Dialogue
Leave a message with a receptionist in French
Ask for someone, leave a clear French phone message and check what the receptionist has noted. Includes callback phrases and a role-play with cues.
- A2
- 12 lines
- Practice mode
- Learn this in the A2 notebook →
In short
Ask Pourrais-je parler à Madame Diallo, s’il vous plaît ? If she is unavailable, say Est-ce que je peux lui laisser un message ? Give your name, the reason for calling and a way to reply.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
You are Nora Morel. You are attending a workshop on Thursday and need to check what equipment to bring. Madame Diallo already has your contact details. Practise leaving a short message with reception, then use the extra phrases below when you need to give a number or spell your name.
- Reception
Centre de formation, bonjour.
English
Training centre, hello.
- Nora
Bonjour, pourrais-je parler à Madame Diallo, s’il vous plaît ?
Ask to speak to Ms Diallo.
English
Hello, could I speak to Ms Diallo, please?
- Reception
Elle est en réunion pour le moment. Souhaitez-vous laisser un message ?
English
She is in a meeting at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?
- Nora
Oui, merci. Je m’appelle Nora Morel.
Accept and give your name.
English
Yes, thank you. My name is Nora Morel.
- Reception
C’est à quel sujet ?
English
What is it about?
- Nora
C’est au sujet de l’atelier de jeudi. Je voudrais vérifier le matériel à apporter.
Give the topic and the question you need answered.
English
It’s about Thursday’s workshop. I’d like to check what equipment to bring.
- Reception
Très bien. Elle a vos coordonnées ?
English
Very good. Does she have your contact details?
- Nora
Oui. Pourriez-vous lui demander de me rappeler cet après-midi, si possible ?
Ask for a callback this afternoon if possible.
English
Yes. Could you ask her to call me back this afternoon, if possible?
- Reception
Je lui transmets votre message dès que possible.
English
I’ll pass your message on to her as soon as possible.
- Nora
Merci. Vous avez bien noté que ma question concerne le matériel pour jeudi ?
Check that the topic has been noted correctly.
English
Thank you. Have you noted that my question concerns the equipment for Thursday?
- Reception
Oui : Nora Morel, l’atelier de jeudi, le matériel à apporter, et un rappel souhaité cet après-midi.
English
Yes: Nora Morel, Thursday’s workshop, equipment to bring, and a callback requested this afternoon.
- Nora
C’est bien cela. Merci beaucoup, au revoir.
Confirm the recap and say goodbye.
English
That’s right. Thank you very much, goodbye.
How do you leave a message with a receptionist in French?
| Need | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ask to leave a message | Est-ce que je peux lui laisser un message ? | Can I leave a message for her? |
| Ask for transmission | Pourriez-vous lui transmettre un message ? | Could you pass a message on to her? |
| Give a number | Vous pouvez me joindre à ce numéro. | You can reach me on this number. |
| Spell the surname | Morel, M-O-R-E-L. | Morel, M-O-R-E-L. |
| Ask for repetition | Vous pouvez répéter, s’il vous plaît ? | Could you repeat that, please? |
| Offer another time | Je suis disponible demain matin aussi. | I’m also available tomorrow morning. |
Lui means “to her” in lui transmettre and lui demander; the same form can mean “to him”. Me rappeler means “call me back”. Dès que possible means “as soon as possible”. The receptionist has agreed to pass on the message; Nora’s requested afternoon callback is recorded for Madame Diallo to answer.
Things for a phone message
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