Chinese For Dummies (75 page)

Sān yuè sì hào zhīqián wǒ zài dùjià.
三月四号之前我在度假
.
(
三月四號之前我在度假
.)
(sahn yweh suh how jir-chyan waw dzye doo-jyah.) (
I'm on vacation until March
4th.
)

Nín rúguǒ xiǎng gēn wǒde zhùshǒu tōnghuà, qǐng bō fēnjī 108.
您如果想跟我的助手通话
,
请拨分机一零八
. (
您如果想跟我的助手通話
,
請撥分機一零八
.)
(neen roo-gwaw shyahng gun waw-duh joo-show toong-hwah, cheeng baw fun-jee yaow leeng bah.) (
If you'd like to speak with my assistant, please dial extension 108.
)

Qǐng liú xià nínde míngzi, diànhuà hàomǎ hé jiǎnduǎn de liúyán. Wǒ huì gěi nín huí diànhuà.
请留下您的名字, 电话号码和简短的留言. 我会给你回电话. (請留下您的名字, 電話號碼和簡短的留言. 我會給你回電話.
) (cheeng lyo shyah neen-duh meeng-dzuh, dyan-hwah how-mah huh jyan-dwahn duh lyo-yan. waw hway gay neen hway dyan-hwah.) (
Please leave your name, number, and a brief message. I'll get back to you.
)

Answering machines are still something of an oddity in China, so many Chinese don't know quite what to do when they hear your recorded greeting message on the other end of the line. Be clear in your message that the caller should leave a name and phone number after the
hū
(who) (
beep
).

Sometimes you have to press the
jǐnghàojiàn
井号键
(
井號鍵
) (jeen-how-jyan) (
pound key
) before leaving a message. In that case, you have to recognize the
jǐngzìhào
井字号
(
井字號
) (jeeng-dzuh-how) (
pound sign
): #. When dealing with voicemail, you may have to deal with the following kinds of instructions on a recorded message:

Nín rúguǒ shǐyòng ànjiàn shì diànhuàjī, qǐng àn 3.
您如果使用按键式电话机
,
请按三
. (
您如果使用按鍵式電話機
,
請按三
.)
(neen roo-gwaw shir-yoong ahn-jyan shir dyan-hwah jee, cheeng ahn sahn.) (
If you have a touch-tone phone, please press 3 now.
)

Yào huí dào zhǔ mùlù qǐng àn jǐngzìhào.
要回到主目录请按井字号
. (
要回到主目錄請按井字號
.) (yaow hway daow joo moo-loo cheeng ahn jeeng-dzuh-how.) (
If you want to return to the main menu, please press pound now.
)

Leaving messages

When you leave a message on an answering machine, be sure to give clear instructions about what you want the person to do:

Bié wàngle huí wǒde diànhuà.
别忘了回我的电话
. (
別忘了回我的電話
.)
(byeh wahng-luh hway waw-duh dyan-hwah.) (
Don't forget to return my call.
)

Nǐ huí jiā zhīhòu qǐng gěi wǒ dǎ diànhuà.
你回家之后请给我打电话
. (
你回家之後請給我打電話
.)
(nee hway jyah jir-ho cheeng gay waw dah dyan-hwah.) (
After you get home, please give me a call.
)

Wǒ zài gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà.
我再给你打电话
. (
我再給你打電話
.)
(waw dzye gay nee dah dyan-hwah.) (
I'll call you again.
)

If a live person answers and you have to leave a message, be sure to be polite. Here are some good phrases to keep in mind:

Máfan nǐ qǐng tā huí wǒde diànhuà?
麻烦你请他回我的电话
? (
麻煩你請他回我的電話
?)
(mah-fahn nee cheeng tah hway waw-duh dyan-hwah?) (
May I trouble you to please have him return my call?
)