電話

See also: 电话

Chinese

		electric; electricity; electrical	spoken words; speech; dialect spoken words; speech; dialect; language; talk; conversation; what someone said
trad. (電話)		電	話
simp. (电话)		电	话

Wikipedia has articles on:

• 電話 (Written Standard Chinese^?)
• 電話 (Cantonese)
• 電話 (Classical)
• 電話 (Gan)
• Thien-fa (Hakka)
• Diêng-uâ (Eastern Min)
• Tiān-ōe (Southern Min)
• 电话 (Wu)

Etymology

Wasei kango (和製漢語), orthographically borrowed from Japanese 電(でん)話(わ) (denwa) (Liu et al., 1984; Huang, 2020), first attested in 《遊歷日本圖經》 by Fu Yunlong in 1889 (Huang, 2020).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): diànhuà

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄧㄢˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): dian⁴ hua⁴

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): дянхуа (di͡anhua, III-III)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): din⁶ waa^6-2

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): en⁵ va^5*

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): thien-fa

  (Hailu, HRS): tien^˖ fa^ˇ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): tiên⁴ fa⁴

• Jin (Wiktionary): die³ hua³
• Eastern Min (BUC): diêng-uâ
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): deng⁵ ua⁵
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): tiān-ōe / tiān-ōa

  (Teochew, Peng'im): diang⁶ uê⁷ / diêng⁶ uê⁷

• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁶di-gho₆

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: diànhuà
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄧㄢˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: diànhuà
    • Wade–Giles: tien⁴-hua⁴
    • Yale: dyàn-hwà
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: diannhuah
    • Palladius: дяньхуа (djanʹxua)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ti̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ä⁵¹/
    • Homophones:

      [Show/Hide]
      edit edit 電化 / 电化 電話 / 电话

      
      
  • (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: diànhuàr
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄧㄢˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋㄦ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: diànhuàr
    • Wade–Giles: tien⁴-hua⁴-ʼrh
    • Yale: dyàn-hwàr
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: diannhuall
    • Palladius: дяньхуар (djanʹxuar)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ti̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ɑɻ⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: dian⁴ hua⁴
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: dianxua
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tiɛn²¹³ xua²¹³/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: дянхуа (di͡anhua, III-III)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tiæ̃⁴⁴ xua⁴⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: din⁶ waa^6-2
    • Yale: dihn wá
    • Cantonese Pinyin: din⁶ waa^6-2
    • Guangdong Romanization: din⁶ wa^6-2
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tiːn²² waː²²⁻³⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: en⁵ va^5*
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /en³² va³²⁻³²⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thien-fa
    • Hakka Romanization System: tien fa
    • Hagfa Pinyim: tian⁴ fa⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰi̯en⁵⁵ fa⁵⁵/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: tien^˖ fa^ˇ
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰien³³ fa¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: tiên⁴ fa⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰiɛn⁵³⁻⁵⁵ fa⁵³/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: die³ hua³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /tie⁴⁵ xua⁴⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: diêng-uâ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tieŋ²⁴²⁻⁵³ ^(Ø-)ŋuɑ²⁴²/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: deng⁵ ua⁵ [Phonetic: deng⁴ ngua⁵]
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: dēng-uā
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɛŋ¹¹⁻⁴² ^(Ø-)ŋua¹¹/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: deng⁵ ua⁵ [Phonetic: deng⁴ ngua⁵]
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɛŋ²¹⁻⁴² ^(Ø-)ŋua²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese, Philippines, Jinjiang, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tiān-ōe
    • Tâi-lô: tiān-uē
    • Phofsit Daibuun: diexn'oe
    • IPA (Taipei): /tiɛn³³⁻¹¹ ue³³/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tiɛn³³⁻²¹ ue³³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Philippines, Jinjiang): /tiɛn⁴¹⁻²² ue⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Singapore): /tiɛn²²⁻²¹ ue²²/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, Penang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tiān-ōa
    • Tâi-lô: tiān-uā
    • Phofsit Daibuun: diexn'oa
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /tiɛn²²⁻²¹ ua²²/
    • IPA (Penang): /tiɛn²¹ ua²¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: diang⁶ uê⁷ / diêng⁶ uê⁷
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tiăng uē / tiĕng uē
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tiaŋ³⁵⁻¹¹ ue¹¹/, /tieŋ³⁵⁻¹¹ ue¹¹/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Jiaxing)
    • Wugniu: ⁶di-gho₆
    • MiniDict: di^去 gho^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³di-hho₃
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /di²² ɦo⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /di¹³ ɦo²¹/

Noun

電話

1. (countable) telephone; phone [from 19th c.] (Classifier: 部 m c)

   電話民調／电话民调  ―  diànhuà míndiào  ―  telephone poll

   車載電話／车载电话  ―  chēzài diànhuà  ―  vehicular telephone

   來電話了。／来电话了。  ―  Lái diànhuà le.  ―  The telephone is ringing.

