How to Say Call Me in Korean (전화해 주세요)

What you'll learn

• Say 전화해 주세요, 전화 주세요 and 전화해 and choose the one that fits the listener.
• Pronounce 전화해 주세요 with a clear ㅎ in 화 and a plain 주세요.
• Use the request in three scenes: a colleague, a friend and a customer.
• Avoid confusing 전화하다 (to phone) with 부르다 (to call a name).

Before you start: if you want to give someone your number first, see what's your phone number in Korean. Time: about 12 minutes. Audio plays only when you press a button.

How Do You Say Call Me in Korean?

The standard way to say call me in Korean is 전화해 주세요. The noun 전화 means "telephone" or "phone call", and 하다 turns it into the verb "to phone". The ending -아/어 주세요 is a polite request that means "please do this for me". Put together, the sentence asks the listener to phone you.

Revised Romanization (the South Korean government standard of 2000) is only a reading aid here. Learn the Hangul first. The next section shows how the forms differ.

What Are the Polite and Casual Ways to Say Call Me?

Call me in Korean has polite and casual choices, and the listener decides. The wording stays the same in the middle, and only the ending and the small word 해 change.

Polite: 전화해 주세요 (jeonhwahae juseyo)

전화해 주세요 is the safe default. It works with a shop assistant, a neighbour or someone you have just met. The verb 전화하다 becomes 전화해 in the polite request, and 주세요 means "please give", so the whole phrase literally asks them to "do a phone call for me".

Polite: 전화 주세요 (jeonhwa juseyo)

전화 주세요 drops the verb and keeps the noun. It literally says "please give me a call" and sounds a little more relaxed. Colleagues and acquaintances use it all the time. To an elder or a customer, make it more respectful: 전화 주시면 좋겠습니다 (jeonhwa jusimyeon joketseumnida), "it would be good if you gave me a call".

Casual: 전화해 (jeonhwahae)

전화해 is the plain form, and friends usually add 줘 to make it a request: 전화해 줘 ("call me, please"). Said alone, 전화해 is short and direct, so it can sound like an order. It never fits a boss, an elder or a stranger.

The three forms share one core. The next section shows how to say it out loud.

How Do You Pronounce 전화해 주세요?

전화해 주세요 is pronounced [전화해 주세요], in six syllables. It has no big sound change, so the work is in the vowels and the ㅎ.

1. 전 (jeon): a plain j, the vowel ㅓ (lips relaxed and unrounded, not "o"), and a short n.
2. 화 (hwa): a clear h followed by wa.
3. 해 (hae): the same h, with the vowel ㅐ.
4. 주 (ju): a plain j and a rounded u.
5. 세 (se): s plus ㅔ.
6. 요 (yo): a short, light ending.

Sound Changes to Listen For

• Keep the ㅎ in 화. In careful speech the ㅎ of 전화 is clear: [전화]. In fast daily speech it can almost disappear and sound like "jeo-nwa". Both are understood, so aim for the clear version first.
• No tensing in 주세요. The ㅈ stays plain after 해, so say [주세요], not "jjuseyo".
• Spacing. Write 전화해 주세요 with a space before 주세요. Writing 전화 해 주세요 splits the verb 전화하다 in the wrong place.
• No rising pitch in a request. A request ends calmly. A sharp rise would turn it into a question.

Learners often drop the h and say "jeon-wa". Keep a light but clear ㅎ at the start and the word is easy to understand. Next, when does each form fit?

When Should You Use 전화해 주세요, and When Should You Not?

Use 전화해 주세요 when you want a person to phone you and you are not close friends. Use 전화 주세요 with colleagues and acquaintances, and 전화해 줘 with friends. The choice depends on age and closeness, not on how urgent the request is.

Situations Where It Fits

• After a meeting. 회의가 끝나면 전화 주세요 works well with a co-worker.
• A safe arrival. Parents and friends often say 도착하면 전화해 줘.
• A shop or hotel. Leave your number and say 이 번호로 전화해 주세요.

Situations to Avoid

• 전화해 with an elder. Without 주세요, the request sounds like an order.
• 불러 주세요 for a phone call. 부르다 means to call out a name or to sing, so it does not mean to phone someone.
• 전화해요 on its own as a request. The same form can mean "I call", "let's call" or a light "call", so add 주세요 to make the request clear.

Three short scenes show the forms in use.

What Does Call Me Sound Like in a Real Conversation?

Requests to call back are short. Listen for the ending of each sentence.

What to notice: Ha-na answers with 전화할게요 [전화할께요], the -ㄹ게요 ending for a promise. The tense 께 comes from the -ㄹ ending.

What to notice: Both lines drop 요, because the friends are close. 도착하면 sounds like [도차카면], with an aspirated ㅋ.

