On the Phone

Using a phone is an essential part of everyday life. Knowing how to use a phone effectively helps you communicate clearly, avoid problems, and stay connected in everyday life.

Using a Phone: Key Phrases

enter a number — ввести номер
Please enter a number to continue.

make a call — здійснити дзвінок / подзвонити
I need to make a call before the meeting.

lose the signal — втратити сигнал
We lose the signal when we go into the tunnel.

put the phone on silent — поставити телефон на беззвучний режим
Don’t forget to put your phone on silent in class.

recharge your phone — зарядити телефон
You should recharge your phone tonight.

listen to your voicemail — прослухати голосову пошту
I forgot to listen to my voicemail yesterday.

leave a message — залишити повідомлення
Please leave a message after the beep.

top up your mobile — поповнити рахунок телефону
I need to top up my mobile this evening.

disable data roaming — вимкнути роумінг даних
Remember to disable data roaming before your trip.

enable data roaming — увімкнути роумінг даних
You must enable data roaming to use mobile internet abroad.

add a number to the contacts list — додати номер до списку контактів
I will add your number to the contacts list.

save a number to the contacts list — зберегти номер у списку контактів
Don’t forget to save the number to the contacts list.

put a call on loudspeaker — увімкнути гучний зв’язок
She put the call on loudspeaker so we could all hear.

run out of credit — залишитися без грошей на рахунку
I’ve run out of credit, so I can’t call you.

get through (to someone) — додзвонитися (до когось)
I finally got through to her after trying all morning.

pick up the phone — взяти слухавку / відповісти на дзвінок
Why didn’t you pick up the phone when I called?

switch something off — вимкнути щось
Please switch off your phone during the flight.

speak up — говорити голосніше
Could you speak up? I can’t hear you well.

run out of something — закінчитися (про щось)
We’ve run out of time, so let’s finish later.

call somebody back — передзвонити комусь
I’ll call you back in a few minutes.

break up — перериватися (про зв’язок)
The line is breaking up, I can’t hear you clearly.

cut somebody off — перервати / обірвати (розмову)
We were cut off in the middle of the conversation.

hang up — покласти слухавку / завершити дзвінок
Don’t hang up, I still need to tell you something.

get back to somebody — зв’язатися пізніше / відповісти пізніше
I’ll get back to you after I check the details.

answer a call — відповісти на дзвінок
She couldn’t answer the call because she was driving.

miss a call — пропустити дзвінок
I missed your call while I was in a meeting.

call on hold — утримання дзвінка / режим очікування
Please stay on the line, I’ll put you on hold.

put someone on hold — поставити когось на утримання
Can you put him on hold for a moment?

hang on — зачекай (по телефону)
Hang on, I’ll check the information.

dial a number — набрати номер
He dialed the number and waited.

wrong number — неправильний номер
Sorry, I think you have the wrong number.

phone is dead — телефон розрядився
My phone is dead, so I can’t call anyone.

no signal — немає сигналу
There’s no signal in this area.

bad connection — поганий зв’язок
The connection is bad, I can barely hear you.

phone battery is low — розряджається батарея телефону
My phone battery is low, I need to charge it.

text somebody / send a text — написати повідомлення
I’ll text you when I arrive.

check your messages — перевірити повідомлення
Don’t forget to check your messages.

block a number — заблокувати номер
I had to block that number because of spam calls.

unblock a number — розблокувати номер
You can unblock the number in the settings.

screen a call — відфільтрувати дзвінок / не відповідати одразу
He screens his calls when he’s busy.

call waiting — очікування дзвінка (друга лінія)
I heard a beep—it must be call waiting.

conference call — конференц-дзвінок
We have a conference call with the team at 3 PM.

hold on — зачекай / залишайся на лінії
Hold on, I’ll get him for you.

Using a Phone

Nowadays, using a phone is an essential part of everyday life. When you want to contact someone, you usually dial a number or enter a number and make a call. If the person is available, they will pick up the phone and answer the call. If not, you can leave a message or try to call them back later.

Sometimes it is difficult to get through to someone, especially if the line is busy. In such cases, you may need to hang on or ask the other person to get back to you. During the conversation, you might need to speak up if the connection is bad or if you lose the signal.

There are also situations when the call suddenly breaks up or you get cut off. When this happens, you usually try to call back immediately. If you are in a meeting, at school or a public place, it is polite to put your phone on silent or even switch it off.

Modern smartphones offer many additional functions. You can add a number to the contacts list or save a number for future use. If you don’t want to be disturbed, you can block a number. When traveling, it is important to enable or disable data roaming depending on your needs.

Finally, you should always make sure your phone is working properly. Don’t forget to recharge your phone, otherwise it may die at the worst moment, or you might run out of credit and be unable to make a call.

Using a Phone: A Verse for Fun

Can I speak to Mr. Pine?
Wait a minute, hold the line.

Could I speak to Mrs. Green?
Sorry, but she isn’t in.

Can I speak to Linda Bain?
Hold on, please, she’s on her way.

If it’s not much of a trouble
Could I speak to Mr. Bubble?
He stepped out, Mr. Twix,
Call back later, after six.

A Telephone Conversation

– Mr Smith’s office. Good morning. Can I help you?

– Good morning. This is George Brown speaking. May I speak to Mr Smith, please?

– Hold on, I’ll see if he is in. …. Thank you for waiting. I’m sorry but Mr Smith isn’t here at the moment. Would you like to leave a message for him?

– No thank you. Can I phone later?

– Yes, please.