gong2 din6 waa2講電話讲电话
Jyutpinggong2 din6 waa2
Yalegóng dihn wá
Definition
To talk on the phone.
colloquialcommunicationdaily actions
How it's used
Focuses on the act of speaking rather than the device itself. It is a verb phrase that functions like a separable verb, meaning you can insert aspect markers like 緊 or 咗 directly into the middle of the phrase. It is the standard way to describe being in the middle of a call, whereas using the noun 電話 alone would sound incomplete.
Examples
Can you finish your phone call before looking for me?
Related words
Common phrases
talking on the phone
finished talking on the phone
Common mistake
Avoid using it to mean calling someone for the first time, as that is usually expressed with 打電話. Using 講電話 implies the conversation is already in progress.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
