打电话 dǎdiànhuà make a phone call
How to remember 打电话: 打 hit + 电 electricity + 话 speech = make a phone call.
Characters
How it is used
- Make a phone call - 给我打电话 (gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà) call me.
- The person called is marked with 给: 给妈妈打电话 call Mom; it's a verb-object phrase, so 打个电话 = make a quick call.
- 打 here is the light 'do/perform an action' sense, not 'hit'.
Example sentences
- 打电话回家！ Dǎdiànhuà huíjiā!Call home!
- 我在打电话。 Wǒ zài dǎdiànhuà.I'm on the phone.
- 我明天打电话给你。 Wǒ míngtiān dǎ diànhuà gěi nǐ.I'll call you tomorrow.
- 你竟然给我打电话。 Nǐ jìngrán gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.What a surprise that you should call me.