wǒ gāng gěi māma dǎ diànhuà.

I just called my mom.

Breakdown of wǒ gāng gěi māma dǎ diànhuà.

• 我wǒ: I
• 打电话dǎdiànhuà: to make a phone call
• 给gěi: to
• 妈妈māma: mom
• 刚gāng: just

Questions & Answers about wǒ gāng gěi māma dǎ diànhuà.

What does 刚 mean here, and how is it different from 刚才/刚刚?

• 刚 is an adverb before the verb phrase meaning “just (recently).”
• 刚才/刚刚 are time words meaning “a moment ago/just now.” They can go before or after the subject: 刚才我… / 我刚才…
• With 刚, 了 is often omitted. With 刚才/刚刚, 了 after the verb is common but still context-dependent: 我刚才给妈妈打了电话。

Why is there no 了? Can I add one, and where?

• 刚 already implies recent completion, so 了 is optional.
• Completion focus: 我刚给妈妈打了电话。
• New-state/recency feel: 我刚给妈妈打电话了。
• All are acceptable; the original without 了 is very natural.

Is 给 here the verb “to give”?

• No. Here 给 is a coverb/preposition meaning “to/for,” marking the recipient: 给妈妈 = “to mom.”
• The main verb is 打 (in the set phrase 打电话, “to make a phone call”).
• As a full verb, 给 means “to give” (e.g., 给妈妈礼物).

Can I say 打电话给妈妈 instead? Any difference?

• Yes: 给妈妈打电话 and 打电话给妈妈 both mean “call mom.”
• Mainland usage favors 给妈妈打电话; Taiwan usage often uses 打电话给妈妈 (both understood everywhere).
• Putting 给妈妈 earlier can slightly foreground the recipient.

Is 跟妈妈打电话 okay?

• Not for “call mom.” Say 给妈妈打电话 or 打电话给妈妈.
• 跟 works with 通电话/讲话 for “talk with”: 跟妈妈通电话 = “be on the phone with mom.”

Can I say 打给妈妈电话?

• No. 打电话 is a fixed verb–object unit; keep 电话 with 打.
• Use: 给妈妈打电话 or 打电话给妈妈 (with 了/measure words if needed).

Do I need a measure word with 电话? How do I count phone calls?

• For the action: 打电话 (no measure word).
• To count: 打了一个/个电话 is very common. 打了几通电话 also works (通 is especially common in Taiwan; both are widely understood).
• Don’t say 打了通电话. Use 打通了电话 to mean “the call went through.”

Why not 我的妈妈? When should I say 我妈妈 or 妈妈?

• With close kinship terms, omit the possessive when obvious: 妈妈 = “my mom” if the subject is 我.
• Use 我妈妈 to avoid ambiguity or for contrast. 我的妈妈 is grammatical but sounds heavy/childlike in everyday speech.

Pronunciation tips for this sentence?

• 给 gěi is 3rd tone; before non–3rd tones it’s a low “half-third.”
• 妈妈 is mā
  • neutral tone ma.
• 打电话: dǎ (3) diàn (4) huà (4).
• No adjacent 3rd–3rd sandhi here; keep third tones light and low.

How do I say “I am calling my mom” (ongoing) instead of “I just called”?

• Use progressive: 我正在给妈妈打电话。 or 我在给妈妈打电话。
• 刚 doesn’t combine with 在/正在.

How do I say “I couldn’t get through / it went through”?

• Success (went through): 我刚给妈妈打通了电话。 / 我刚把妈妈的电话打通了。
• Failure: 妈妈的电话打不通。 / 我怎么也打不通妈妈的电话。

How do I make a polite suggestion like “Give mom a quick call”?

• 给妈妈打个电话吧。
• You can soften with 一下/一会儿: 给妈妈打个电话问候一下吧。

What is the word-order pattern here?

• Subject + 刚 + 给 + recipient + 打 + 电话
• More generally: Subject + time adverb + coverb phrase (给 + recipient) + verb–object

Can I replace 刚 with 才? What changes?

• 才 means “not until/only then,” highlighting lateness: 我昨天才给妈妈打了电话 = “I didn’t call until yesterday.”
• For a neutral “just now,” use 刚/刚才/刚刚. 才 often carries a “later than expected” nuance.

Is 母亲 different from 妈妈?

• 妈妈 is informal and most common in speech.
• 母亲 is more formal/respectful or written: 我刚给母亲打电话。

Can I omit the recipient?

• Yes: 我刚打电话。 Context supplies “to whom.”
• To specify, use a normal pattern: 我刚打电话给我妈妈 or 我刚给我妈妈打电话。

Can I use 对 with 打电话 (e.g., 对妈妈打电话)?

• No. With phone calls use 给. 对 marks targets with verbs like 说/笑/生气 but not with 打电话.

How do I ask “Did you just call your mom?”

• 你刚给妈妈打电话吗？
• A-not-A: 你刚给妈妈打没打电话？
• With 刚才: 你刚才给妈妈打电话了吗？ (了 is common here)

How do I say “I just called my mom back”?

• Use 回: 我刚给妈妈回了电话。 / 我刚回了妈妈的电话。