   電話佔線。／电话占线。  ―  Diànhuà zhànxiàn.  ―  The line is busy.

   你不在的時候，電話響了。 [MSC, trad.]
   你不在的时候，电话响了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ bù zài de shíhou, diànhuà xiǎng le. [Pinyin]

   The phone rang when you weren't here.

   麻煩您幫我接通書記辦公室的電話，好嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
   麻烦您帮我接通书记办公室的电话，好吗？ [MSC, simp.]

   Máfan nín bāng wǒ jiētōng shūjì bàngōngshì de diànhuà, hǎo ma? [Pinyin]

   Could you please connect me to the secretary's office?

   公共電話／公共电话 [Hokkien]  ―  kong-kiōng tiān-ōe [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]  ―  public telephone

2. (countable) telephone call; phone call; call [from 20th c.] (Classifier: 通 m mn; 個／个 m c)

   接通電話／接通电话  ―  jiētōng diànhuà  ―  to connect a call

   騷擾電話／骚扰电话  ―  sāorǎo diànhuà  ―  nuisance call

   電話接通了。／电话接通了。  ―  Diànhuà jiētōng le.  ―  The call has been put through.

   我給你打電話。／我给你打电话。  ―  Wǒ gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.  ―  I'll give you a call.

   打個電話俾佢 [Cantonese, trad.]
   打个电话俾佢 [Cantonese, simp.]

   daa² go³ din⁶ waa^6-2 bei² keoi⁵ [Jyutping]

   give them a call

3. (colloquial) telephone number; phone number; number

   你的電話是多少？ [MSC, trad.]
   你的电话是多少？ [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ de diànhuà shì duōshǎo? [Pinyin]

   What's your phone number?

Usage notes

Note that in Mandarin, the noun 電話／电话 (diànhuà, “telephone”) is used in any verb involving a phone, such as 打電話／打电话 (dǎ diànhuà, “to make a phone call”), 回電話／回电话 (huí diànhuà, “to call back”), 接電話／接电话 (jiē diànhuà, “to answer the phone”), etc.

In Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, 電話 / 电话 (diànhuà) often refers to a mobile phone in many contexts.

Synonyms

• (telephone): (chiefly Taishanese, dated) 喊線／喊线; (chiefly Wu, dated) 德律風／德律风 (délǜfēng)

Derived terms

• 公用電話 / 公用电话 (gōngyòng diànhuà)
• 叫電話 / 叫电话
• 回電話 / 回电话 (huí diànhuà)
• 固定電話 / 固定电话 (gùdìng diànhuà)
• 座機電話 / 座机电话 (zuòjī diànhuà)
• 手提電話 / 手提电话 (shǒutí diànhuà)
• 打電話 / 打电话 (dǎ diànhuà)
• 拍電話 / 拍电话
• 接電話 / 接电话 (jiē diànhuà)
• 摃電話 / 𫼱电话
• 敲電話 / 敲电话
• 流動電話 / 流动电话 (liúdòng diànhuà)
• 煲電話 / 煲电话 (bāo diànhuà)
• 煲電話粥 / 煲电话粥 (bāo diànhuàzhōu)
• 移動電話 / 移动电话 (yídòng diànhuà)
• 行動電話 / 行动电话 (xíngdòng diànhuà)
• 要電話 / 要电话 (yào diànhuà)
• 長途電話 / 长途电话 (chángtú diànhuà)
• 電話亭 / 电话亭 (diànhuàtíng)
• 電話卡 / 电话卡 (diànhuàkǎ)
• 電話局 / 电话局
• 電話會議 / 电话会议 (diànhuà huìyì)
• 電話機 / 电话机 (diànhuàjī)
• 電話簿 / 电话簿 (diànhuàbù)
• 電話線 / 电话线 (diànhuàxiàn)
• 電話號碼 / 电话号码 (diànhuà hàomǎ)
• 騷擾電話 / 骚扰电话 (sāorǎo diànhuà)
• 鼓電話 / 鼓电话

Descendants

• → Bouyei: dianqhuaq
• → Lü: ᦶᦎᧃᧈᦧᦱᧈ (ṫaen¹ẋwaa¹)
• → Zhuang: denva

See also

• 大哥大 (dàgēdà)
• 手機／手机 (shǒujī)

Further reading

• “電話”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.
• Chia, Caroline, Hoogervorst, Tom, editors (2021), “Chapter 5 Native Lexical Innovation in Penang Hokkien: Thinking beyond Rojak”, in Sinophone Southeast Asia: Sinitic Voices across the Southern Seas (Chinese Overseas: History, Literature, and Society; 20 [Open Access])‎, Brill, →ISBN, page 177: “Sino-Japanese words for some of these new things – such as tiān-ōa 電話 ‘telephone’ – did make their way into Penang Hokkien”