Japanese Phone Calls at Work: Phrases and a Sample Call
For many people working in Japanese, the office phone is more stressful than any meeting. There is no time to look things up, you can’t see the other person, and the language is full of keigo. The good news is that business calls follow a script, and a small set of phrases covers most of them.
Answering the office phone
In many Japanese offices, newer staff are expected to pick up the shared phone, often within a few rings. Practices vary, and some companies now handle most contact by email, chat or mobile, so watch what your colleagues do. A typical answer goes like this:
- Greet and give the company name: お電話ありがとうございます。〇〇株式会社でございます。 (odenwa arigatō gozaimasu. … kabushiki-gaisha de gozaimasu). Some companies say おはようございます instead in the morning. If the phone rang for a while, start with お待たせいたしました (omatase itashimashita, “sorry to keep you waiting”).
- Confirm who is calling. Callers usually give their name. If they don’t, ask politely: 失礼ですが、どちら様でしょうか。 (shitsurei desu ga, dochira-sama deshō ka).
- Return the greeting: いつもお世話になっております。
- Put them through: 少々お待ちください。 (shōshō omachi kudasai, “one moment, please”), then use the hold button before you call your colleague.
One rule surprises many learners. When speaking to someone outside the company, you refer to your own colleagues, even your boss, by family name only, without さん: 田中は席を外しております (“Tanaka is away from his desk”). Adding さん sounds as if you are raising your own side above the caller. For more on this in-group and out-group language, see our guide to keigo for work.
Key phrases
| Japanese | Say it | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| ただいま席を外しております。 | tadaima seki o hazushite orimasu | The person is away from their desk. |
| ただいま会議中でございます。 | tadaima kaigi-chū de gozaimasu | The person is in a meeting. |
| 折り返しお電話いたしましょうか。 | orikaeshi odenwa itashimashō ka | Offering a call back. |
| 折り返しお電話いたします。 | orikaeshi odenwa itashimasu | “I’ll call you back.” Also used when you need time to check something. |
| よろしければ、ご伝言を承ります。 | yoroshikereba, godengon o uketamawarimasu | Offering to take a message. |
| 恐れ入りますが、もう一度お願いできますでしょうか。 | osoreirimasu ga, mō ichido onegai dekimasu deshō ka | Asking someone to repeat. |
| お電話が少し遠いようなのですが。 | odenwa ga sukoshi tōi yō na no desu ga | The line is faint. A polite way to say you can’t hear well. |
Taking a message
When you take a message, write down five things: who it is for, who called (company and name), when, what it is about, and whether they want a call back, with their number. Then read the key details back to check them: 復唱いたします (fukushō itashimasu, “let me repeat that back”). Names and numbers are where mistakes happen, so it is fine to ask how a name is written.
Finish by giving your own name, so the caller knows who to follow up with: 私、スミスが承りました。 (watakushi, Sumisu ga uketamawarimashita, “I, Smith, took this message”). Pass the note on straight away, on paper or in chat, depending on how your office works.
Calling another company
When you make the call, the order is: give your company and name, the greeting, then who you want to speak to.
- 〇〇株式会社のスミスと申します。 (“This is Smith from [company].”)
- いつもお世話になっております。
- 営業部の山田様はいらっしゃいますでしょうか。 (“Is Mr/Ms Yamada of the sales department available?”)
If they are out, you can ask for a call back, leave a message with ご伝言をお願いできますでしょうか, or say you will try again: また改めてお電話いたします. At the end, 失礼いたします is the usual goodbye, and many people wait a moment for the other side to hang up first, especially when speaking to a client.
A sample call
You: お電話ありがとうございます。ABCテクノロジーでございます。
Caller: さくら商事の山田と申します。いつもお世話になっております。
You: いつもお世話になっております。
Caller: 営業部の田中様はいらっしゃいますか。
You: 申し訳ございません。田中はただいま会議中でございます。折り返しお電話いたしましょうか。
Caller: はい、お願いします。
You: 念のため、お電話番号を伺ってもよろしいでしょうか。
After noting the number and reading it back, you close with 私、スミスが承りました。失礼いたします。 In English, roughly: “Thank you for calling ABC Technology.” “This is Yamada from Sakura Trading. Is Mr Tanaka of sales available?” “I’m sorry, Tanaka is in a meeting. Shall I have him call you back? Just in case, may I take your number?”
Tips for nerves
- Keep a script by the phone with the opening line, the key phrases and a message template. Even native speakers do this when they start.
- Ask people to repeat. Asking politely is far better than guessing a name or number wrong. Asking them to speak a little more slowly, もう少しゆっくりお願いできますでしょうか, is also fine.
- Buy time when you need it. If you can’t answer a question, offer to check and call back rather than answering on the spot.
- Speak a little slower and more clearly than you feel you need to. Phones flatten sound.
- Practise the first ten seconds until they are automatic. Once the opening goes smoothly, the rest feels much easier.
Practise calls with a tutor
Phone Japanese improves fastest by actually doing it, and role-play is a safe place to start. A Hanabuddies tutor can play the caller, take on different accents and speeds, and help you practise the calls your job really involves, from taking messages to calling a client. Lessons are online and built around what you need, so you can rehearse before your first day on the phones.