How to Make a Phone Call in French: Polite Openings and Useful Phrases
Learn to start a phone call in French: greet, introduce yourself, state your purpose, and ask for someone. Includes register tips and a model dialogue.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
Making a phone call in French is less about dialing and more about how you open the conversation. French phone etiquette relies on a short greeting, a clear self-introduction, and a polite statement of purpose. This lesson gives you reusable sentence patterns for calling someone in French, whether you are phoning a friend, a colleague, or an office. You will learn what to say first, how to ask for a specific person, and how to check whether now is a good time. The focus is on initiating calls; answering incoming calls is a separate skill.
By the end, you can…
- open a phone call in French with an appropriate greeting and introduce myself.
- state my purpose and ask to speak to a specific person politely.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Bonjour, c'est Marie.
Hello, this is Marie.
bohn-ZHOOR, say ma-REE
Standard self-introduction on the phone. Use c'est + your first name. In very formal contexts, you can say Bonjour, ici Marie, but c'est is more common.
Je vous appelle au sujet de...
I'm calling you about...
zhuh voo za-PEL oh sew-ZHAY duh
Polite way to state your purpose when speaking to one person you address with vous. Use je t'appelle for one person you address with tu.
Pourrais-je parler à... ?
Could I speak to...?
poo-REHZH pahr-LAY ah
Polite request to be transferred or to speak to someone. Follow with the person's name, e.g., Pourrais-je parler à Madame Legrand ?
Est-ce que c'est un bon moment ?
Is this a good time?
ess kuh say tuhn bohn mo-MAHN
Useful after introducing yourself and before launching into details. Shows consideration for the other person's schedule.
Je vous remercie, bonne journée.
Thank you, have a good day.
zhuh voo ruh-mer-SEE, bun zhoor-NAY
Polite closing for a professional or formal call. For a friend, you can say Merci, à plus ! or Merci, bonne journée !
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
A reliable opening sequence in French is: greeting + self-introduction + purpose. For example: Bonjour, c'est Paul. Je vous appelle au sujet de la réunion de demain. This works in professional and formal contexts. With a friend, you might say: Salut, c'est Paul. Je t'appelle pour te demander un service. Notice the pronoun switch: vous when you address someone formally, te when you address a friend. The verb appeler means 'to call,' and au sujet de means 'about' or 'regarding.' You can also use pour + infinitive to state a reason: Je vous appelle pour confirmer notre rendez-vous.
When to use it
Use Bonjour rather than Salut when calling an office, a doctor, or someone you do not know well. Salut is fine for friends and close colleagues. If you are calling a business and want to reach a specific person, say Bonjour, pourrais-je parler à... ? followed by the name. If you are not sure whether the person is available, add Est-ce que c'est un bon moment ? After the call, close with Je vous remercie, bonne journée in formal settings. In informal calls, Merci, à plus ! is common. These choices reflect politeness and relationship, not rigid rules.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Bonjour, c'est Claire Martin. Je vous appelle au sujet de la livraison de demain.
Hello, this is Claire Martin. I'm calling you about tomorrow's delivery.bohn-ZHOOR, say klair mar-TAN. zhuh voo za-PEL oh sew-ZHAY duh la lee-vree-ZHON duh duh-MANBonjour Madame Martin. Que puis-je faire pour vous ?
Hello Mrs. Martin. What can I do for you?bohn-ZHOOR ma-DAM mar-TAN. kuh pweezh fair poor vooPourrais-je parler à Monsieur Dubois, s'il vous plaît ?
Could I speak to Mr. Dubois, please?poo-REHZH pahr-LAY ah muh-SYUH doo-BWAH, seel voo PLEHBien sûr. Ne quittez pas, je vous le passe.
Of course. Hold on, I'm putting you through.byan SOOR. nuh kee-TAY pah, zhuh voo luh PASSA little context goes a long way
In France, it is common to greet with Bonjour before stating your name or purpose. Skipping the greeting can sound abrupt. When calling a business, using vous is the default unless you know the person well. In some regions, people may answer with Allô ? but as the caller, you should still begin with Bonjour. For personal calls, a short Salut, c'est... is normal among friends. These are tendencies, not strict rules, and politeness can be shown in different ways.
One thing to watch for
Saying Je suis Marie instead of C'est Marie when introducing yourself on the phone.
Try this instead: On the phone, French speakers typically use c'est + name: Bonjour, c'est Marie. Je suis Marie is not wrong in general, but it sounds more like a statement of identity than a phone introduction. For example, Bonjour, c'est Paul. Je vous appelle pour... is the natural pattern.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are calling a colleague you address with vous. Introduce yourself as Jean and say you are calling about the meeting. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
Bonjour, c'est Jean. Je vous appelle au sujet de la réunion.
This uses the standard greeting, c'est + name, and the polite purpose phrase with vous. You could also say Je vous appelle pour la réunion, which is equally acceptable.
2You want to ask to speak to Madame Legrand politely. What phrase do you use?
Show a sample answer
Pourrais-je parler à Madame Legrand, s'il vous plaît ?
Pourrais-je is a polite way to ask 'could I.' Adding s'il vous plaît makes it even more courteous. You might also hear Puis-je parler à... ? in formal contexts.
3You are calling a friend and want to check if now is a good time. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
Est-ce que c'est un bon moment ?
This question asks if it is a good time. With a friend, you could also say C'est un bon moment ? with a rising intonation. Both are appropriate.
Start with Bonjour, introduce yourself with c'est + name, state your purpose with Je vous appelle au sujet de..., and ask for someone with Pourrais-je parler à... ? Keep register in mind: vous for formal, tu for friends.
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