Mada za sehemu hiiDemonstrate an understanding of the basic principles of oral and written informationMada 1
- Make a phone call to someone
Making a Phone Call in French
When you call someone in French, you need to use special phrases that are different from face-to-face conversations. This lesson teaches you how to answer the phone, invite someone, accept or refuse an invitation, and end the call politely.
These are the main expressions you need to know when speaking on the phone:
- Allô, bonjour! — Hello, good day!
- Oui, allô! — Yes, hello!
- Salut! Ça va? — Hi! How are you?
- C'est Bakari au téléphone. — This is Bakari speaking.
- Je peux parler à Zawadi? — Can I speak to Zawadi?
- Ne quitte pas, je te le passe. — Hold on, I'll pass them to you.
- Ne quittez pas la ligne. — Please hold the line.
- Je peux laisser un message? — Can I leave a message?
- Merci, bonne journée! — Thank you, have a good day!
- La ligne est mauvaise. — The line is bad.
When someone calls you, you should:
- Say hello
- Say who you are
- Ask who is calling
Example:
Léa: Allô! Max: Salut Léa, c'est Max. Léa: Ah, salut Max! Ça va?
Making an Invitation
- Tu veux venir à ma fête? — Do you want to come to my party?
- Tu viens fêter mon anniversaire ce soir? — Are you coming to celebrate my birthday tonight?
Accepting an Invitation
- Oui, avec plaisir. — Yes, with pleasure.
- Oui, je veux bien. — Yes, I would like to.
- C'est possible. — It's possible.
- Super! — Great!
Refusing an Invitation
- Non, ce n'est pas possible. — No, it's not possible.
- Je suis désolé(e), je ne peux pas. — I'm sorry, I cannot.
- Je suis occupé(e). — I am busy.
- Je regrette. — I regret (I sorry).
Look at this telephone conversation and see how the phrases are used:
Yasmine: Allô, bonjour! C'est Yasmine au téléphone. Baraka: Oui, allô! Salut, Yasmine! Yasmine: Salut Baraka! Tu viens fêter mon anniversaire ce soir à six heures? Baraka: Ah! C'est à six heures? Yasmine: Oui, c'est à six heures du soir. Baraka: Bon, c'est possible. Je viens avec ma sœur. Yasmine: Super!
In this dialogue:
- Yasmine invites Baraka to her birthday party.
- Baraka accepts the invitation by saying "C'est possible."
- Baraka brings his sister, showing he is happy to come.
When you want to say "come to do something," use venir + infinitive (to come + verb).
| Subject | Verb Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Je | viens | Je viens manger. |
| Tu | viens | Tu viens jouer? |
| Il/Elle | vient | Elle vient chanter. |
| Nous | venons | Nous venons danser. |
| Vous | venez | Vous venez avec nous? |
| Ils/Elles | viennent | Ils viennent au marché. |
To make a sentence negative in French, put ne before the verb and pas after it.
- Je ne peux pas. — I cannot.
- Je ne sais pas. — I don't know.
- Je ne suis pas là. — I am not here.
- Ne quitte pas la ligne. — Do not hang up.
Note: Before a vowel, "ne" becomes "n'":
- Je n'aime pas. — I don't like.
- Ce n'est pas possible. — It's not possible.
- Use Allô, bonjour! to start a phone call.
- Say C'est [name] au téléphone to introduce yourself.
- Use Tu veux...? or Tu viens...? to invite someone.
- Accept with Oui, avec plaisir or refuse with Non, ce n'est pas possible.
- End politely with Merci, bonne journée!
In Tanzania, you can use these French phone phrases when calling a friend or a hotel in Zanzibar or Arusha where French is spoken by tourists. For example, if you are helping a small hotel business answer calls from French-speaking guests, you can say "Allô, bonjour! C'est [your name] au téléphone" to answer professionally, and then help guests book a room or ask about safari tours.
Swali
What do you say first when you answer the phone in French?
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