電話 vs. 通話: Quite Similar Japanese Words For You
What is the difference between “電話” and “通話“? They have subtle differences. What does “電話するけど通話しない” mean? Let me introduce what their subtle differences are and how you correctly use them such as native speakers today!
電話 (denwa)
Call, Phone / 电话 / 전화 / Điện thoại
“電話する” means “call” which is a verb and “電話” means “Phone” which is a noun. The meaning of “電話する” is “to call someone” and the basic way to use it is “___(someone or store/company)に電話する(to call someone or a store/a company)” such as あなたに電話する(I call you.), ABC会社に電話する(I call the ABC company.), etc. Although 電話“を”する is the basic to use, native speakers tend to omit “を”. “電話する” focuses on “to call”. Some people use “電話をかける” as same as “電話する”. When using “電話をかける”, you won’t be able to omit “を”.




Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced

通話 (tsuuwa)
Talk on the phone / 通话 / 통화 / Gọi điện thoại
“通話する” means “Talk on the phone” which is a vers and “通話” means “Phone” which is a noun. The meaning of “通話する” is “to talk to someone on the phone” which focuses on “to talk” whereas “電話する” focuses on “to call”. Although some native speaks use “電話中!” as the of “I’m on the phone!”, that is “通話中” is right Japanese. Because “電話” sounds more casual in daily conversation than “通話“. So native speakers tend to use “通話” as a noun, unlike “電話する” often used as a verb, such as 通話時間(call duration), ビデオ通話(video call), 通話料金(calling fee), 無料通話(free call), 通話プラン(call plan), 通話記録(call log), etc.




![]() |
![]() |