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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner

How do you say "phone" in Japanese?

電話

denwa

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "phone" is 電話 (denwa).

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Pronunciation

電話 is written using kanji. Romanised as denwa, it sounds roughly like "deh-n-wah" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Denwa pairs 電 (electricity) with 話 (talk/conversation). An electric talk device perfectly describes the telephone.

Example sentence

電話はどこにありますか?

Denwa wa doko ni arimasu ka?

Where is the phone?

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How to remember 電話

Electric talk. The word literally describes what phones do.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 電話

How do you pronounce 電話?

電話 is romanised as denwa. Say it roughly like "deh-n-wah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 電話 formal or casual?

電話 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 電話 written in Japanese?

電話 is written using kanji. Denwa pairs 電 (electricity) with 話 (talk/conversation).

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Phone" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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