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.
今、通話中です。
I'm on a call right now.
何度かけても通話中でつながらない。
No matter how many times I call, the line is busy and I can't get through.
通話中に別の電話が入ったので、いったん保留にして対応した。
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 (telephone call/conversation) and 中 (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 number produces a busy signal (話中音). On smartphones, the term appears as a screen indicator during active calls. The ~中 suffix is extremely productive and can attach to many nouns to mean "in the process of."
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 通話中に: while on a call
- 通話中の表示: in-call display
- 通話中でつながらない: can't get through because the line is busy
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 話中: busy (phone line) — more technical, used in telecommunications
- 使用中: in use (broader, applies to anything being used)
- 会議中: in a meeting