Making a Phone Call｜French Conversation Phrases

When traveling or working, you may need to make a phone call in French—for example, to confirm a hotel reservation, make an inquiry, or contact a friend.

Unlike face-to-face communication, the listener cannot see your expressions or gestures over the phone, so it is important to use clear and polite phrases.

Here, I will introduce essential French expressions for making a phone call, along with explanations of their grammatical points.

Dialogue

A

Bonjour, ici Tanaka. Je voudrais parler à Monsieur Dupont, s’il vous plaît.
(Hello, this is Tanaka. I would like to speak with Mr. Dupont, please.)

B

Bonjour, ne quittez pas, je vous le passe.
(Hello. Please hold, I’ll put you through.)

A

Merci beaucoup.
(Thank you very much.)

B

Allô, ici Dupont.
(Hello, this is Dupont.)

A

Bonjour Monsieur Dupont, je vous appelle au sujet de la réservation.
(Hello Mr. Dupont, I am calling about the reservation.)

Grammar and Expression Points

1. Opening Expressions on the Phone

When making a phone call in French, the very first expression used is “Allô ?” (Hello? / Is anyone there?). This expression is only used on the telephone—never in face-to-face situations.

To introduce yourself, use “Ici + name”:

Using ici (here) gives the phrase a phone-specific nuance: “This is … speaking.”

2. Asking for the Person You Want to Speak With

When you need to be connected to someone, the following phrase is very useful:

Here, the verb vouloir (to want) is used in the conditional tense (voudrais), making the request polite and less direct.

The construction is “parler à + person” = “to speak with …”

3. How the Receiver Answers the Phone

Typical expressions used when answering a call include:

The phrase j’écoute (I’m listening) is unique to phone conversations and means “Go ahead, I’m ready to hear your request.”

4. Asking the Caller to Wait / Connecting the Call

When transferring a call or asking the caller to hold, the following phrases are used:

Here, quitter means “to leave” or “to go away.” In the negative, it conveys “don’t hang up.” The verb passer normally means “to pass/hand over,” but in phone contexts it means “to transfer/connect.”

5. Stating the Purpose of Your Call

Once connected, state the reason for your call briefly and clearly:

The phrase “au sujet de …” means “regarding/concerning …” and is a polite expression often used in business or travel situations.

Other examples:

Summary

泉（Izumi）

Author

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