でんわ

§ Understanding でんわ (denwa)

The Japanese word for “telephone” is でんわ (denwa). It's a fundamental word you'll encounter often, especially in daily conversations and when dealing with practical matters in Japan. Knowing でんわ is essential for basic communication, whether you're trying to make a call, ask for someone's number, or simply understand when a telephone is being referred to.

You might notice that the pronunciation is straightforward: “den” like in “dentist” and “wa” like in “water.” The word is written in hiragana, which is one of the basic Japanese writing systems. As an A1-level learner, mastering this word will help you navigate common situations.

§ When to Use でんわ

You use でんわ in a variety of contexts related to telephones. Here are some common scenarios:

• Referring to the physical device: If you're talking about a phone itself, whether it's a landline or a mobile phone, でんわ is the word to use.
• Making a phone call: When you want to express the action of calling someone, でんわ is part of the common phrases.
• Asking for a phone number: This is a very practical use case for travelers or anyone needing to contact someone.
• Talking about phone-related services: You might hear or use でんわ in the context of phone companies or phone plans.

It's important to remember that while でんわ literally means "telephone," in modern Japanese, it often refers to both traditional landlines and mobile phones (携帯電話 - keitai denwa, or just 携帯 - keitai for short). If you're specifically talking about a mobile phone, you might use 携帯 (keitai) for brevity, but でんわ is still generally understood.

§ Practical Examples of でんわ in Use

DEFINITION

Telephone.

Let's look at some common ways でんわ is used in sentences. These examples will help you grasp its practical application.

This is a simple sentence to introduce your phone. It's a good way to start a conversation about devices.

Here, でんわ is combined with the verb します (shimasu - to do) to form “to make a phone call.” This is a very common phrase.

To ask for a phone number, you use でんわばんごう (denwa bangou), which means “telephone number.” This is incredibly useful for exchanging contact information.

This phrase indicates that you received a phone call. The particle が (ga) marks でんわ as the subject, and かかってきました (kakatte kimashita) means “came calling” or “rang.”

Understanding でんわ is a key step in building your basic Japanese vocabulary. Practice using it in these different contexts, and you'll find yourself able to handle many common situations related to telephones in Japan.

§ Understanding 電話 (denwa)

電話 (denwa) is a common and important word in Japanese. It means 'telephone' or 'phone call'. You'll use this word a lot in daily conversation.

Japanese Word

電話 (でんわ)

Meaning

Telephone; phone call

CEFR Level

A1

§ Using 電話 (denwa) with Verbs

When you want to talk about making a phone call, receiving a phone call, or using the telephone, you'll pair 電話 (denwa) with specific verbs.

• 電話をかける (denwa o kakeru): To make a phone call

  This is the most common way to say 'to make a phone call'. The particle を (o) marks 電話 (denwa) as the direct object of the verb かける (kakeru, to hang/make).

  友達に電話をかけます。

  Hint: I will call my friend.

  後で電話をかけてもいいですか。

  Hint: Can I call you later?

• 電話に出る (denwa ni deru): To answer the phone

  When the phone rings and you pick it up, you use this phrase. The particle に (ni) indicates the object you are 'emerging out to' or 'responding to'.

  もしもし、電話に出てください。

  Hint: Hello, please answer the phone.

• 電話を受ける (denwa o ukeru): To receive a phone call

  This phrase focuses on the act of getting a call. Again, を (o) marks 電話 (denwa) as the direct object.

  昨日、彼から電話を受けました。

  Hint: I received a call from him yesterday.

• 電話する (denwa suru): To phone/call (general)

  電話する is a very common and versatile way to say 'to make a phone call' or 'to call someone'. It's formed by adding する (suru, to do) to the noun 電話 (denwa). This makes it a suru-verb.

  明日、先生に電話します。

  Hint: I will call the teacher tomorrow.

  後で電話していいですか。

  Hint: Is it okay if I call later?

§ Using 電話 (denwa) as a Noun

電話 (denwa) can also function purely as a noun, meaning 'telephone' or 'phone'. You'll see it used with various particles to describe its location or purpose.

• Particle が (ga) for existence/possession

  When asking if someone has a phone or if there is a phone somewhere.

  ここに電話がありますか。

  Hint: Is there a phone here?

  あなたの電話番号は何番ですか。

  Hint: What is your phone number?

• Particle で (de) for means/tool

  To indicate that you used a phone to do something.

  電話で話しました。

  Hint: I talked on the phone.

§ Common Phrases with 電話 (denwa)

Here are some useful phrases you'll encounter:

• 電話番号 (denwa bangou): Phone number

  あなたの電話番号を教えてください。

  Hint: Please tell me your phone number.

• 携帯電話 (keitai denwa): Mobile phone/Cell phone

  This is how you specifically refer to a mobile phone.

  私の携帯電話はどこですか。

  Hint: Where is my cell phone?

• 公衆電話 (koushuu denwa): Public phone

  駅に公衆電話があります。

  Hint: There's a public phone at the station.

Mastering 電話 (denwa) and its associated verbs and phrases will greatly improve your ability to communicate in Japanese about everyday situations. Keep practicing these examples!

§ Don't Confuse でんわ (Denwa) with けいたいでんわ (Keitai Denwa)

Many beginners learn でんわ (denwa) early on, which is great! It means 'telephone' in general. However, a common mistake is to use でんわ when you specifically mean a 'mobile phone' or 'cell phone'. For that, you need to add けいたい (keitai), which means 'portable'. So, けいたいでんわ (keitai denwa) is 'mobile phone'.

§ Using the Correct Particle with でんわ

When you talk about calling someone, you'll often use the verb でんわをかけます (denwa o kakemasu), which means 'to make a phone call'. The particle を (o) directly follows でんわ. Another common phrase is でんわします (denwa shimasu), which also means 'to make a phone call' or 'to call'. When specifying who you are calling, you typically use the particle に (ni) to indicate the recipient.

DEFINITION

でんわをかけます (denwa o kakemasu): To make a phone call.

DEFINITION

でんわします (denwa shimasu): To call, to make a phone call.

§ Don't Forget About Answering and Receiving Calls

While 'making a call' is important, you also need to know how to talk about 'answering a call' or 'receiving a call'.

• でんわにでます (denwa ni demasu): To answer the phone. Here, に (ni) indicates the object of action.
• でんわがかかってきます (denwa ga kakatte kimasu): To receive a call. This is a bit more advanced but good to know. が (ga) marks the subject, the call itself.

§ Common Phrases with でんわ

Learning some set phrases can help you use でんわ correctly in conversations. Here are a few useful ones:

• PHRASE

  でんわばんごう (denwa bangou): Phone number.

• PHRASE

  こうしゅうでんわ (koushuu denwa): Public phone/payphone.

• PHRASE

  でんわだい (denwadai): Phone bill/telephone charges.

By understanding these common mistakes and expanding your vocabulary around でんわ, you'll be able to communicate much more accurately about telephones in Japanese. Keep practicing!