Japanese Phone Call Phrases for Work: Business Scripts

Japanese phone call phrases for work should be polite, short, and easy to say under pressure. Use the scripts below to answer, transfer, confirm details, take messages, make outbound calls, and end business phone calls in Japanese without guessing at keigo.

If everyday replies are not automatic yet, build that base with basic Japanese conversation practice for beginners. Work calls become much easier when greetings, short answers, and simple confirmation questions already feel natural.

Quick Reference: Business Phone Call Phrases

Start with the phrase for the exact call moment you are in: answering, transferring, taking a message, handling unclear audio, making an outbound call, or closing.

Example Sentences You Can Say As-Is

These five model sentences cover opening, transferring, stating a purpose, confirming a number, and promising a next step.

1. お電話ありがとうございます。ABC株式会社の[名字]でございます。
   O-denwa arigatō gozaimasu. ABC Kabushiki-gaisha no [family name] de gozaimasu.
   Thank you for calling. This is [family name] from ABC Co., Ltd.
2. 恐れ入りますが、営業部につないでいただけますか。
   Osoreirimasu ga, eigyōbu ni tsunaide itadakemasu ka.
   Could you connect me to the Sales Department?
3. 請求書の件でお電話いたしました。
   Seikyūsho no ken de o-denwa itashimashita.
   I called about the invoice.
4. 復唱いたします。お電話番号は、090-1234-5678でよろしいでしょうか。
   Fukushō itashimasu. O-denwa bangō wa, zero kyū zero, ichi ni san yon, go roku nana hachi de yoroshii deshō ka.
   I will repeat that back. Is your phone number 090-1234-5678?
5. 確認してから、折り返しご連絡いたします。
   Kakunin shite kara, orikaeshi go-renraku itashimasu.
   I will confirm and get back to you.

Answering, Transferring, and Taking Messages

For inbound calls, follow this order: open, identify your company, confirm who is calling, ask them to hold, then transfer the call or take a message.

Inbound transfer script

A: お電話ありがとうございます。ABC株式会社の[名字]でございます。
A: O-denwa arigatō gozaimasu. ABC Kabushiki-gaisha no [family name] de gozaimasu.
A: Thank you for calling. This is [family name] from ABC Co., Ltd.

B: DEF社の[名字]と申します。営業部のご担当の方はいらっしゃいますか。
B: DEF-sha no [family name] to mōshimasu. Eigyōbu no go-tantō no kata wa irasshaimasu ka.
B: This is [family name] from DEF Company. Is the person in charge in Sales available?

A: いつもお世話になっております。少々お待ちくださいませ。
A: Itsumo o-sewa ni natte orimasu. Shōshō omachi kudasaimase.
A: Thank you for your continued support. Please hold for a moment.

A: お待たせいたしました。担当者におつなぎいたします。
A: Omatase itashimashita. Tantōsha ni o-tsunagi itashimasu.
A: Thank you for waiting. I will connect you to the person in charge.

When speaking to an outside caller, do not add an honorific to someone inside your own company. Respect is directed toward the caller, not toward your colleague.

Message-taking script

A: 申し訳ございません。ただいま席を外しております。ご伝言を承ります。
A: Mōshiwake gozaimasen. Tadaima seki o hazushite orimasu. Go-dengon o uketamawarimasu.
A: I am sorry. They are away from their desk at the moment. I will take your message.

A: 恐れ入りますが、会社名とお名前を伺ってもよろしいでしょうか。
A: Osoreirimasu ga, kaishamei to onamae o ukagatte mo yoroshii deshō ka.
A: May I have your company name and name, please?

A: お電話番号を伺ってもよろしいでしょうか。
A: O-denwa bangō o ukagatte mo yoroshii deshō ka.
A: May I have your phone number?

A: ご用件を伺ってもよろしいでしょうか。
A: Go-yōken o ukagatte mo yoroshii deshō ka.
A: May I ask what this is regarding?

A: 折り返しのお電話は何時頃がよろしいでしょうか。
A: Orikaeshi no o-denwa wa nan-ji goro ga yoroshii deshō ka.
A: What time would be good for a callback?

After the call, write a callback memo in this order: caller company and name, phone number, matter, urgency, requested callback time, details repeated back, your name, and the time received.

Making Outbound Calls and Confirming Details

For outbound calls, identify yourself first, check whether the timing is okay, state your reason in one sentence, confirm the key detail, and close with the next action.

Outbound call script

A: お世話になっております。ABC株式会社の[名字]でございます。
A: O-sewa ni natte orimasu. ABC Kabushiki-gaisha no [family name] de gozaimasu.
A: Thank you for your continued support. This is [family name] from ABC Co., Ltd.

A: 今、お時間よろしいでしょうか。
A: Ima, ojikan yoroshii deshō ka.
A: Is now a good time?

A: 明日の会議について確認したくて、お電話いたしました。開始時間は午後二時でよろしいでしょうか。
A: Ashita no kaigi ni tsuite kakunin shitakute, o-denwa itashimashita. Kaishi jikan wa gogo ni-ji de yoroshii deshō ka.
A: I called because I would like to confirm tomorrow’s meeting. Is the start time 2 p.m.?

