Talk on the Phone Like a Native: Japanese Manners, Practical Phrases, and Examples

The other day, I had a chance to talk with one of my students who owns a business.
He said, “Answering a phone call is still challenging for me, so I always ask my employees to take them instead.”

I was a bit surprised because he has lived in Japan for a long time and his Japanese proficiency is excellent.
When I asked him what makes phone calls difficult, he explained,
“Well, first, I can’t see the caller’s face. Second, it takes me some time to grasp what their intentions are. And lastly, I’m not sure how to respond appropriately.”

In fact, even many Japanese people find phone calls challenging — around half of the population says they’re not good at them. One reason is that, compared to the past, people today have fewer opportunities to speak on the phone, as email and chat apps have become the main forms of communication.

So today, let’s dive into everything about making phone calls in Japanese — from vocabulary related to phone calls, to important manners, and practical phrases that will help you handle calls smoothly at work or in business situations.

電話をかける／電話をする (Denwa wo kakeru / Denwa wo suru)
– to make a phone call

電話に出る／電話をとる (Denwa ni deru / Denwa wo toru)
– to answer the phone

電話を切る (Denwa wo kiru)
– to hang up / end a call

電話がかからない／電話がつながらない (Denwa ga kakaranai / Denwa ga tsunagaranai)
– I can’t get a hold of (someone).

電話をかけなおす／折り返し電話する (Denwa wo kakenaosu / Orikaeshi denwa suru)
– to call back

電話中 (Denwa chuu)
– on the phone / the line is busy

電話を保留にする (Denwa wo horyuu ni suru)
– to put a call on hold

留守電 (Rusuden) – voicemail

不在着信 (Fuzai chakushin) – missed call

迷惑電話 (Meiwaku denwa) – spam call

いたずら電話 (Itazura denwa) – prank call

間違い電話 (Machigai denwa) – wrong number

緊急通報 (Kinkyuu tsuuhou) – emergency call
　・警察 (Keisatsu) – police
→Dial 110  when you need police assistance
　・火事・救急 (Kaji / Kyuukyuu) – fire / medical emergencies
→Dial 119 in case of fire or medical emergencies

着信 (Chakushin) – incoming call

マナーモード (Manaa mōdo) – silent mode / vibration mode

ビデオ通話 (Bideo tsuuwa) – video call

Here are some common phone manners in Japan for making or answering calls at work:

1. Consider the timing of your call.
Avoid calling when the recipient is likely busy, during lunch breaks, right after     work, late at night, or early in the morning. If there is a time difference, be sure to take that into account.

2. Speak clearly and at a moderate pace.
Since you cannot see each other’s faces or expressions, speak slowly, clearly, and with a slightly higher and brighter tone so the other person can understand you better.

3. Introduce yourself at the start.
Say your name and the company you belong to before beginning the conversation.

4. Answer promptly when receiving a call.
Pick up the phone before it rings three times. Taking too long to answer is considered rude.

5. Prepare notes before calling.
Make a list of the points you want to discuss, and take notes during the conversation.

6. Check your caller ID.
Make sure your number is visible, as some people may not answer calls marked as private or unknown.

Here are some useful phrases for calling clients or colleagues. In business phone conversations, the casual greeting “moshi moshi” is not used.

・いつもお世話になっております。 (Itsumo osewa ni natteorimasu)
– Thank you for your continued support / I appreciate your help.

・私、A社のBと申します。 (Watakushi A-sha no B to moushimasu)
– My name is B from Company A.
*申します (Moushimasu) is a polite way of saying 言います (iimasu).

・初めてお電話いたします。 (Hajimete odenwa itashimasu)
– This is my first time calling you.

・〇〇の件でお電話しました。 (〇〇 no ken de odenwa shimashita)
– I’m calling regarding [topic/issue].

・〇〇さんをお願いします。 (〇〇 san wo onegai shimasu)
– May I speak with [name], please?

・〇〇さんはいらっしゃいますか？ (〇〇 san wa irasshaimasu ka)
– Is [name] available, please?
*いらっしゃいますか (Irasshaimasu ka) is a polite form of いますか (imasuka).

Next, here are some useful phrases for answering a phone call. Ideally, you should pick up before it rings three times, as mentioned earlier. Just like when making a call, “moshi moshi” is rarely used in business conversations.

Introducing yourself when answering a call:
・はい、C社のDでございます。 (Hai, C-sha no D de gozaimasu)
– Hello, this is D from Company C.

Or, if you would like to sound more polite:
・お電話ありがとうございます。C社のDでございます。 (Odenwa arigatou gozaimasu. C-sha no D de gozaimasu)
– Thank you for calling. This is D from Company C.
*でございます (De gozaimasu) is a polite form of です (desu).

When you answer the phone a bit late:
・お待たせしました。 (Omatase shimashita)
– Thank you for waiting.

・お待たせして申し訳ございません。 (Omatase shite moushiwake gozaimasen)
– I apologize for keeping you waiting.

When the caller introduces themselves:
・いつもお世話になっております。 (Itsumo osewa ni natteorimasu)
– Thank you for your continued support.

