# 電話
## Chinese

* 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): dian$^4$ hua$^4$
    (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): дянхуа (di͡anhua, III-III)
* Cantonese
    (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): din$^6$ waa$^{6-2}$
    (Taishan, Wiktionary): en$^5$ va$^{5*}$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): thien-fa
    (Hailu, HRS): tien$^˖$ fa$^ˇ$
    (Meixian, Guangdong): tiên$^4$ fa$^4$
* Jin (Wiktionary): die$^3$ hua$^3$
* Eastern Min (BUC): diêng-uâ
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): deng$^5$ ua$^5$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): tiān-ōe / tiān-ōa
    (Teochew, Peng'im): diang$^6$ uê$^7$ / diêng$^6$ uê$^7$
* Wu (Northern, Wugniu): $^6$di-gho$_6$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: diànhuà
*** Zhuyin: ㄉㄧㄢˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: diànhuà
*** Wade–Giles: tien$^4$-hua$^4$
*** Yale: dyàn-hwà
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: diannhuah
*** Palladius: дяньхуа (djanʹxua)
*** Sinological IPA : /ti̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ä⁵¹/
*** Homophones: [Show/Hide]$^{edit}$電化 / 电化 電話 / 电话
** (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: diànhuàr
*** Zhuyin: ㄉㄧㄢˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋㄦ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: diànhuàr
*** Wade–Giles: tien$^4$-hua$^4$-ʼrh
*** Yale: dyàn-hwàr
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: diannhuall
*** Palladius: дяньхуар (djanʹxuar)
*** Sinological IPA : /ti̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯ɑɻ⁵¹/
** (Chengdu)
*** Sichuanese Pinyin: dian$^4$ hua$^4$
*** Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: dianxua
*** Sinological IPA : /tiɛn²¹³ xua²¹³/
** (Dungan)
*** Cyrillic and Wiktionary: дянхуа (di͡anhua, III-III)
*** Sinological IPA : /tiæ̃⁴⁴ xua⁴⁴/
    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: din$^6$ waa$^{6-2}$
*** Yale: dihn wá
*** Cantonese Pinyin: din$^6$ waa$^{6-2}$
*** Guangdong Romanization: din$^6$ wa$^{6-2}$
*** Sinological IPA : /tiːn²² waː²²⁻³⁵/
** (Taishanese, Taicheng)
*** Wiktionary: en$^5$ va$^{5*}$
*** Sinological IPA : /en³² va³²⁻³²⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: thien-fa
*** Hakka Romanization System: tien fa
*** Hagfa Pinyim: tian$^4$ fa$^4$
*** Sinological IPA: /tʰi̯en⁵⁵ fa⁵⁵/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: tien$^˖$ fa$^ˇ$
*** Sinological IPA: /tʰien³³ fa¹¹/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: tiên$^4$ fa$^4$
*** Sinological IPA: /tʰiɛn⁵³⁻⁵⁵ fa⁵³/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: die$^3$ hua$^3$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /tie⁴⁵ xua⁴⁵/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: diêng-uâ
*** Sinological IPA : /tieŋ²⁴²⁻⁵³ $^{(Ø-)}$ŋuɑ²⁴²/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian, Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: deng$^5$ ua$^5$ [Phonetic: deng$^4$ ngua$^5$]
*** Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: dēng-uā
*** Sinological IPA : /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: diang$^6$ uê$^7$ / diêng$^6$ uê$^7$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tiăng uē / tiĕng uē
*** Sinological IPA : /tiaŋ³⁵⁻¹¹ ue¹¹/, /tieŋ³⁵⁻¹¹ ue¹¹/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai, Jiaxing)
*** Wugniu: $^6$di-gho$_6$
*** MiniDict: di$^去$ gho$^去$
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^3$di-hho$_3$
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /di²² ɦo⁴⁴/
*** Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /di¹³ ɦo²¹/

### Noun

電話
* (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.
       Nǐ bù zài de shíhou, diànhuà xiǎng le. [Pinyin]
       The phone rang when you weren't here.
       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
* (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.
       daa$^2$ go$^3$ din$^6$ waa$^{6-2}$ bei$^2$ keoi$^5$ [Jyutping]
       give them a call
* (colloquial) telephone number; phone number; number
       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”

## Japanese

Kanji in this term :
| 電 | 話 |
| でん Grade: 2 | わ Grade: 2 |
| goon | kan'yōon |

### Alternative forms

* (honorific) お電話(でんわ) (o-denwa)

### Etymology

Wasei kango, from 電 (den, “electric”) +‎ 話 (wa, “conversation”). See also 話す (hanasu).

### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) でんわ [dèńwá] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [dẽ̞ɰ̃β̞a̠]
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

電(でん)話(わ) • (denwa)
* telephone
    電話(でんわ)を引(ひ)く
       denwa o hiku
       to install a telephone
    電話(でんわ)に出(で)る
       denwa ni deru
       to answer the phone
* telephone call; phone call; call
    電話(でんわ)を掛(か)ける
       denwa o kakeru
       to make a call
    電話(でんわ)が掛(か)かって来(く)る
       denwa ga kakatte kuru
       to receive a call
    電話(でんわ)を切(き)る
       denwa o kiru
       to hang up

#### Derived terms

* 電話(でんわ)を切(き)る (denwa o kiru): to hang up
* 携帯電話(けいたいでんわ) (keitaidenwa): a cellular [mobile] phone
* 移動電話(いどうでんわ) (idōdenwa): a mobile telephone
* 衛星電話(えいせいでんわ) (eiseidenwa): a satellite phone
* 親子電話(おやこでんわ) (oyakodenwa): an extension telephone
* 公衆電話(こうしゅうでんわ) (kōshūdenwa): a pay public phone
* 青電話(あおでんわ) (aodenwa)
* 赤電話(あかでんわ) (akadenwa)
* アドオン電話(でんわ) (adoondenwa)
* 糸電話(いとでんわ) (itodenwa): a string telephone
* 脅迫電話(きょうはくでんわ) (kyōhakudenwa)
* コードレス電話(でんわ) (kōdoresudenwa): a cordless phone
* 国際電信電話(こくさいでんしんでんわ) (kokusaidenshindenwa)
* 国際電話(こくさいでんわ) (kokusaidenwa): international phone (calls)
* 市外電話(しがいでんわ) (shigaidenwa): a long-distance call
* 自動車電話(じどうしゃでんわ) (jidōshadenwa): a car telephone
* 卓上電話(たくじょうでんわ) (takujōdenwa)
* 長距離電話(ちょうきょりでんわ) (chōkyoridenwa): a long distance call
* 直通電話(ちょくつうでんわ) (chokutsūdenwa)
* 通常加入電話(つうじょうかにゅうでんわ) (tsūjōkanyūdenwa)
* テレビ電話(でんわ) (terebidenwa): a videophone
* 転送電話(てんそうでんわ) (tensōdenwa)
* 内線電話(ないせんでんわ) (naisendenwa)
* 長電話(ながでんわ) (nagadenwa): a long telephone conversation
* 無言電話(むごんでんわ) (mugondenwa): a silent call
* 無線電話(むせんでんわ) (musendenwa)
* 呼(よ)び出(だ)し電話(でんわ) (yobidashidenwa)
* 留守番電話(るすばんでんわ) (rusubandenwa): answering machine
* 電話(でんわ)ボックス (denwabokkusu): a telephone booth[box]
* 電話会社(でんわがいしゃ) (denwagaisha)
* 電話回線(でんわかいせん) (denwakaisen)
* 電話機(でんわき) (denwaki)
* 電話局(でんわきょく) (denwakyoku)
* 電話交換局(でんわこうかんきょく) (denwakōkankyoku)
* 電話交換手(でんわこうかんしゅ) (denwakōkanshu)
* 電話交換台(でんわこうかんだい) (denwakōkandai)
* 電話口(でんわぐち) (denwaguchi)
* 電話室(でんわしつ) (denwashitsu)
* 電話世論調査(でんわせろんちょうさ) (denwaseronchōsa)
* 電話線(でんわせん) (denwasen): a telephone wire
* 電話中(でんわちゅう) (denwachū)
* 電話帳(でんわちょう) (denwachō): a telephone book
* 電話調査(でんわちょうさ) (denwachōsa)
* 電話番号(でんわばんごう) (denwabangō): a telephone number
* 電話網(でんわもう) (denwamō): a telephone net
* 電話料(でんわりょう) (denwaryō)
* 電話加入者(でんわかにゅうしゃ) (denwakanyūsha)
* 悪戯電話(いたずらでんわ) (itazuradenwa): a prank call
* 共同電話(きょうどうでんわ) (kyōdōdenwa): a party line
* ダイヤル式電話(しきでんわ) (daiyarushikidenwa): a dial telephone
* プッシュホン式電話(しきでんわ) (pusshuhonshikidenwa): a push-button telephone

