你的电话号码 Your Phone Number in Chinese

今天jīntiān我wǒ去qù医院yīyuàn挂号guàhào，工作人员gōngzuò rényuán让ràng我wǒ留liú一个yí ge电话diànhuà号码hàomǎ。

Today I went to the hospital to register, and the staff member asked me to leave a phone number.

中国人Zhōngguórén说shuō电话diànhuà号码hàomǎ的de时候shíhou，习惯xíguàn把bǎ数字shùzì一yī读dú成chéng幺yāo，这样zhèyàng别人biéren才cái不bú会huì听tīng错cuò。

When Chinese people say phone numbers, they're used to reading the digit 一 (yī) as 幺 (yāo), so that other people won't mishear it.

所以suǒyǐ，我wǒ说shuō号码hàomǎ的de时候shíhou，数字shùzì里lǐ的de一yī，我wǒ都dōu读dú成chéng幺yāo。

So, when I say my number, I read every 'one' (一) in it as 'yāo' (幺).

工作人员gōngzuò rényuán一边yìbiān听tīng一边yìbiān写xiě，很快hěn kuài就jiù写xiě完wán了le。

The staff member listened and wrote at the same time, and quickly finished writing it down.

他tā把bǎ号码hàomǎ读dú了le一遍yí biàn，问wèn我wǒ对duì不bú对duì。

He read the number back once, and asked me if it was right.

我wǒ说shuō：“对duì，就是jiùshì这个zhège号码hàomǎ。”

I said: "Yes, that's exactly the number."

后来hòulái，他tā真的zhēnde打电话dǎ diànhuà给gěi我wǒ，让ràng我wǒ下个星期xià ge xīngqī再zài去qù医院yīyuàn一次yí cì。

Later, he really did call me, asking me to go back to the hospital again next week.

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

留liúto leave (behind)

幺yāoone (spoken form used in phone numbers)

挂号guàhàoto register (at a hospital)

数字shùzìnumber; digit

读dúto read

才cáionly then

数字读成幺 (reading '1' as yāo)

For phone numbers, Chinese speakers often read the digit 一 (yī) as 幺 (yāo) instead, so it isn't confused with other numbers.

习惯把数字一读成幺。— They're used to reading the digit one as yāo.

把 + object + verb (the 把 construction)

把 moves the object in front of the verb to show exactly what happens to it.

他把号码读了一遍。— He read the number back once.

才 + 不会 (only then...won't)

才 here means 'only then' — used with 不会 to say doing something this way prevents a problem.

这样别人才不会听错。— This way, other people won't mishear it.

1. What did the staff member ask the narrator to leave?

2. How do Chinese speakers often read the digit '1' in a phone number?

3. What happened after the visit, according to the story?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.