In China people usually say "wei" (hello) first when beginning a telephone conversation. If 你 call an old acquaintance and recognize his/her voice, 你 may address him/her directly 由 name. Otherwise, 你 have to make clear who the other person is 由 saying, "Hello! Excuse me. Are 你 so-and-so?" 或者 "Hello! Are 你 so-and-so?" instead of saying "I an so-and-so" first. "So-and-so" may be name of a person 或者 a company.
e.g.
--Wèi, shì lǐ míng ma?
(Hello! Are 你 Li Ming?)
--Duì, shì wǒ. Nǐ shì Qí Qí ma?
(Yes, I am Li Ming. 你 are Qi Qi, aren't you?)
One usually says, "You...
continue reading...