A: 承知いたしました。それでは、明日よろしくお願いいたします。失礼いたします。
A: Shōchi itashimashita. Sore dewa, ashita yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. Shitsurei itashimasu.
A: Understood. I look forward to tomorrow. Goodbye.

Use the “topic + matter” pattern for the reason: 請求書の件でお電話いたしました, Seikyūsho no ken de o-denwa itashimashita, “I called about the invoice.” Another useful version is 面接の件でお電話いたしました, Mensetsu no ken de o-denwa itashimashita, “I called about the interview.”

Read phone numbers digit by digit. For clarity, 0 is usually zero, 4 is yon, 7 is nana, and 9 is kyū. For extension 234, say 内線234番をお願いできますか, Naisen ni-san-yon-ban o onegai dekimasu ka, “Could you connect me to extension 234?”

If you also meet clients in person, pair these phone scripts with the Japanese business card etiquette and meishi guide so your spoken manners and face-to-face manners feel consistent.

Common Mistakes and Pronunciation Tips

The safest work-call style is short, polite, and clearly pronounced; learners often sound less professional when they rush or choose casual phrases.

• Common learner error: ちょっと待って, Chotto matte, “Wait a second,” is too casual for client calls. Use 少々お待ちくださいませ, Shōshō omachi kudasaimase, “Please hold for a moment.”
• Common learner error: お名前は？, Onamae wa?, “Your name?” sounds abrupt by itself. Use 恐れ入りますが、お名前を伺ってもよろしいでしょうか, Osoreirimasu ga, onamae o ukagatte mo yoroshii deshō ka, “May I have your name, please?”
• Common learner error: guessing unclear details. Say 恐れ入りますが、少しお電話が遠いようです, Osoreirimasu ga, sukoshi o-denwa ga tōi yō desu, “I am sorry, but the line seems a little unclear.”
• Common learner error: promising a callback without confirming the number and time. Repeat the details back before ending the call.

If the call involves a delay, wrong information, or inconvenience, use the business Japanese apology guide to choose wording that is polite without becoming overly dramatic.

For pronunciation, practise in chunks: company name, your name, reason for calling, confirmation, and closing. Record yourself once slowly and once at natural speed. Listen for long vowels in shōshō, deshō, tantōsha, and bangō, because unclear length can make phone speech harder to understand.

If you are deciding whether live correction is worth adding to self-study, this guide on whether Japanese lessons are worth paying for can help you judge the fit. To practise these exact work-call phrases with correction, book a Free Trial one-on-one Japanese lesson over LINE, Zoom, or Google Meet; in a 25-minute online session, you can practise pronunciation, timing, and natural keigo with a teacher.

Practice: Build Your Own Work Call

Say each prompt out loud before checking the model answer. The goal is not memorizing every word; the goal is staying calm, polite, and accurate.

1. Answer the phone and give your company and name.

Model answer:
お電話ありがとうございます。ABC株式会社の[名字]でございます。
O-denwa arigatō gozaimasu. ABC Kabushiki-gaisha no [family name] de gozaimasu.
Thank you for calling. This is [family name] from ABC Co., Ltd.

2. Ask the caller to hold for a moment.

Model answer:
少々お待ちくださいませ。
Shōshō omachi kudasaimase.
Please hold for a moment.

3. Say the person is away from their desk and offer to take a message.

Model answer:
申し訳ございません。ただいま席を外しております。ご伝言を承ります。
Mōshiwake gozaimasen. Tadaima seki o hazushite orimasu. Go-dengon o uketamawarimasu.
I am sorry. They are away from their desk at the moment. I will take your message.

4. Say you called about tomorrow’s meeting.

Model answer:
明日の会議の件でお電話いたしました。
Ashita no kaigi no ken de o-denwa itashimashita.
I called regarding tomorrow’s meeting.

5. Ask the other person to repeat something politely.

Model answer:
恐れ入りますが、もう一度お願いできますか。
Osoreirimasu ga, mō ichido onegai dekimasu ka.
Could you say that one more time, please?

FAQ

What are the most important Japanese phone call phrases for work?

The most important phrases are opening, holding, transferring, repeating, and callback phrases. Start with お電話ありがとうございます, O-denwa arigatō gozaimasu, “Thank you for calling,” and 少々お待ちくださいませ, Shōshō omachi kudasaimase, “Please hold for a moment.” These cover moments where hesitation sounds least professional.

How polite should I be on a Japanese business phone call?

Use polite business Japanese, but keep sentences short enough to say clearly. いつもお世話になっております, Itsumo o-sewa ni natte orimasu, “Thank you for your continued support,” is standard with clients and vendors. Clear confirmation is usually more useful than forcing difficult keigo.

What should I say if I cannot understand the caller?

Say 恐れ入りますが、もう一度お願いできますか, Osoreirimasu ga, mō ichido onegai dekimasu ka, “Could you say that one more time, please?” If the audio is unclear, mention that the line sounds distant, then repeat the detail back before moving on.

Is it rude to use a script during a Japanese work call?

No. Scripts are practical because many Japanese work calls follow fixed patterns. The key is to practise until phrases like 失礼いたします, Shitsurei itashimasu, “Goodbye,” sound spoken rather than read. A script helps you stay polite when the call moves quickly.

This standalone guide supports the Kind Japanese beginner curriculum by helping learners move from everyday conversation into polite, practical Japanese phone calls for work.