German Telephone & Calls Vocabulary
This set covers the vocabulary you need to actually make and receive a phone call in German: der Anruf, die Rufnummer, and the verb klingeln for when the phone rings. One trap for English speakers is melden, which by itself means "to report" or "announce," but as sich melden it means "to get in touch" or "answer the phone" - the reflexive pronoun changes everything.
Learn these 14 words
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All 14 words
plural: die Anrufbeantworter
answering machine
Wir sind im Moment nicht da. Sprechen Sie bitte auf den Anrufbeantworter. — We are not here at the moment. Please leave a message on the answering machine.
- anrufenA1
call, phone
Kann man Sie anrufen? — Can one call you?
- klingelnA1
to ring
Das Telefon klingelt schon seit fünf Minuten. — The phone has been ringing for five minutes.
plural: die SMS
text message
Schreib mir bitte eine SMS. — Please write me a text message.
plural: die Telefone
telephone
Haben Sie Telefon? — Do you have a telephone?
telephone, call
Darf ich mal telefonieren? — May I make a phone call?
plural: die Vorwahlen
area code
Wie ist die Vorwahl von München? — What is the area code for Munich?
to call back
Kannst du mich später zurückrufen? — Can you call me back later?
plural: die Anrufe
phone call
Ich warte auf einen Anruf aus Berlin. — I'm waiting for a call from Berlin.
- meldenB1
report; announce
Ich habe schon zweimal angerufen. Aber es meldet sich niemand. — I have already called twice. But nobody answers.
plural: die Mobilboxen
voicemail
Ich habe zwei Nachrichten auf meiner Mobilbox. — I have two messages on my voicemail.
plural: die Rufnummern
phone number
Wir möchten Sie gerne anrufen. Wie ist Ihre Rufnummer? — We would like to call you. What is your phone number?
to connect (a call)
Ich verbinde Sie mit der Kollegin. — I'll connect you with my colleague.
- verpasstB1
missed (call)
Du hast einen wichtigen Anruf verpasst. — You missed an important call.
How to learn this set
Notice the verb pairs built on the same root: anrufen (to call) and zurückrufen (to call back) both come from rufen, "to call out." Drill them by chaining a scenario in your head: das Telefon klingelt, du gehst nicht ran, es ist ein verpasster Anruf, also musst du zurückrufen. For the nouns, group by gender instead of memorizing them loose: der Anruf and der Anrufbeantworter share der, while die SMS, die Vorwahl, die Mobilbox, and die Rufnummer are all die - say each one out loud with its article every time or the gender won't stick.
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Frequently asked questions
Anruf or Telefonat: what's the difference in German?
Der Anruf is the act of calling someone, from anrufen. Das Telefonat is more formal and refers to the whole conversation on the phone, like ein langes Telefonat (a long phone call).
What do Germans say for voicemail?
Die Mobilbox is the standard word, mostly used for mobile phones, though der Anrufbeantworter is still common for landline answering machines at home or in offices. Both are feminine or masculine as shown: die Mobilbox, der Anrufbeantworter.
Why does melden mean 'report' and not 'to answer the phone'?
On its own melden means to report or announce, but sich melden means to get in touch or answer the phone, as in Meld dich! (Get in touch!) or Er meldet sich nicht (He's not answering). The reflexive sich changes the meaning.
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