热线

• Pinyin: rè xiàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 热 = 埶 + 灬 — hot, urgent; 线 = 糹(silk) + 戋 (small) — line, thread

Meaning

Hotline. A direct telephone line for urgent communication or customer service.

Originally referred to the direct communication line between world leaders (like the US-Soviet hotline during the Cold War). Now commonly used for customer service hotlines (客服热线), emergency services (急救热线), complaint lines (投诉热线), and psychological counseling lines (心理热线).

Examples

1. 如有问题，请拨打我们的二十四小时客服热线。 If you have any questions, please call our 24-hour customer service hotline.
2. 政府开通了专门的民生热线，听取群众意见。 The government has opened a dedicated livelihood hotline to hear public opinions.
3. 他每天接听心理咨询热线的电话，帮助有需要的人。 He answers psychological counseling hotline calls every day, helping people in need.

Usage Guide

Context: customer service, emergency, communication

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 请拨打热线电话。(Please call the hotline.)
• 这是举报热线。(This is the reporting hotline.)

Don't Say

• 不要把普通电话叫做'热线' (热线 implies a dedicated line for specific purposes — don't use it for regular phone numbers)

Origin & History

Compound of 热 (hot, urgent) and 线 (line). The 'hot' refers to the urgency or priority of the communication, like a 'hot' topic.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal