Making business phone calls: Scheduling a meeting over the phone

💬 Here 就 adds the sense of "exactly / none other than", so 我就是 means "I'm the very person you asked for". In the same way, 这就是我家 means "This is my home, right here."

💬 请问 (qǐng wèn) "may I ask" is a handy polite opener for any question. 哪位 (nǎ wèi) is a respectful "who", more courteous than plain 谁 (shéi).

💬 To identify yourself on the phone, Chinese uses 我是 (wǒ shì) "I am". English says "this is" instead.

💬 When 想 comes before a verb it means "would like to", and it sounds softer and more polite than 要 "want to". For example, 我想喝茶 means "I'd like some tea."

💬 "Meet with someone" is 跟 + person + 见面. Saying 见面您 is wrong, because 见面 already contains its own object and can't take another. For example, 我明天跟他见面 means "I'm meeting him tomorrow."

💬 个 (ge) comes in here with no number in front, short for 一个 "one". It makes the request sound light and casual, like "set up a quick time". You'll hear the same thing in 吃个饭 "grab a meal".

💬 In casual speech 哪 (nǎ) "which" often goes straight before a time word without a counting word: 哪天 "which day", 哪年 "which year". Watch the tone, because 那天 (nà tiān) means "that day".

💬 The question word stays in the same spot the answer would go: 您哪天方便 → 您周二方便. You don't move it to the front the way you'd move "what" in English.

🇨🇳 Letting the other person pick the day is the polite move, especially with someone senior or a client. Using 您 instead of 你 adds to the respect.

💬 方便 works on its own as the predicate, with no 是: 我明天方便 "Tomorrow works for me." Also, 不方便 is a polite, indirect way to say no, and nobody expects you to explain why.

💬 Add 可以吗 to the end of any suggestion to turn it into a polite "is that OK?". For example, 我坐这儿可以吗 means "Is it OK if I sit here?"

💬 In Chinese, time goes from biggest to smallest: week, then day, then part of the day. You can keep going too: 下周二上午十点 means "next Tuesday at 10 a.m."

💬 Days of the week are numbered from Monday: 周一 is Monday, 周二 is Tuesday, and so on. Sunday is the odd one out, 周日 (zhōu rì). 下 means "next" and 上 means "last", so 上周二 is "last Tuesday".

💬 上午 (shàng wǔ) means the time before noon, and 下午 (xià wǔ) means after noon. The word 上 "up" or 下 "down" tells you which side of noon 午 it is.

💬 Here 会 is a noun meaning "a meeting", short for 会议 (huì yì). It isn't the 会 meaning "can" or "will". In the same way, 开会 means "to hold or attend a meeting."

💬 The time can come first, even before 我. In Chinese, time always goes before the verb, never at the end the way English puts it.

💬 行吗 is a casual version of 可以吗 "is that OK?". Put it after any suggestion: 明天行吗 means "Does tomorrow work?"

💬 When it means "OK", 行 is read (xíng). The same character is read (háng) in 银行 "bank". You can also make it a question, 行不行, meaning "OK or not?"

💬 For clock times, "two" is 两 (liǎng), not 二: 两点 means "two o'clock". Other hours use the normal number, as in 三点 "three o'clock".

💬 Put 怎么样 after any suggestion to ask "how about…?". For example, 喝咖啡怎么样 means "How about some coffee?"

💬 我们公司 needs no 的 "'s" between "our" and "company". That's normal for close relationships and groups you belong to: 我妈妈 "my mom", 我们学校 "our school".

💬 那就 (nà jiù) means "then, in that case", and people use it to settle on a final decision. For example, 那就这样 means "Let's leave it at that."

🇨🇳 Repeating the full time and place before you hang up is normal in Chinese business calls. It confirms the plan and shows the meeting is settled.

💬 Put any time word in front of 见 to say "see you then": 明天见 means "See you tomorrow", and 下午见 means "See you this afternoon."

💬 不 here is said (bú), not (bù), because the next syllable 客 (kè) has a falling tone. The literal meaning is "don't be a guest", i.e. no need for formality.