電話でんわする vs. 電話でんわをかける: Don’t Think They Are The Same!

2020年6月27日2026年4月22日

0627-2020-denwasuru-vs-denwawokakeru-learn-japanese-online-how-to-speak-japanese-language-for-beginners-basic-study-in-japan

Yuka

電話する and 電話をかける both mean “to make a phone call” — are they really the same, or is there a difference?

Rei

They are very similar and often interchangeable! But 電話をかける (denwa wo kakeru) specifically means “to place a call” — initiating the call. 電話する (denwa suru) is broader and can mean “to call, to be on the phone.”

	電話する (denwa suru)	電話をかける (denwa wo kakeru)
Meaning	To make a phone call / to call	To place a call / to call (someone)
Nuance	General — calling or having a call	Specifically initiating / placing the call
Transitivity	Can be used with or without を	Requires object with に (to)
Example	後で電話する。	彼に電話をかけた。

TOC

電話する — General Phone Call

電話する is the simple, common way to say “to make a call” or “to call.” It is used in everyday conversation and works in most situations.

後で電話するね。— I’ll call you later.
友達に電話した。— I called a friend.
仕事中に電話しないでください。— Please don’t call during work hours.
長電話してしまった。— I ended up on the phone for a long time.

電話をかける — Placing the Call

電話をかける emphasizes the act of initiating — picking up the phone and placing the call. かける (kakeru) means “to hang / place” — think of it as “connecting the line.”

彼に電話をかけた。— I called him (placed a call to him).
間違い電話をかけてしまった。— I accidentally called the wrong number.
電話をかけ直す。— To call back / redial.
夜中に電話をかけるのはやめて。— Stop calling in the middle of the night.

Related Phone Expressions

Expression	Meaning
電話に出る	To answer the phone
電話を切る	To hang up
電話をかけ直す	To call back / redial
着信がある	To receive an incoming call
折り返し電話する	To return a call

Common Mistakes for English Speakers

Both expressions are correct for “to call someone.” The main thing to remember is the particle: 友達に電話する / 友達に電話をかける — the person you call takes に. Using を for the person (友達を電話する) is incorrect.