Can I Take a Message?: Japanese Phrases Related to Phone Calls :Talking on the phone can be one of the most difficult aspects of speaking another language, and Japanese is no exception. However, with the help of a few key phrases, you can feel confident that your next phone interaction will go much smoother. Today, we’re going to present to you an office scenario, and through this scenario you’re going to learn some useful phrases for taking phone messages in a business setting.
Contents
Japanese Phrases Related to Phone Calls
| Japanese | English |
| もう少しゆっくり話していただけますか？mō sukoshi yukkuri hanashite itadakemasu ka？ | Could you speak more slowly? |
| もう一度ゆっくり言っていただけますか？mō ichi do sore o yukkuri itte itadakemasu ka？ | Could you say that again more slowly? |
| もう少し大きな声で話していただけますか？mō sukoshi ōkina koe de hanashite itadakemasu ka？ | Could you speak up a little? |
| 少々お待ち頂けますかshōshō o machiitadakemasu ka | Just one moment, please? |
| このままお待ちくださいkono mama o machikudasai | Please hold on. |
| 彼はただいま席をはずしております。kare wa tadaima seki o hazushite orimasu. | He is not available at the moment. |
| 彼は昼食に出ております。kare wa chūshoku ni dete orimasu. | He went out to/for lunch. |
| 彼は出張に出ております。kare wa shucchō ni dete orimasu. | He is out of town on business. |
| 彼は本日失礼させていただきました。kare wa honjitsu shitsurei sasete itadakimashita. | He has already left the office today. |
| ２時間後に折り返しお電話いただけますか？ni jikan-go ni orikaeshi o denwa itadakemasu ka？ | Could you call again in two hours? |
| 伝言をおうかがいしましょうか？dengon o o ukagaishimashō ka？ | Would you like to leave a message? |
| 彼に折り返し電話させましょうか？kare ni orikaeshi denwa sasemashō ka？ | Shall I have him call you back? |
| お名前と電話番号を教えていただけますか？o namae to denwa bangō o oshiete itadakemasu ka？ | May I have your name and phone number, please? |
| おかけ間違いではありませんか。o kake machigai de wa arimasen ka. | I’m afraid you have the wrong number. |
Imagine that you’ve just returned to work after your lunch break. It’s Friday, and everyone seems to be taking their sweet old time getting back to the office. You look around at all of the empty desks piled high with files and documents. It’s so silent that you can hear the air vent across the room rustling a few papers. Even your sales manager Mr. Yamanashi is missing in action.
You plop down in front of your desk, and no sooner than your rear end hits the seat cushion does the phone ring.
You sigh. It looks like you’ll be playing secretary yet again this Friday afternoon. You make your way over to the telephone and lift the receiver.
Examples
O-denwa arigatou gozaimasu. Kabushiki-gaisha Ninja-fast Internet no Smith de gozaimasu.
(Thank you for calling Ninja-fast Internet corporation. This is Smith.)
The person on the other end orders two large pepperoni pizzas and a liter of cola. Obviously they have dialed the wrong number.
O-kake machigai de wa arimasen ka.
(I’m afraid you have the wrong number.)
You hang up, and just as the phone clacks into place, it rings again.
Here we go, you think to yourself. It’s going to be a long afternoon.
You answer the phone again, and the person on the other end speaks in a muffled voice.
Sumimasen desu ga, mō sukoshi ōkina koe de hanashite itadakemasu ka？
(I’m sorry, could you speak up a little?)
The caller wants to speak with Mr. Baba about a service malfunction, but Mr. Baba out of town on business.
Mōshiwake gozaimasen. Baba-san wa shucchō ni dete orimasu.
(I’m very sorry, but Mr. Baba is out of town on business.)
(NOTE: Shucchō is a noun that means “business trip,” and “Shucchō ni deru” means “to go on a business trip.”)
You ask if they would like to leave a message.
Dengon o o-ukagai shimashō ka？
(Would you like to leave a message?)
The caller doesn’t want to leave a message, however. He knows someone else in the sales department by the name of Takahashi who he wants to speak with instead. Unfortunately, Takahashi has already left for the day to take his daughter to the doctor’s.
Takahashi-san wa honjitsu shitsurei sasete itadakimashita.
(Mr. Takahashi has already left the office for the day.)
(NOTE: The literal translation means “Mr. Takahashi has been excused [by the boss] for the day.”)
The caller mumbles something again that you aren’t able to understand with your limited Japanese..
Sumimasen. Mō ichido sore o yukkuri itte itadakemasu ka？
(I’m sorry, could you say that again more slowly?)
The caller asks to speak to your manager. You look up, and the afternoon sun casts a glare through the window on his still-empty desk.
Buchō wa Ikeda to mōshimasu keredo, tadaima seki o hazushite orimasu.
(My manager is Mr. Ikeda, but he is not available at the moment.)
(NOTE: Seki means “seat,” and “seki o hazusu” literally means “to be away from one’s seat.”)
The caller gets more pushy and asks specifically where Ikeda is. You hope that if you spell it out for him he might leave you alone.
Ikeda-san wa chūshoku ni dete orimasu.
(Mr. Ikeda is out for lunch.)
You then admit that the office is practically empty at the moment, and you’re the only one there to take calls. Therefore, you suggest that he call back at a later time.
Ichi jikan-go ni orikaeshi o denwa itadakemasu ka？
(Could you call back in an hour?)
(NOTE: Attaching -go to the end of an amount of time means “later,” so “ichi jikan-go” literally means, “one hour later.”)
The caller is being stubborn and doesn’t want to call back. Therefore, you suggest that your boss call him back instead.
Ikeda-san ni orikaeshi denwa sasemashō ka？
(Shall I have Mr. Ikeda call you back?)
The caller says that that sounds like a better idea. Therefore, you ask where he can be reached.
O-namae to denwa bangō o oshiete itadakemasu ka？
(Could you tell me your name and phone number?)
As the caller dictates his contact information, you see a flash out of the corner of your eye. Mr. Ikeda has returned from lunch. You ask the caller to wait for a minute.
Shōshō o-machi itadakemasu ka?
(Could you wait for a moment, please?)
Your boss enters smelling like he just got back from a backyard barbecue. It must be nice being the boss and eating out at expensive restaurants every day. You tell him about the caller, a Mr. Suzuki from Turtle-slow Connections. The boss throws his head back in laughter and says to just hang up and he’ll call him back later.
Mata orikaeshi denwa shimasu to itte kudasai.
(Tell him I’ll call him back later.)
Conclusion
As you can see, there is a lot of polite speech littered among these phrases, which can be daunting at first. However, if you memorize the phrases and substitute names and other information according to your situation, your speech will begin to feel more natural. Using these phrases will also make you and your company look more professional!
Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t forget to get out there and practice what you’ve learned. Every day, get out there and practice, practice, practice!
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