Living in Japan

Thank you for visiting this site. I’m going to share with you my experiences, thoughts and more. Hope the contents are enjoyable and useful for you:)

Making phone calls (in Japanese)

Do you have a opportunity to make a phone call to Japanese? If you have, today’s basic phrases should be useful.

[At a office]

Hello, this is ABC company.

はい、ABC会社(がいしゃ/ かいしゃ)です。

hai, abc gaisha/ kaisha desu.

Hello, I’m Hana Tanaka XYZ company. :

いつもお世話になっております。

XYZ会社の田中 花と申します。

itsumo osewani natte orimasu.

xyz gaisha/kaisha no tanaka-hana to moushimasu.

*In daily, people say “もしもし moshi-moshi” when taking a phone. On business, however, people very often use “いつもお世話になっております。” instead of “もしもし”. it’s because more formal than “もしもし”.

“いつもお世話になっております。” means like ” Thank you always for your support.” , this is used by both persons speaking on the phone.

Would Mr. Ito be available? :

伊藤さんはいらっしゃいますか? 

Itou-san wa irasshaimasu ka?

Please wait a moment. :

少々お待ちください。

shou-shou omachi kudasai.

I’m sorry, he is now on a meeting. :

申し訳ございません。彼は今、会議中です。

moushiwake gozaimasen. kare wa ima kaigi-cyuu desu.

*Basically, “I’m sorry” is ”ごめんなさい gomennasai” or “すみません sumimasen”. H owever, “申し訳ございません” is more formal, so in this case like on a business, the expression is natural.

Ok, then could you please let him know to call me back later? :

分かりました、では彼に後で折り返すように伝えていただけますか?

wakari mashita, dewa kare ni atode orikaesu youni tutaete itadakemasu ka?

Yes, I’ll do that. :

はい、そのようにいたします。

hai, sonoyouni itashimasu.

Thank you, then good bye. :

ありがとうございます。それでは失礼いたします。

arigatou gozaimasu. soredeha shiturei itashimasu.

Good bye. :

失礼いたします。

shiturei itashimasu.

*Good bye is basically “さようなら” in Japanese. But on business, people use “失礼いたします” in order to behavior more politely.


[vocabularies]

company: 会社 kaisha, a little: 少し(すこし)/ 少々(しょうしょう) sukoshi/ shou-shou (shou-shou is formal), to wait: 待つ(まつ) matsu,

meeting: 会議(かいぎ) kaigi, on a meeting: 会議中(かいぎちゅう) kaigi-chuu,

phone: 電話(でんわ) denwa, on a phone 電話中(でんわちゅう) denwa-chuu,

now: 今(いま) ima, later: 後で(あとで) atode, then: それでは/ では soredewa/ dewa,

call back: 折り返す(おりかえす) orikaesu,

let someone do something:

〜に〜をしてもらう ni wo shitemorau


Thank you for checking this page! If you have any questions or requests, please feel free to let me know:)

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