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Phone French — the register nobody teaches. This French phone register nobody teaches vocabulary list gives you 12 essential words — from Allô ? (Hello? (phone only!)) to un texto / SMS (a text) — each with audio and its English translation. Use it to build the French words you need to talk about phone register nobody teaches, then test yourself with the games below.
Phone French — the register nobody teaches
Décrocher · answering
Laisser un message
5 quick questions on « Au Téléphone » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →
Phone-only hello = ___ (never in person!)
Allô
Hold the line = ne ___ pas (standard phrase)
quittez
to call back = ___ (the follow-up)
rappeler
How do you say « Hello? »? (recall)
Allô ?
What does « C’est de la part de qui ? » mean? (recall)
Who’s calling?
How do you say « Hold the line. »? (recall)
Ne quittez pas.
What does « Je vous le / la passe. » mean? (recall)
I’ll put him/her on.
How do you say « It’s engaged/busy. »? (recall)
C’est occupé.
What does « laisser un message » mean? (recall)
to leave a message
How do you say « to call back »? (recall)
rappeler
What does « le répondeur » mean? (recall)
the voicemail
Go further: get the full picture in our guide Your first French conversation — the 4 moves.
For example: Hello? (phone only!) is « Allô ? », Who’s calling? is « C’est de la part de qui ? », Hold the line. is « Ne quittez pas. ». The full list above has 12 French phone register nobody teaches words, each with audio so you can hear the pronunciation.
Start with the basics: Allô ? (Hello? (phone only!)), C’est de la part de qui ? (Who’s calling?), Ne quittez pas. (Hold the line.), Je vous le / la passe. (I’ll put him/her on.), C’est occupé. (It’s engaged/busy.), Vous vous êtes trompé de numéro. (You’ve got the wrong number.). Master these core French words before moving on to the rest of the list.
Learn the words in small themed groups, say each one out loud with the audio, and use it in a short sentence about your own life. Spaced repetition is what makes new vocabulary stick — see our guide to learning French vocabulary that sticks.
Games built from this exact page — turn what you just read into play: