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Poor phone connection in French: ask for the detail you missed

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Use short French phrases to explain a broken phone connection, ask for a missed name or time, and check the detail before you hang up.

In short

Say Excusez-moi, la ligne coupe. Pourriez-vous répéter l’heure ? Give the sound problem, then name the detail you missed. Finish by repeating what you heard: Jeudi à quatorze heures quinze, c’est bien ça ?

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A caller listens carefully beside a blank notebook.
A broken connection prompts pourriez-vous répéter l’heure ?. Illustration: Atelier

What do you say on a bad phone line in French?

1

The sound keeps cutting out

Use these when parts of the reply disappear.

YouExcusez-moi, la ligne coupe.Excuse me, the line is cutting out.
YouJe vous entends mal.I can’t hear you clearly.
The person on the phoneVous m’entendez mieux maintenant ?Can you hear me better now?
YouOui, c’est mieux, merci.Yes, that’s better, thank you.
2

One detail is missing

Ask for the name, time or last sentence specifically.

YouPourriez-vous répéter le nom du service ?Could you repeat the name of the department?
The person on the phoneLe service des inscriptions.The enrolments department.
YouEt pour l’heure, vous avez dit quatorze heures ou quinze heures ?And for the time, did you say two o’clock or three o’clock?
The person on the phoneQuatorze heures quinze.A quarter past two.
YouPouvez-vous répéter plus lentement, s’il vous plaît ?Can you repeat that more slowly, please?
3

The line is still poor

Ask about another way to receive the details.

YouLa communication est toujours mauvaise. Puis-je vous rappeler ?The connection is still bad. May I call you back?
The person on the phoneOui, rappelez dans cinq minutes.Yes, call back in five minutes.
YouPourriez-vous aussi m’envoyer les détails par courriel ?Could you also email me the details?
The person on the phoneOui, je vous les envoie cet après-midi.Yes, I’ll send them this afternoon.
Three different problems
What happenedSay thisMeaning
You missed the soundJe n’ai pas bien entendu.I didn’t hear clearly.
You heard the words but missed the meaningJe n’ai pas bien compris.I didn’t quite understand.
The person is speaking too fastPouvez-vous parler plus lentement ?Can you speak more slowly?

Put the missing time back into the call

Un rendez-vous jeudi
  1. Employée

    Je vous propose jeudi à quatorze…

    I can offer you Thursday at fourteen…

  2. Vous

    Excusez-moi, la ligne coupe. J’ai entendu « jeudi », mais pas l’heure.

    Excuse me, the line is cutting out. I heard “Thursday”, but missed the time.

  3. Employée

    Jeudi à quatorze heures quinze.

    Thursday at a quarter past two.

  4. Vous

    Jeudi à quatorze heures quinze, c’est bien ça ?

    Thursday at a quarter past two, is that right?

  5. Employée

    Oui, exactement.

    Yes, exactly.

  6. Vous

    Merci, c’est noté. Au revoir !

    Thank you, I’ve noted that. Goodbye!

J’ai entendu « jeudi », mais pas l’heure keeps the part you caught and pinpoints the gap. C’est bien ça ? invites a final check. Here, the time is 14 h 15; quatorze ou quinze heures ? would be a question about two different hours.

Question 1No account needed
You heard the day but lost the time. Which request targets the gap?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Pourriez-vous répéter l’heure ?. The missing detail is the time, so ask for l’heure.

Question 2No account needed
Which sentence reports a problem hearing the sound?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je n’ai pas bien entendu.. Entendre concerns hearing; the other replies concern agreement and availability.

Question 3No account needed
The person says quatorze heures quinze. Which time do you repeat?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Jeudi à quatorze heures quinze ?. Keep both the hour and the minutes: 14 h 15 is a quarter past two.

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