Chinese Grammar Reference logo

    Chinese Grammar

    Expressing 'to dial' with 拨 (bō)

    Actions & Events

    Structure

    拨 + Number/Object

    Explanation

    拨 (bō) means 'to dial,' 'to turn,' or 'to push aside' and is most commonly used in the context of dialing a phone number. It can also mean to stir, pluck, or allocate depending on context.

    Examples

    • 你拨一下他的电话号码试试。

      Nǐ bō yíxià tā de diànhuà hàomǎ shìshi.

      Try dialing his phone number.

    • 我拨了好几次，都没人接。

      Wǒ bō le hǎo jǐ cì, dōu méi rén jiē.

      I dialed several times, but no one answered.

    • 请拨分机号转到客服部门。

      Qǐng bō fēnjī hào zhuǎn dào kèfú bùmén.

      Please dial the extension number to be transferred to the customer service department.

    Expressing 'to dial' with 拨 (bō) | Chinese Grammar