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Lesson 131 of 240

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Phone calls in French

Sam needs Gaspard, so he calls Café des Tilleuls. Odile picks up in her usual rush, and she does not yet know who is on the line.

Gaspard is already at the next table, three metres from the phone, with a café crème he still has not finished.

You will ask for someone, say who is calling, and leave a message. Odile will take it. Use vous until the person on the phone is clear.

By the end of this lesson

Ask for someone, say who is calling, and leave a message.

  • C'est de la part de qui, s'il vous plaît ?Who's calling, please?
  • Je peux parler à ___ ?Can I speak to ___?
  • C'est ___ à l'appareil.This is ___.
  • Je peux prendre un message ?Can I take a message?
  • Vous pouvez lui demander de me rappeler ?Could you ask them to call me back?
  • Il n'est pas disponible pour le moment.He's not available right now.

Scene — the phone rings

Sam is in his fourth-floor walk-up on rue des Tilleuls with his phone. He wants Gaspard.

At Café des Tilleuls, Odile is at the zinc counter. The window table still has its blank brass sign.

Gaspard sits at the next table on two chairs, three metres from the phone, croissant in reach and café crème untouched.

A wide morning view of the café with Odile small at the zinc counter and Gaspard small at the next table on a pair of chairs, a croissant and an untouched café crème beside Gaspard, and the window table empty.

Learn — who is calling

Six lines cover a phone call: who is calling, can I speak to someone, this is me, a message, a callback, and not available now.

Vous is the form for a person you do not know on the line.

  1. Close-up of Odile at the zinc counter lifting the café telephone to answer a morning call.

    C'est de la part de qui, s'il vous plaît ?

    Who's calling, please?

    When to use it: Ask this when you answer and do not know the caller.

    Use vous because the caller is still unknown to you.

    Say it: In s'il, the i of si is dropped.

  2. Low-angle view of Sam standing in the walk-up apartment with a phone to an ear.

    Je peux parler à ___ ?

    Can I speak to ___?

    When to use it: Use this on the phone to ask for someone by name.

    Put the name in the blank after à.

  3. Profile of Sam sitting by the apartment window with the phone pressed to an ear.

    C'est ___ à l'appareil.

    This is ___.

    When to use it: Say this with your name when they ask who is calling.

    Put your name in the blank and keep à l'appareil as one piece.

    Say it: In l'appareil, the e of le is dropped.

  4. Close-up of the café receiver at Odile’s shoulder and a hand reaching for a notepad on the zinc counter.

    Je peux prendre un message ?

    Can I take a message?

    When to use it: Offer this when the person they asked for is not free.

    You say this if you answered the phone, not if you called.

  5. Over-the-shoulder view of Sam at the apartment window with the phone to an ear, looking out over the street.

    Vous pouvez lui demander de me rappeler ?

    Could you ask them to call me back?

    When to use it: Leave this message when you need them to call you back.

    This vous line is the polite way to ask for a callback.

  6. A table detail of a full café crème and a croissant, with Gaspard on a pair of chairs and Odile at the counter soft in the background after hanging up.

    Il n'est pas disponible pour le moment.

    He's not available right now.

    When to use it: Say this when a man cannot come to the phone.

    For a woman, say Elle n'est pas disponible.

    Say it: n'est drops the e of ne before est.

Story — three metres away

Watch Sam call the café and ask for Gaspard. Odile takes a message, and the yak sits three metres away.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Sam's phone is at his ear. The café rings.
  2. OdileBonjour.Hello.
  3. SamBonjour. Je peux parler à Gaspard ?Hello. Can I speak to Gaspard?
  4. OdileC'est de la part de qui, s'il vous plaît ?Who's calling, please?
  5. SamC'est Sam à l'appareil.This is Sam.
  6. She looks across the room. Gaspard sits on two chairs, three metres away, and he does not look up.
  7. OdileIl n'est pas disponible pour le moment.He's not available right now.
  8. OdileJe peux prendre un message ?Can I take a message?
  9. SamVous pouvez lui demander de me rappeler ?Could you ask him to call me back?
  10. OdileBon. Au revoir.Right. Goodbye.
  11. SamAu revoir.Goodbye.
  12. She hangs up. His café crème is still full. The window table stays empty.

Practice — ask and leave a note

Ten quick exercises wait for you here. You will listen, pick, fill a gap, build a line, and match meanings.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What do you say?

    You call Café des Tilleuls. Odile has just picked up. Greet her first.

  3. Pick the reply

    Odile says:

    C'est de la part de qui, s'il vous plaît ?

    Who's calling, please?

    And you reply with:

  4. Fill the gap

    Can I take a message?

    Je peux prendre un ____ ?

  5. What does it mean?

    Il n'est pas disponible pour le moment.

  6. Build the line

    Could you ask them to call me back?

     ?

    Tap the words in order.

  7. What do you say?

    Odile has said hello on the café phone. Ask to speak to Gaspard.

  8. Swap the word

    You want Gaspard to call you back. Ask Odile to pass that on.

    Vous pouvez lui demander de me ____ ?

  9. Match the pairs

    French

    C'est de la part de qui, s'il vous plaît ?Drop the English here
    Je peux prendre un message ?Drop the English here
    Il n'est pas disponible pour le moment.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  10. True or false?

    You say this when you first pick up the phone.

Say it — call the café

Now you're Sam, calling Café des Tilleuls. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. OdileBonjour.Hello.
  2. Sam (you)Ask if you can speak to Gaspard.

    Je peux parler à ___ ?

    Can I speak to ___?

0 of 3 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
C'est de la part de qui, s'il vous plaît ?Who's calling, please?
Je peux parler à ___ ?Can I speak to ___?
C'est ___ à l'appareil.This is ___.
Je peux prendre un message ?Can I take a message?
Vous pouvez lui demander de me rappeler ?Could you ask them to call me back?
Il n'est pas disponible pour le moment.He's not available right now.
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