How to Say “The Person in Charge Is Not Available” on the Phone｜French for Business Calls

In business settings, when answering the phone, you may need to inform the caller that the person in charge is unavailable. In French, memorizing a few short expressions will allow you to explain the situation politely and accurately.

In this lesson, I will explain the basic French expressions used to say that someone is unavailable on the phone, along with related useful phrases.

Dialogue

B

Bonjour, puis-je parler à Monsieur Martin, s’il vous plaît ?
(Hello, may I speak with Mr. Martin, please?)

A

Bonjour, je suis désolé, mais il n’est pas disponible en ce moment.
(Hello, I’m sorry, but he is not available at the moment.)

B

Savez-vous quand il sera disponible ?
(Do you know when he will be available?)

A

Il sera de retour cet après-midi. Voulez-vous laisser un message ?
(He will be back this afternoon. Would you like to leave a message?)

B

Oui, merci. Pouvez-vous lui dire qu’il m’appelle ?
(Yes, thank you. Could you tell him to call me back?)

1. Basic Expressions for “Not Available”

The most common phrase to say “He/She is not available” is:

Here, disponible means “available” and is used in the same way as in English.

Other useful alternatives include:

Giving a specific reason such as “in a meeting” or “out of the office” helps the caller understand the situation better.

2. Expressions for Indicating Return Time

It is common for the caller to ask when the person will be back. To answer, use “être de retour” (to be back).

You can use the simple future (sera de retour) or the near future (il va revenir bientôt) depending on the context.

3. Taking or Requesting a Message

If the person in charge is unavailable, you may need to take a message or ask for a callback.

Caller’s possible responses:

Here, lui means “to him/her,” referring to the person in charge. It is an essential pronoun in telephone exchanges.

4. Polite Expressions for Telephone Calls

To sound more polite in phone conversations, add phrases at the beginning or end such as:

Even short phrases can make the conversation smoother and show courtesy to the caller.

Summary

泉（Izumi）

Author

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