Learn Russian: Люди по-разному разговаривают по телефону. - People talk on the phone in different ways.

Adverbs created from adjectives (like разный, meaning 'different') using the prefix по- and the suffix -ому or -ему are always written with a hyphen. This pattern usually translates to doing something in a certain way — so here, it means 'in a different way' or 'differently'.

Why do we say по телефону instead of на телефоне for 'on the phone'?

When you communicate via or through a broadcast medium or network (like a phone, radio, or television), Russian uses the preposition по followed by the Dative case (turning телефон into телефону). If you used на телефоне, it would mean something is physically located on the device itself, like a sticker or an app.

Could I use говорят instead of разговаривают here?

Yes, but there is a slight difference in focus. Говорить is the general word for speaking or telling. Разговаривать specifically emphasizes the process of having a two-way conversation or an interactive chat. Since phone calls are usually dialogues, разговаривают is a very natural fit.

This lesson covers habitual verbs like бывать. How does this sentence express a general habit without using that verb?