What to notice: 전화드리다 is a humble verb. 드리다 is the respectful way to say "give" or "do for" when the listener is a customer or an elder.

What Should You Know about the Culture behind Call Me?

The phrase comes with habits around phones and messages. These are general patterns, not rules.

• Contact, not just call. Koreans also say 연락 주세요 ("contact me"), which covers calls and messages. KakaoTalk is the most widely used messaging app, so many people mean either one.
• Call first or text first. For a short question, many people send a message before they call, because a call can interrupt. A request to call usually signals something important.
• Safe arrival. Parents and friends often ask for a call or message after a trip. Answering with 도착하면 바로 연락할게요 is a courteous habit.
• Age and title. With a senior at work, use the full politeness: 전화 주시면 좋겠습니다 or 연락 주시면 감사하겠습니다.

An expert tip: Korean uses a verb of giving for calls. In 전화 주세요, 주세요 is the same verb as in 물 주세요 ("water, please"). You are literally asking the person to "give" a call. Once that idea is clear, forms like 연락 주세요 and 답장 주세요 ("please reply") are easy to guess. For the way endings carry politeness, see Korean speech levels.

What Mistakes Do Learners Make with Call Me in Korean?

Most errors with call me in Korean come from choosing the wrong verb or the wrong ending.

Learners often translate "call" word for word and reach for 부르다. In Korean, phone calls use the noun 전화 with 하다 or 주다, and 부르다 is for summoning people or calling names.

Is It the Same as Call Me Please or Give Me a Call?

Yes. Both phrases are covered by the forms above, with a small difference in tone.

• Call me please in Korean: 전화해 주세요, with 주세요 as the "please".
• Give me a call in Korean: 전화 주세요, which sounds a little more relaxed.
• Call me back in Korean: add 다시 (again): 다시 전화해 주세요 (dasi jeonhwahae juseyo).

Practice: Say It Aloud

Play the slow clip and repeat 전화해 주세요 three times. Then choose the best request for each scene. Answers follow.

1. A friend is travelling home late at night.
2. A colleague should phone you after a meeting.
3. A customer you do not know needs to call back.
4. How do you say "call me again"?

Answers

1. 집에 도착하면 전화해 줘.
2. 회의가 끝나면 전화 주세요.
3. 이 번호로 전화해 주세요.
4. 다시 전화해 주세요.

The phrase flashcards drill these requests with audio.

Related Phrases to Learn Next

Asking for a call leads to other phone phrases.

• what's your phone number in Korean: ask for the number before you ask for the call.
• i'll call you back in Korean: the usual answer to a request to call.
• text me in Korean: the message version of the same request.

This guide belongs to the korean phone phrases collection. What this page does not cover: formal business scripts and voicemail wording. Learn one polite and one casual request, and you can say call me in Korean to anyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say call me in Korean?

Say 전화해 주세요 (jeonhwahae juseyo) for "please call me". With a colleague, 전화 주세요 also works. With a friend, say 전화해 줘. The verb is 전화하다, the noun 전화 means a phone call, and 주세요 turns the sentence into a polite request. Choose the form that matches the listener.

How do you pronounce 전화해 주세요?

Say it as six syllables: jeon-hwa-hae ju-se-yo. The ㅓ in 전 is relaxed with the lips unrounded. Keep a light but clear ㅎ in 화 and 해. The ㅈ of 주세요 stays plain, so there is no tense sound. Revised Romanization writes jeonhwahae juseyo.

What is the difference between 전화해 주세요 and 전화 주세요?

전화해 주세요 uses the verb 전화하다 and is the standard polite request. 전화 주세요 keeps the noun and the verb of giving, and sounds a little lighter. Both are polite and both work with colleagues. For an elder, add more respect with 전화 주시면 좋겠습니다.

Is 전화해 주세요 formal or casual?

It is polite. The ending 주세요 makes a request that is respectful but not stiff, so it suits most adults. The formal version is 전화 주시면 좋겠습니다, and the casual versions are 전화해 and 전화해 줘, which only fit friends and family. Pick the polite form when you are unsure.

Can I use 전화해 주세요 with friends, elders and strangers?

Yes with strangers and most adults. With elders, 전화 주시면 좋겠습니다 is more respectful. With close friends, drop the polite ending and say 전화해 줘. A safe habit is to start polite and move to casual only after the other person does.

What is the most common mistake with call me in Korean?

Using 부르다, as in 불러 주세요, for a phone call. 부르다 means to call a name, to summon someone or to sing. A phone call uses 전화하다 or 전화 주다. A second slip is saying only 전화해요, which can also mean "I call" or "let's call", so it does not clearly ask the listener to call you.

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