Phrasebook
French in a noisy room: ask for the detail you missed
Use French phrases to handle noise, a cut-out phone call or an unclear number. Practise asking for one detail, confirming it and checking the reply.
- B1
- 12 phrases
- 3 situations
- Learn this in the B1 notebook →
In short
If noise covers part of a French message, say what you missed: Je n’ai pas entendu le numéro. Ask for that detail, then repeat it back. For a poor connection, Je vous entends mal tells the other person that the sound is the problem.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
The room number was covered
You heard that there is a meeting, but missed its room number.
The connection cuts out
Use a sound problem phrase, then ask for the missing time.
You hear a correction
Keep listening after the first number. The reply replaces it.
How do you ask someone to repeat in French?
| What happened | A useful request | What you recover |
|---|---|---|
| A number was covered | Vous pouvez répéter le numéro ? | The number itself |
| The other voice is too faint | Vous pouvez parler un peu plus fort ? | A more audible voice |
| One word is unfamiliar | Qu’est-ce que ce mot veut dire ? | The meaning of the word |
Keep a number blank in your notes until the reply settles it. In the third scene, the two numbers offered in the question are both wrong; ni l’un ni l’autre opens the way to the correct one. With a recording, replay the short section around the gap and check the transcript afterwards. A clearer copy can help when the original signal keeps cutting out.
Tools for a clearer exchange
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