Answering the Phone in Japanese Without Panic

Picking Up: The First Ten Seconds

When the phone rings in a Japanese office, the first thing you say is not a greeting but a declaration: お世話になっております（おせわになっております）. This means "Thank you for your continued support" and sets a polite tone. If you're at home, you might say もしもし, but in business, always start with お世話になっております or はい、[会社名]でございます（はい、[かいしゃめい]でございます）.

For example, if you're answering for the Yamada Trading Company, you'd say: はい、山田商事でございます（はい、やまだしょうじでございます）. The word ございます is the humble form of あります, making your statement more respectful.

Asking Who's Calling: 失礼ですが

If the caller doesn't introduce themselves, you need to ask politely. The phrase 失礼ですが（しつれいですが）is a polite way to say "Excuse me, but…" before asking. So you might say: 失礼ですが、どちら様でしょうか（しつれいですが、どちらさまですか）. Here, どちら様 is a respectful way to ask "who?" — you wouldn't use だれ with a customer.

Let's put it together. The caller says: もしもし、田中ですが. You respond: 失礼ですが、どちら様でしょうか. Simple and effective.

Transferring: おつなぎいたします

When you need to transfer the call to a colleague, use the verb つなぐ (to connect). The humble form is おつなぎいたします. You'll often hear: 少々お待ちくださいませ（しょうしょうおまちくださいませ）. This means "Please wait a moment." The ませ adds extra politeness.

A full transfer might sound like: 担当の者におつなぎいたしますので、少々お待ちくださいませ（たんとうのものにおつなぎいたしますので、しょうしょうおまちくださいませ）. This says "I will connect you to the person in charge, so please wait a moment."

Taking a Message: 伝言（でんごん）

If the person is unavailable, you might offer to take a message. The word for message is 伝言（でんごん）. You can say: 伝言をお預かりしましょうか（でんごんをおあずかりしましょうか）. The verb 預かる（あずかる）means "to take care of" something for someone, so this means "Shall I take a message?"

If the caller agrees, they might say: お願いします（おねがいします）. Then you'd ask for details, perhaps: ご用件を伺ってもよろしいですか（ごようけんをうかがってもよろしいですか）. This uses 伺う（うかがう）, the humble form of 聞く（きく）, meaning "to ask" or "to hear."

Ending the Call: 失礼いたします

When ending the call, you don't just say goodbye. You say 失礼いたします（しつれいいたします）, which literally means "I will be rude" but is the standard polite way to end a conversation. It's like saying "I'll take my leave." Before that, you might say お忙しいところ失礼いたしました（おいそがしいところしつれいいたしました）if you called someone, but when answering, you can simply say 失礼いたします.

Practice Dialog

Let's see it all in action. You answer: はい、山田商事でございます. Caller: もしもし、佐藤ですが、鈴木さんはいらっしゃいますか. You: 少々お待ちくださいませ. (You check and find Suzuki is out.) あいにく鈴木は席を外しております（あいにくすずきはせきをはずしております）. This means "Unfortunately, Suzuki is away from his desk." Then you offer: 伝言をお預かりしましょうか. Caller: はい、お願いします. You: かしこまりました（かしこまりました）. This is a very polite way to say "Certainly." Then you ask for the message.

Key Phrases to Remember

• お世話になっております (おせわになっております) – Thank you for your continued support.
• 失礼ですが、どちら様でしょうか (しつれいですが、どちらさまですか) – Excuse me, who is calling?
• おつなぎいたします (おつなぎいたします) – I will connect you.
• 伝言をお預かりしましょうか (でんごんをおあずかりしましょうか) – Shall I take a message?
• かしこまりました (かしこまりました) – Certainly.

These phrases will help you navigate most phone calls with confidence. Practice them out loud until they feel natural, friend. Remember, even in your city, these phrases are used daily in Japanese businesses.