(つうわちゅう)

つうわちゅう
noun
on a call; busy (phone line)
communicationtechnology
1. on a call; busy; in the middle of a phone call
The state of being engaged in a telephone conversation, or a phone line being in use.
(いま)通話中(つうわちゅう)です。
I'm on a call right now.
何度(なんど)かけて通話中(つうわちゅう)つながらない。
No matter how many times I call, the line is busy and I can't get through.
Another call came in while I was on the phone, so I put the first one on hold and answered it.

A compound of 通話(つうわ) (telephone call/conversation) and (ちゅう) (in the middle of/during). Used both as a status indicator and in conversation to indicate someone is on the phone.

On older phones and landlines, calling a 通話中(つうわちゅう) number produces a busy signal (話中音(わちゅうおん)). On smartphones, the term appears as a screen indicator during active calls. The ~(ちゅう) suffix is extremely productive and can attach to many nouns to mean "in the process of."

Common collocations

  • 通話中(つうわちゅう): while on a call
  • 通話中(つうわちゅう)表示(ひょうじ): in-call display
  • 通話中(つうわちゅう)つながらない: can't get through because the line is busy

Similar words