喂 for “Hello?” on the Phone
Use 喂 to answer or start a phone call, and to call out “hey” to get attention.
Pattern
喂，+ greeting or question
喂 opens a phone call; face to face, greet people with 你好 instead.
喂，请问王老师在吗？
When to use 喂 for “Hello?” on the Phone
喂 is an interjection: a word that stands alone at the start of what you say, followed by a comma or an exclamation mark. Its main job is to open a phone call, both when you answer and when you call someone.
喂，你好！
Hello? Hi!
喂，是小明吗？
Hello, is that Xiaoming?
喂，您是哪位？
Hello, who’s calling, please?
喂，喂？你能听到我说话吗？
Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?
Common traps
- Don’t use 喂 to greet someone face to face; say 你好.
- Calling a stranger 喂 sounds rude; use 你好 or 请问 to get their attention.
- On the phone, a rising wéi sounds friendlier than a sharp, falling wèi.
Targeted drill
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