When the caller asks for someone else:
・A：Eさんをお願いします。 (A: E-san wo onegai shimasu)
– A: May I speak with E, please?

・B：Eですね。代わりますので、少々お待ちください。 (B: E desu ne. Kawarimasu node, shoushou omachi kudasai)
– B: E, right? I’ll transfer the call, please hold for a moment.

When you pick up a call that was transferred to you:
お電話代わりました。Eです。 (Odenwa kawarimashita. E desu)
– This is E speaking. I’ve taken over the call.

When ending a phone conversation, please hang up gently.
Now, let’s look at some useful phrases for closing a call.
The basic expression is 失礼します (Shitsurei shimasu), which means “I’ll end the call here.”
Be careful not to use 失礼しました (Shitsurei shimashita), which is the past tense form meaning “I was rude” or “I’m sorry.” It is not appropriate in this context.

・それでは失礼します。(Soredewa shitsurei shimasu)
– Well then, I’ll hang up now.

・ご連絡ありがとうございました。失礼します。
(Gorenraku arigatou gozaimashita. Shitsurei shimasu)
– Thank you for contacting us. I’ll hang up now.

・お電話ありがとうございました。失礼します。
(Odenwa arigatou gozaimashita. Shitsurei shimasu)
– Thank you for your call. I’ll hang up now.

We’ll now introduce three phrases you can use when you’d like to ask someone something, have a question, or request a favor. You can start with:

・失礼ですが (Shitsurei desu ga) – Excuse me, but…

・申し訳ございませんが (Moushiwake gozaimasen ga) – I’m terribly sorry, but…

・恐れ入りますが (Osoreirimasu ga) – Pardon me, but…

Some people may not introduce themselves. In that case, you can ask:
・失礼ですが、お名前は？(Shitsurei desuga, onamae wa)
– Excuse me, what is your name?

If you’d like to sound more polite, you can say:
・失礼ですが、お名前をうかがってもよろしいでしょうか？(Shitsurei desuga, onamae o ukagattemo yoroshii deshouka)
– Excuse me, may I ask for your name?

The verb 伺う (ukagau) means “to ask” or “to inquire.” So ukagatte mo yoroshii deshou ka politely means “May I ask?” or “Would it be alright if I asked?”

If you want to ask something other than their name, simply replace お名前 (onamae) with another word, such as 電話番号 (denwa bangou – phone number), 住所 (juusho – address), 会社名 (kaisha-mei – company name), or 所属 (shozoku – department or organization).

If you didn’t catch what the other person said, don’t just leave it there. You can always politely ask them to repeat by saying:
・恐れ入りますが、もう一度よろしいでしょうか？(Osore irimasuga, mou ichido yoroshii deshouka)
– Excuse me, could you please repeat that once more?

Or,
・申し訳ございません、よく聞こえなかったのですが。(Moushiwake gozaimasen, yoku kikoenakatta no desu ga)
– I’m sorry, but I couldn’t hear you clearly.

Sometimes, names or phone numbers can be difficult to catch, so it’s a good idea to double-check them or politely repeat what the other person has said to confirm. Here is an example of a phone conversation:

A：失礼ですが、お名前は何とおっしゃいますか？
(Shitsurei desuga, onamae wa nanto osshaimasu ka) – Excuse me, may I ask your name?

B：滝川と申します。
(Takigawa to moushimasu) – My name is Takigawa.

A：滝川さまでございますね。
(Takigawa-sama de gozaimasu ne) – Mr./Ms. Takigawa, correct?

B：はい、そうです。
(Hai, sou desu) – Yes, that’s right.

A：お電話番号をお願いします。
(Odenwa bangou o onegai shimasu) – May I have your phone number, please?

B：090-1111-2212です。
(090-1111-2212 desu) – It’s 090-1111-2212.

A：090-1111-2211ですね。
(090-1111-2211 desu ne) – 090-1111-2211, right?

B：いいえ、2212です。
(Iie, 2212 desu) – No, it’s 2212.

A：失礼しました。2212ですね。ありがとうございます。
(Shitsurei shimashita. 2212 desu ne. Arigatou gozaimasu) – My apologies. 2212, correct? Thank you very much.

Talking on the phone can be challenging, but these simple phrases will help you build confidence. We encourage you to practice them regularly.

For all of you reading this article today — what is your reason for learning Japanese? Whether it’s for a hobby, work, daily life, higher education, an exam, or simply because it sounds fun to learn, everyone’s motivation is different. The time you can dedicate to studying and the pace of your progress will also vary from person to person.

It’s important to keep your goal in mind — “I want to become fluent in Japanese.”
To achieve that, it’s essential to find a learning style that best suits you.

At TCJ, we offer a variety of courses tailored to your goals, proficiency level, and the time you can dedicate to studying Japanese. We hope you will start learning at TCJ confidently and continue enjoying a satisfying learning experience.

Nowadays, there are many ways to study languages — from AI tools and online videos to social media and apps. However, at TCJ, we place the greatest value on real communication throughout your learning journey.

Why not join us and make the most of your study experience together with classmates from all over the world and teachers who are both unique and passionate?