din6 waa2電話电话

Jyutpingdin6 waa2

Yaledihn wá

名詞Very common

Illustration of 電話, (noun) telephone (including cell phone)

Definition

Telephone; a phone.

din6電waa2話hoeng2響gan2緊。

din6电waa2话hoeng2响gan2紧。

The phone is ringing.

colloquialtechnologycommunication

How it's used

People often use the shortened form 手機 to refer to mobile phones in casual speech, but 電話 remains the standard term for both landlines and mobile devices. When you want to specify making a call, the verb 打 is almost always used in combination with this noun. It is very common to hear people drop the measure word entirely when talking about the device in a general sense.

Measure word

bou6部bouh

Examples

nei5你zan6陣gaan1間daa2打go3個din6電waa2話bei2畀ngo5我laa1啦。

Give me a call later.

keoi5佢bou6部din6電waa2話hai6係bin1邊dou6度maai5買㗎？

Where did they buy their phone?

Common phrases

daa2打din6電waa2話

to make a phone call

sau2手tai4提din6電waa2話

mobile phone

Common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse the verb for making a call with the English word call, but you must use the verb 打. Also, avoid using the Mandarin term 手機 when referring to a landline, as it specifically implies a handheld mobile device.