Usage note
打电话就是用电话和别人说话。先按号码，再听声音。
dǎ diànhuà jiù shì yòng diànhuà hé biérén shuōhuà. xiān àn hàomǎ, zài tīng shēngyīn.
This means to use a phone to talk with someone. You first dial a number, then listen for a sound.
Context note
当你想和远处的人说话时，可以用电话拨出号码。这属于数字主题，因为拨号需要记住和使用数字。
Dāng nǐ xiǎng hé yuǎn chù de rén shuōhuà shí, kěyǐ yòng diànhuà bō chū hàomǎ. Zhè shǔyú shùzì zhǔtí, yīnwèi bōhào xūyào jìzhù hé shǐyòng shùzì.
This word is used when you want to talk to someone far away by dialing a number on a phone. It belongs to the numbers topic because dialing involves remembering and using numbers.
5 examples
我要给妈妈打电话
wǒ yào gěi māma dǎ diànhuà
I want to call my mom
爸爸每天都会打电话
bàba měitiān dōu huì dǎ diànhuà
Dad calls every day
我们一起去打电话吧
wǒmen yīqǐ qù dǎ diànhuà ba
Let's go and make a call together
朋友之间可以打电话聊天
péngyǒu zhījiān kěyǐ dǎ diànhuà liáotiān
Friends can chat by phone
晚上我给老师打电话问作业
wǎnshàng wǒ gěi lǎoshī dǎ diànhuà wèn zuòyè
I called my teacher in the evening to ask about homework
5 mini stories
小明给妈妈打电话了。他告诉妈妈今天天气很好。
xiǎomíng gěi māma dǎ diànhuà le. tā gàosù māma jīntiān qìtài hěnhǎo.
Xiaoming called his mom. He told her the weather was very good today.
小红和朋友打电话。她们一起计划周末的活动。
xiǎohóng hé péngyǒu dǎ diànhuà. tāmen yīqǐ huàjì zhōumò de huódòng.
Xiaohong called her friends. They planned activities for the weekend together.
爸爸给奶奶打电话。他告诉奶奶自己很好。
bàba gěi nǎinai dǎ diànhuà. tā gàosù nǎinai zìjǐ hěn hǎo.
Dad called grandma. He told her he was very well.
小华给同学打电话。他们一起讨论学习的问题。
xiǎohuá gěi tóngxué dǎ diànhuà. tāmen yīqǐ tōnglùn xuéxí de wèntí.
Xiaohua called his classmates. They discussed study problems together.
妈妈给小杰打电话。她告诉他要早点回家。
māma gěi xiǎojie dǎ diànhuà. tā gàosù tā yào zǎinián huíjiā.
Mom called Xiaojie. She told him to come home early.
Mini dialogue
给奶奶打电话
A
你今天给奶奶打电话了吗？
Nǐ jīntiān gěi nǎinai dǎ diànhuà le ma?
Did you call grandma today?
B
打了，我每天都会打电话。
Dǎ le, wǒ měitiān dōu huì dǎ diànhuà.
Yes, I call her every day.
请等一下
A
我可以打电话给你吗？
Wǒ kěyǐ dǎ diànhuà gěi nǐ ma?
Can I give you a call?
B
现在不行，我在打电话。
Xiànzài bù xíng, wǒ zài dǎ diànhuà.
Not now, I am on the phone.
Related words and contrasts
related
电话
diànhuà
telephone; phone
The noun form, the phone itself.
contrast
接电话
jiē diànhuà
to answer the phone
To pick up a call, the opposite action of making a call.