the end of the telephone dialogue in the textbook.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 好的 | hǎo de | okay / alright | |
| 那 | nà | then / in that case | Transition word: 那我先挂了 = Then I'll hang up first |
| 再见 | zàijiàn | goodbye | |
| 一会儿见 | yīhuìr jiàn | see you in a bit | |
| 谢谢 | xièxie | thank you | |
| 不客气 | bú kèqi | you're welcome |
Study Tips for This Lesson
- Tone drill 喂: Practice saying wèi (falling 4th tone) ten times until it sounds natural — most beginners accidentally use 2nd tone (rising), which changes the meaning.
- Role-play both sides: Read through each dialogue twice — once as speaker A, once as speaker B. Phone conversations are predictable, so the pattern locks in quickly.
- Number drills: Practice saying phone numbers aloud in Chinese (一 yī, 二 èr, 三 sān…). The dialogue contains a full phone number for this reason.
- Memorise 请稍等 as one chunk: Don't learn it word by word — treat the whole phrase as a single unit, like English "hold on".