I see this in American movies all the time where a character answers the phone and then says "this is she" or "this is he" when the caller is presumably asking for them.
I just find it so awkward sounding and unnatural, I've never ever heard anyone talk this way in real life. I feel like people would just say "Oh yeah that's me" or "Yeah I'm him."
Does anyone answer the phone this way in real life?
46 comments
Yes when someone asks to speak to me I say “this is she”
I’ve found I do it when someone calls who I don’t know. It’s something I picked up from my mom. I even thought it sounded weird when she said it but apparently it stuck in my head.
I make it a habit to never identify myself on the phone when someone asks for me without confirming their identity first, but once they reveal who they are and I am willing to talk to them then yes I say “this is she”
You normally answer “Hello” first, but yes if they ask “I’m calling for (so and so)” then “This is he/This is she” is pretty common.
‘Speaking.’
Yes of course. That is the or apparently was the proper etiquette.
“Speaking “ is also appropriate.
This is me or similar is not
Yes. It might be generational though. If someone I don’t know calls and I actually answer and they ask for me by name I will say “this is she”, especially at work.
I do.
I answer the phone with “This is Firstname” to avoid that
Edit: I also do this because my last name is a lil’ complicated. So instead of hearing “can I speak to Firstname Laaaaasttttnuhhummm….” we establish that I am, in fact, Firstname and now you can tell me what the hell you want.
Yes. This is how we were trained to answer the phone in the era of landlines. It is a formal way of speaking and starting phone calls had a number of conventions that were taught to children.
I will respond that way if it’s a business or professional call. I also have a first name that usually masculine despite being a woman. So by saying, “this is she,” it kills two birds by letting them know I am the person they are looking for, and no, I am not a man.
I answer depending who is calling. I ignore the numbers I don’t have saved and say random shit to people depending on who they are
No never have.
I answer the phone with “hi this is Firstname”
Ahoy-hoy. Just like intended
Yes that’s correct grammar. To say this is her sounds weird. You can also say, “Yes, this is Jane or John.
I just say “This is”
We don’t *answer* the phone like that.
We respond with that if they ask for a specific person.
You answer the phone with hello. If they then ask for you, you say this is he/she.
This is generally more common with business communication. If you’re calling friends or family, you already know it’s them if they pick up based on voice or something.
I answer my phone with my name as in “This is XYZ” because it’s both a personal and business line. So if it happens to be a business calling me, they know right away who they’re speaking with so there is no confusion off the bat.
But for whatever reason they ask again, I will say this is he.
It seems weird but it’s very common in the US and that’s just how our language developed in the practical world.
It’s actually more natural than a lot of alternatives.
“Of course I know him. He’s me.”
I’ve learned if someone asks is this me (my name), never to say YES because your answer can be recorded and then used for some nefarious purpose in a scam. So now I answer “speaking” or “this is she”. Generally, it is not someone I want to talk to. Anyone who knows me would recognize my voice or would show up as caller ID.
Yes. It’s grammatically correct. I suppose it’s awkward if you don’t speak grammatically.
I was taught to answer the phone that way, yes. It was considered more polite to do so. And when someone asked for someone else, I’d ask, “May I ask who is calling?” If they weren’t forthcoming with that information, I’d say, “I’m not allowed to talk to strangers” and hang up. lol
I was taught to say “Speaking.”
I say “This is she.” It’s proper grammar. if you flip the sentence, you wouldn’t say “Me is this.” You would say “S/he is this.”
Yes. That is how we were taught to be polite on the phone.
Yes. We are taught that it’s good manners, especially if you were the generation that learned on landlines before caller ID.
I let everything go to voicemail. There is no one I want to talk to.
This is an answer to someone asking to speak with ‘my name.’ I’m not actually sure how common it is anymore but it’s definitely something my grandma taught me to say in that context. I’m not really how you would answer it otherwise beyond maybe “speaking” what ch feels a little short/rude even if the other feels a bit overly formal these days
It’s 2025, I don’t answer the phone
“what do you want”
I usually go “that’s me!” When someone asks to talk to me 🙂
Yes. It is correct grammar. I work at a call center and many people answer this way if we are calling them.
I never confirm who I am until the caller identifies themselves. At that point, yes, I do say, “This is she.”
If someone asks for you, then the grammatically correct way to respond is ‘this is he/this is she.” And yes, that’s how I would respond to the question.
You find it awkward and unnatural to use grammatically correct English? wtf? And yes I understand how it sounds wrong but, objectively, this is the correct usage
I say “this is she”
I learned to do it from my mother
Growing up when we had a landline, yes. I guess now that I think about it, if the Dr’s office calls my cell phone and asks for me, I say “this is she.”
You don’t answer the phone saying that, that’s your reply if they ask for you by name.
It’s better than the German “Am Apparat” — literally, “on the device”.
“Could I speak to Hans?”
“On the device.”
“Yes, could you put Hans on the device?”
“Hans is on the device.”
“On the other line?”
“This device.”
“Yes, could you take Hans off the other line and put him on this device?”
“This is Hans.”
“You can’t fool me, that’s the same voice.”
Y’all still answer the phone from unknown callers?
It is not advisable to answer the phone with “Yes” or any equivalent. I don’t know if it’s true or an urban legend, but there have been stories for almost twenty years that saying “yes” can result in it being used as permission or a purchase agreement.
When I answer the phone and the caller asks to talk to Pudding7, I always respond with “Who’s asking?” If they’re legit and I want to continue the conversation, then I’ll say “This is Pudding7.”
Back in the 1950s, my mom worked for a man who answered his phone, “Are you there?” I always found this amusing.
Anyway, if they ask for me, I do say that. It’s the only time I ever say it, though.
When I dont know the number and I’m expecting an important call I will.
When I dont know the number and I’m not expecting an important call, Ill just say “Hello”
When I know the number and its not an important call, Ill just say “Hello”
When I know the number and its an important call, I will.
I think that covers it is.
I go with, “Speaking”. But the awkwardness of using, “This is he/she” is often as a precaution against a scammer trying to get a recording of you saying “Yes.” Even working in cybersecurity I don’t know how useful that is or how common the issue is, but sometimes is easier just to be overly cautious when you’re not sure.
It’s the appropriate answer when someone calls and asks to speak with you.