Making business phone calls: Giving your name and contact details
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Key Phrases
Hier ist Emily Smith .
This is Emily Smith.
Können Sie die Nummer bitte wiederholen?
Can you repeat the number, please?
Wann sind Sie gut erreichbar?
When can you be easily reached?
Skills You'll Learn
Introducing yourself on the phone
Sich am Telefon vorstellen
Asking for a person and requesting a callback
Nach einer Person fragen und um einen Rückruf bitten
Giving a phone number and leaving a message
Eine Telefonnummer angeben und eine Nachricht hinterlassen
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you're calling a company to speak with Mr. Becker. He isn't available, so you want to leave your name and number for a callback.
Firma Becker, guten Tag. Sie sprechen mit Anna Wolf.
Becker Company, good afternoon. This is Anna Wolf speaking.
Guten Tag, hier ist Emily Smith . Ist Herr Becker da?
Hello, this is Emily Smith. Is Mr. Becker there?
Leider nicht. Kann er Sie zurückrufen?
Unfortunately not. Can he call you back?
Ja, gern. Meine Nummer ist 0171 2345678.
Yes, please. My number is 0171 2345678.
Können Sie die Nummer bitte wiederholen?
Could you repeat the number, please?
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
Firma Becker
FEER-mah BEK-er
Becker Company
🇩🇪 German offices usually answer with the company name, then the person's own name. A plain Hallo? sounds unprofessional at work.
See breakdown →Guten Tag.
GOO-ten tahk
Hello.
🇩🇪 Guten Tag is the safe all-day greeting for business calls. It works from late morning to early evening, so you rarely need to guess the time of day.
See breakdown →Firma Becker, guten Tag.
FEER-mah BEK-er GOO-ten tahk
Becker Company, good afternoon.
🇩🇪 German businesses answer with the company name first, often followed by the speaker's own name. Expect this instead of a plain Hallo.
See breakdown →Sie sprechen mit Anna Wolf.
zee SHPRE-khen mit AH-nah volf
This is Anna Wolf speaking.
💬 Literally "you are speaking with Anna Wolf": German states who you've reached rather than saying "this is". Swap in any name: Sie sprechen mit Max Braun.
See breakdown →Hier ist Emily Smith .
heer ist
This is Emily Smith.
Guten Tag, hier ist Emily Smith .
GOO-ten tahk heer ist
Hello, this is Emily Smith.
💬 hier ist "here is" is the standard way to say who's calling. German doesn't use das ist for this on the phone.
🇩🇪 Give your full first and last name right away. Callers in Germany are expected to identify themselves before asking for anyone.
See breakdown →Ist Herr Becker da?
ist hair BEK-er dah
Is Mr. Becker there?
💬 da here means "there" in the sense of available, not just physically present. Swap the name: Ist Frau Schmidt da?.
See breakdown →Leider nicht.
LY-der nicht
Unfortunately not.
🇩🇪 Adding leider is the polite way to turn down a time. A bare nicht or nein sounds curt on a business call.
See breakdown →Zurückrufen
tsoo-RUEK-roo-fen
To call back
💬 zurück splits off and goes to the end in a statement: ich rufe Sie morgen zurück "I'll call you back tomorrow".
See breakdown →Learn this vocabulary list the easy way
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