#### Descendants

* → Amis: tingwa, dingwa
* → Atayal: renwa'
* → Bunun: ding-ua, zing-ua
* → Chinese: 電話 / 电话 (diànhuà)
* → Kavalan: dingwa
* → Korean: 전화 (jeonhwa)
* → Okinawan: 電話 (でぃんわ, dinwa)
* → Paiwan: dingwa
* → Pingelapese: dengiwa
* → Pohnpeian: dengwa
* → Puyuma: dingwa
* → Rukai: dingwa, dinva
* → Taroko: dengwa
* → Tsou: tenva
* → Vietnamese: điện thoại
* → Yami: dingwa

### Verb

電(でん)話(わ)する • (denwa suru) suru (stem 電(でん)話(わ)し (denwa shi), past 電(でん)話(わ)した (denwa shita))
* to make a phone call; to telephone; to call

#### Usage notes

* In order to imply whom one is calling as is done in English with the preposition to in make a phone call to or by the objective case as him in the sentence I called him, the Japanese use に (ni):
    私(わたし)は彼(かれ)に電話(でんわ)するつもりだ。
       Watashi wa kare ni denwa suru tsumori da.
       I'm going to call him.

#### Conjugation

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms") :
| Mizenkei ("imperfective") | 電話し | でんわし | denwa shi |
| Ren’yōkei ("continuative") | 電話し | でんわし | denwa shi |
| Shūshikei ("terminal") | 電話する | でんわする | denwa suru |
| Rentaikei ("attributive") | 電話する | でんわする | denwa suru |
| Kateikei ("hypothetical") | 電話すれ | でんわすれ | denwa sure |
| Meireikei ("imperative") | 電話せよ¹ 電話しろ² | でんわせよ¹ でんわしろ² | denwa seyo¹ denwa shiro² |
| Key constructions ||||
| Passive | 電話される | でんわされる | denwa sareru |
| Causative | 電話させる 電話さす | でんわさせる でんわさす | denwa saseru denwa sasu |
| Potential | 電話できる | でんわできる | denwa dekiru |
| Volitional | 電話しよう | でんわしよう | denwa shiyō |
| Negative | 電話しない | でんわしない | denwa shinai |
| Negative continuative | 電話せず | でんわせず | denwa sezu |
| Formal | 電話します | でんわします | denwa shimasu |
| Perfective | 電話した | でんわした | denwa shita |
| Conjunctive | 電話して | でんわして | denwa shite |
| Hypothetical conditional | 電話すれば | でんわすれば | denwa sureba |
| ¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative ||||

### References

* ↑ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN

## Korean

Hanja in this term :
| 電 | 話 |

### Noun

電話 • (jeonhwa) (hangeul 전화)
* hanja form of 전화 (“telephone”)

## Okinawan

Kanji in this term :
| 電 | 話 |
| でぃん Grade: 2 | わ Grade: 2 |

### Noun

電(でぃん)話(わ) (dinwa)
* telephone

## Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term :
| 電 | 話 |

### Noun

電話
* chữ Hán form of điện thoại (“telephone”).