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Japanese for “Making and taking a phone call”
A client calls the office asking for Mr. Yamada, who is away from his desk. You take a message, repeat the details back to confirm them, and end the call politely.
Sample dialogue
Client
はい、ABC商事の田中ですが、山田さんはいらっしゃいますか。hai, ABC shouji no tanaka desu ga, yamadasan wa irasshaimasu ka.
Yes, this is Tanaka from ABC Trading. Is Mr. Yamada there?
You (Staff member)
申し訳ありません。山田は今、席を外しております。moushiwake arimasen. yamada wa ima, seki o hazushiteorimasu.
I'm sorry. Mr. Yamada is away from his desk right now.
Client
そうですか。いつ頃戻りますか。sou desu ka. itsu koro modorimasu ka.
I see. About what time will he be back?
You (Staff member)
十五時頃に戻る予定です。よろしければ、ご伝言を承りましょうか。juugojigoro ni modoru yotei desu. yoroshikere ba, go dengon o uketamawarimashou ka.
He should be back around 3 PM. If you like, may I take a message?
Client
はい、お願いします。明日の会議の時間を変更したいんです。hai, onegai shimasu. ashita no kaigi no jikan o henkou shitai n desu.
Yes, please. I'd like to change the time of tomorrow's meeting.
You (Staff member)
かしこまりました。明日の会議の時間を変更したい、ということですね。kashikomarimashita. ashita no kaigi no jikan o henkou shitai, toiu koto desu ne.
Certainly. So you would like to change the time of tomorrow's meeting, is that right?
Client
はい。十時から十一時に変更できますか。hai. juuji kara juuichiji ni henkou dekimasu ka.
Yes. Can it be changed from 10 to 11?
You (Staff member)
十時から十一時ですね。山田に伝えます。juuji kara juuichiji desu ne. yamada ni tsutaemasu.
田中様、ご連絡ありがとうございました。失礼いたします。tanakasama, go renraku arigatougozaimashita. shitsureiitashimasu.
Thank you for calling, Mr. Tanaka. Goodbye.
Phrases you can use
席を外しておりますせきをはずしておりますseki o hazushiteorimasu
is away from their desk
Use this polite phrase to say a colleague is out of the office without giving details.
田中は今、席を外しております。tanaka wa ima, seki o hazushiteorimasu.
Mr. Tanaka is away from his desk right now.
戻る予定ですもどるよていですmodoru yotei desu
is scheduled to return
Say this to tell the caller when someone is expected back.
部長は五時に戻る予定です。buchou wa goji ni modoru yotei desu.
The manager is scheduled to come back at 5 o'clock.
ご伝言を承りましょうかごでんごんをうけたまわりましょうかgo dengon o uketamawarimashou ka
may I take a message?
Offer this polite question when the person being asked for is not available.
ご伝言を承りましょうか。go dengon o uketamawarimashou ka.
May I take a message?
〜ということですねtoiu koto desu ne
so you mean ~, is that right?
Repeat the caller's message back with this phrase to confirm you understood correctly.
Casual vs polite
Casualいつ戻る？itsu modoru?
Politeいつ頃お戻りになりますか。itsu koro o modori ni narimasu ka.
Casual is for friends or people very close to you. Polite is the right choice when a client calls the office.
Casual伝えとく。tsutaetoku.
Politeお伝えします。otsutae shimasu.
Casual 'tsutaetoku' means 'I'll tell him' and is too informal for business. Use the polite 'otsutae shimasu' with clients.
Casual席にいないよ。seki ni inai yo.
Polite席を外しております。seki o hazushiteorimasu.
Casual means 'he's not at his seat.' Polite is a softer way to say the same thing and sounds professional on the phone.
Culture tip
In Japanese business calls, staff usually say the person is 'away from their desk' instead of saying where they went, and they always confirm the message by repeating it back. Ending with 失礼いたします before hanging up is a common and respectful habit.
Ready to say it out loud?
On Tuned you can practice this scene in 3 steps: copy the model, build it up bit by bit, then role-play with an AI partner — at your level.