Japanese phone conversations

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Using the phone for efficient communication is an effective tool to drive business growth. When making business calls in Japan, one thing that must be given special attention to is the need to use more cautious and polite wording than in regular face-to-face conversations, as it is impossible to see the other person’s expression over the phone. There are many common expressions in phone conversations; please make an effort to master them. 2) Mr. Aoki, please. There are several ways to ask the other party to have someone answer the phone. Is Mr. Aoki there? Is Mr. Aoki there? May I speak with Mr. Aoki now? Can I talk to Mr. Aoki now? Could you call Mr. Aoki? Could you please ask Mr. Aoki to pick up the phone? Connect me to Mr. Aoki’s room. Please connect to Mr. Aoki’s room. 3) Aoki is on another call right now. The sentence below is used to explain why Aoki cannot answer the phone. Other common expressions include: Aoki is currently out. Aoki is out right now. Aoki is currently serving customers. Aoki has guests now. Aoki is in a meeting, so I will call you from here later. Aoki is in a meeting; have him call back in a bit. Aoki is on vacation this week. Aoki is taking time off this week. Aoki is taking a day off today due to illness. Aoki is still on sick leave today. Aoki is on a business trip. Haruki is on a business trip. Communication Practice* (a) Fill in the blanks: Fill in the appropriate words or phrases in the following blanks. 1. Phone call A: This is (Company Name). B: Please, (Name) from (Department Name). A: Excuse me, who may I speak with? B: I’m (my own name) from (company name). A: Please wait a moment. A: _____ Company. B: Please connect me to Mr. _____ in the _____ department. A: Sorry, may I ask who are you? B: I am from _____ company, _____. A: Please wait a moment. 2. On the phone — explain why someone cannot come to answer the call. A: It’s (my name). Is Mr. Tanaka there? B: Tanaka is currently _____, so... A: Well, I’ll call you again later. A: I’m _____. Is Mr. Tanaka available? B: Tanaka is currently _____. A: I’ll call again in a bit. Practice * (a) How would you say the following situations? 1. When you want to know who is calling you. 2. You want to let the other party know that the minister is on another call. 3. When you want to leave a message. 4. You want to tell the other person to call back in the evening. 5. When you want to ask the other party to pick up extension 123. (b) Translate the following sentence into Japanese: 1. Please tell me Mr. Aoki’s phone number. 2. Please leave a message for him to call me as soon as possible. Having a phone conversation in a foreign language is difficult. Talking without looking at the other person’s expression means one cannot understand their emotional state, and moreover, there are unique \"telephone phrases\" specific to each language. In this lesson, we will learn the special expressions used in Japanese \"phone conversations\". It’s difficult to make calls outside. Because one cannot see the other person’s expression while talking, it is impossible to understand their emotional state, and different languages have their own unique \"phrases for phone conversations\". For undergraduates, please learn the special expressions and common usage in “telephone conversations” for those studying Japanese. [Model Conversation] Conversation example: Answering a phone call at the office. Brown: This is the Planning Department. Imai: This is Imai from Asian Advertising. Thank you for your continued support. Brown: Ah, Mr. Imai, it’s Brown. Imai: Actually, a new ad copy has been prepared, but Section Chief Oyama from the PR department asked that Mr. Brown take a look at it as well... Brown: Is that so. I haven’t heard anything from Section Chief Oyama yet, but what kind of advertisement is it? What is it? Imai: I’m very sorry for the inconvenience. It is a newspaper ad draft for the new MMC. Brown: Ah, I see. Still, that’s fast — the manuscript is already ready? Imai: Yes, after all, Section Chief Oyama kept pressing me for it every day, so I finished it at top speed. Brown: Well, the sooner the better, but we need to ensure that the features of the new MMC are fully highlighted... Imai: Yes, we intend to emphasize strongly the features of being a favorable financial product with high interest rates and flexibility. Brown: Is that so. That’s exciting. Imai: Well, I’ll be heading over now; I think I’ll arrive around 3 o’clock. Brown: I see. If it’s the advertising copy for the new MMC, I think it would be better to have Section Chief Aoki take a look at it as well, so I’ll check his availability. Sorry for the wait. 3 o’clock seems to work fine for them... Imai: Then, I’ll see you later. I'm sorry. Brown: I’m sorry. Answering the phone at the office, Brown: This is the Planning Department. Imai: I’m Imai from an Asian advertising company; I often receive your support. Brown: Ah, Mr. Imai, this is Brown. Imai: It’s like this – the new ad copy has been completed, and Section Chief Oyama from the advertising department said it needs to be reviewed by you as well. Brown: Is that so. I haven’t heard Section Chief Oyama mention what kind of advertisement it is Imai: Sorry, it’s the newspaper ad draft for the new MMC. Brown: Oh, I see. That’s fast! Is it finalized? Imai: Yeah. Since Section Chief Oyama kept pressing hard every day, it was completed as quickly as possible. Brown: Well, it’s of course best if it’s fast, but if it doesn’t fully reflect the features of the new MMC... Imai: Yes, we plan to highlight in our ads the features of this financial product, such as its favorable interest rates, flexibility of use, and other advantages. Brown: Is that so. That’s interesting. Imai: Then I’ll come over right now, arriving around 3 o’clock. Brown: Okay. However, it would be best to have Section Chief Aoki take a look at the advertisement copy for the new MMC as well. I’ll go ask him if he’s available. I’m sorry for the wait; he said he would be available at 3 o’clock. Imai: Well, see you later then. Brown: Goodbye. Glossary
Advertisement: Ad
Manuscript: Draft/text
Completed: Finished
New-type MMC: New-style MMC... time deposits with adjustable interest rates
For newspaper use: Intended for use in newspapers
Urging: Pressuring/insisting
Urgent urging: Very urgent demands
Super express speed: Extremely fast speed
To complete: To finish
Couldn’t be better: Perfect/ideal
To apply: To make a request/application
High interest rate: High levels of interest
Low interest rate: Low levels of interest
Flexible to use: Easy to utilize
Finance: Financial sector
Financial products: Financial instruments (referring to deposits)
To introduce/propose: To put forward ； Determine the expressions used to describe actions:
1. Make a phone call — To call someone
Make a long-distance call — To make calls outside the local area
Make an international call — To make calls overseas
2. A phone call comes in — Someone calls
A misdialed call comes in — An incorrect number is called
3. Answer the phone — To pick up the phone
4. Transfer to an extension — To forward the call to another extension
5. Hang up the phone — To end the call
6. Request a long-distance call — To ask for a long-distance connection
7. Make a collect call — To make a call where the recipient pays
8. Leave a message — To ask someone to convey a message
9. Ask the directory assistance — To inquire at the information desk
10. Install a telephone — To set up a phone line
Install a car phone — To install a phone in a vehicle