Japanese · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 11 of 12
Phone calls and messages
電話とメッセージDenwa to messēji
Make a business phone call in Japanese, leave a message and spell your name: phone phrases, the potential form (can) and passing on messages.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Use the key phrases for a polite phone call
- Say what you can and can't do with the potential form
- Leave a message with に (ni) and ～と伝えてください
- Explain how your name is written
Listen
Kubo Mariko phones a small design office in Kyoto to speak to Mr Ishida and leaves a message. Later she gets a text from him. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Receptionist
はい、鴨川デザインでございます。
Hai, Kamogawa Dezain de gozaimasu.
Hello, Kamogawa Design.
Kubo
久保と申します。石田さんはいらっしゃいますか？
Kubo to mōshimasu. Ishida-san wa irasshaimasu ka?
My name is Kubo. Is Mr Ishida there?
Receptionist
申し訳ありません。石田は今、会議中です。三時ごろ戻る予定です。折り返しお電話しましょうか？
Mōshiwake arimasen. Ishida wa ima, kaigichū desu. Sanji goro modoru yotei desu. Orikaeshi odenwa shimashō ka?
I'm sorry. Mr Ishida is in a meeting at the moment. He should be back around three. Shall we call you back?
Kubo
いいえ、大丈夫です。伝言をお願いできますか？
Iie, daijōbu desu. Dengon o onegai dekimasu ka?
No, that's all right. Could I leave a message?
Receptionist
もしもし？すみません、よく聞こえないんですが。
Moshimoshi? Sumimasen, yoku kikoenai n desu ga.
Hello? I'm sorry, I can't hear you very well.
Kubo
すみません。今は聞こえますか？
Sumimasen. Ima wa kikoemasu ka?
Sorry. Can you hear me now?
Receptionist
はい、聞こえます。どうぞ。
Hai, kikoemasu. Dōzo.
Yes, I can hear you. Go ahead.
Kubo
明日の会議ですが、十時に行けます。石田さんにそう伝えてください。
Ashita no kaigi desu ga, jūji ni ikemasu. Ishida-san ni sō tsutaete kudasai.
It's about tomorrow's meeting: I can come at ten. Please tell Mr Ishida that.
Receptionist
かしこまりました。久保様ですね。どういう字ですか？
Kashikomarimashita. Kubo-sama desu ne. Dōiu ji desu ka?
Certainly. Ms Kubo, is it? How is your name written?
Kubo
久しぶりの「久」に、保険の「保」です。
Hisashiburi no “hisa” ni, hoken no “ho” desu.
“Ku” is the kanji in hisashiburi, “long time no see”, and “bo” is the one in hoken, “insurance”.
Receptionist
ありがとうございます。石田に伝えます。
Arigatō gozaimasu. Ishida ni tsutaemasu.
Thank you. I'll pass it on to Mr Ishida.
Ishida (text)
久保さん、伝言を確認しました。明日十時にお待ちしています。石田
Kubo-san, dengon o kakunin shimashita. Ashita jūji ni omachi shite imasu. Ishida
Ms Kubo, I got your message. I look forward to seeing you at ten tomorrow. Ishida
Understand
On the phone
Companies answer with their name, often with the very polite (de gozaimasu). Give your name with ～と申します (to mōshimasu), a humble “my name is”, and ask for someone with ～さんはいらっしゃいますか (-san wa irasshaimasu ka), the polite form of (imasu ka). You only need to recognise these special polite words for now.
The receptionist says (Ishida) without (san): in Japan you don't use for your own colleagues when talking to people outside the company. You may also hear (seki o hazushite orimasu), he's away from his desk. (moshimoshi) starts a call with someone you know, or checks that the line is working. End a call with (shitsurei shimasu), goodbye.
Can: the potential form
The potential form says what someone can do. Ru-verbs swap -ru for -rareru: (taberu) → (taberareru), can eat. U-verbs change their last -u to -eru: (iku) → (ikeru), can go; (hanasu) → (hanaseru), can speak. (suru) becomes (dekiru), and (kuru) becomes (korareru).
Potential forms are all ru-verbs: (ikemasu), (ikemasen). The object often takes (ga): (Nihongo ga hanasemasu). (kikoeru) and (mieru) are special: they mean you can hear or see something without trying. (kikoemasu ka) is “can you hear me?”.
| Dictionary form | Potential | Polite | Polite negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| (taberu), eat | (taberareru) | (taberaremasu) | (taberaremasen) |
| (iku), go | (ikeru) | (ikemasu) | (ikemasen) |
| (hanasu), speak | (hanaseru) | (hanasemasu) | (hanasemasen) |
| (matsu), wait | (materu) | (matemasu) | (matemasen) |
| (suru), do | (dekiru) | (dekimasu) | (dekimasen) |
| (kuru), come | (korareru) | (koraremasu) | (koraremasen) |
Passing on a message: に and と
The person you tell or send something to takes (ni): (Ishida-san ni tsutaete kudasai), please tell Mr Ishida; (Ishida-san ni messēji o okurimasu), I'll send Mr Ishida a message. Japanese doesn't need “him” or “her” when it's clear who you mean.
To pass on the words themselves, put them in the plain form + (to): (jūji ni ikeru to tsutaete kudasai), please tell him I can come at ten. To report what someone said, use (to itte imashita).
- 石田さんにメッセージを送ります。Ishida-san ni messēji o okurimasu.I'll send Mr Ishida a message.
- 十時に行けると伝えてください。Jūji ni ikeru to tsutaete kudasai.Please tell him I can come at ten.
- 石田さんは三時ごろ戻ると言っていました。Ishida-san wa sanji goro modoru to itte imashita.Mr Ishida said he'd be back around three.
More in the grammar: The potential form: can
New words
- ～と申します… to mōshimasumy name is … (humble) · ともうします; used on the phone and at first meetings
- ～さんはいらっしゃいますか？…-san wa irasshaimasu ka?is … there? (very polite) · the polite form of (imasu ka)
- 会議中kaigichūin a meeting · かいぎちゅう; (kaigi), meeting
- ～ごろ-goroabout, around (a time) · (sanji goro), around three; (nanji goro), around what time?
- 戻るmodoruto come back, to return · もどる; u-verb
- 折り返しorikaeshicalling back · おりかえし; (orikaeshi denwa suru), to call back
- 伝言dengona (spoken) message · でんごん
- もしもしmoshimoshihello (on the phone)
- 聞こえるkikoeruto be able to hear · きこえる; ru-verb
- 伝えるtsutaeruto tell, to pass on · つたえる; ru-verb
- かしこまりましたkashikomarimashitacertainly, of course (staff) · very polite (wakarimashita)
- どういう字ですか？Dōiu ji desu ka?How is it written? · どういうじですか; (ji), a written character
- 確認kakuninchecking, confirmation · かくにん; (kakunin suru), to check
- メッセージmessējimessage, text · (messēji o okuru), to send a message
Practise
1.What is the potential form of (hanasu), to speak?
2.The line is bad and you can't hear the other person. What do you say?
3.Put the words in order: ask the receptionist to pass on your message.
Tap the words below in the right order.Please tell Mr Ishida that.
4.Match the Japanese with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
5.How do you give your name politely on a business call?
6.Put the words in order: ask them to say you can come at ten.
Tap the words below in the right order.Please tell him I can come at ten.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
石田さんはいらっしゃいますか？
Ishida-san wa irasshaimasu ka?
Is Mr Ishida there?
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.