Breakdown of qǐng jiē diànhuà.
请qǐng
to ask (politely)
电话diànhuà
phone call
接jiē
to pick up; answer; receive
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“How do tones work in Chinese?”
Mandarin Chinese has four main tones plus a neutral tone. The same syllable can mean completely different things depending on the tone — for example, "mā" (mother), "má" (hemp), "mǎ" (horse), and "mà" (scold). Mastering tones is essential for being understood.
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