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the telephone

The Telephone

France Telecom (Telecommunications services)
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Telephone Skills in French
Those first few calls can be traumatic. It´s especially difficult to integrate your French into dialogue when you cannot see the other person and can´t rely on gestures. Here are a few simple telephone dialogue patterns for the uninitiated:

How to ask for someone:
- Bonjour, est-ce que je peux parler avec...? (Hello, can I speak with...?)

- Bonjour, puis-je parler avec..? (Hello, may I speak with...?)

- Bonjour, est-ce que Monsieur (Mademoiselle, Madame) ... est lȆ? (Hello, is...there?)

Answering the telephone:
-Allâ"’ (Hello.)

-Ne quittez pas. (Don´t hang up, or, hang on.)

-Il/Elle n´est pas lȆ. (He/she is not here.)

-Vous vous tes trompé de numéro. (You have the wrong number.)

-Qui est Ȇ l´appareil? (Who´s calling?)

-Est-ce que je peux laisser un message? (Can I leave a message?)

-C´est (your name) Ȇ l´appareil. (It´s...calling.)

-Comment ça s´écrit? (How is that spelled?)

-Je suis desolé(e). (I´m sorry.)

-Répétez, s´il vous pla”t. (Please repeat that.)

-Lentement, s´il vous pla”t. (Slowly, please.)