Taking and Leaving Messages
Welcome to the third class in our series on Phone French for Business. If you're making or receiving calls in French then sooner or later you'll have to take or give messages. Let's look at how to do that SUCCESSFULLY!
First things first
Let's ask to leave a message:
- Pourrais-je laisser un message?
Could I leave a message? - Pourriez-vous lui passer un message?
Could you give him a message?
Or offer to take a message:
- Voulez-vous laisser un message ?
Would you like to leave a message? - Voulez-vous que je lui laisse un message?
Would you like me to give her a message?
Giving the message
You'll normally start with:
- Pourriez-vous lui demander de…
Could you ask him/her... - Pourriez-vous lui dire de…
Could you tell him/her...
For example:
- Pourriez-vous lui demander de m’appeler le plus rapidement possible ?
Could you ask him to call me as soon as possible? - Pourriez-vous lui demander de m’envoyer les documents avant la fin de la semaine?
Could you ask her to send me the document by the end of the week?
Addresses and phone numbers
When giving information, we might start with:
- C'est
It's...
For a phone number:
- C’est le 345 657 3456
It's 345 657 3456
However, in French-speaking countries the digits in telephone numbers are usually given in pairs, as if they were individual numbers:
- C’est le 34 56 57 34 56
Numbers
You'll need to know all the numbers from 1->99
The alphabet
Make sure you know how to pronunce the letters in French. Pay particular attention to the pronuncation of the vowels, which can be confusing for English speakers.
| The Alphabet in French | |||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F |
| G | H | I | J | K | L |
| M | N | O | P | Q | R |
| S | T | U | V | W | X |
| Y | Z | ||||
Email addresses
Email addresses can be difficult to understand over the phone. Here are some special characters which you might need:
| Special Characters | |||||
| @ | - | ||||
| - | - | ||||
| _ | - | ||||
| . | - | ||||
Thanks for visiting!
Some other stuff here
This Course
Business French
Our Business French course is designed to get you working in French as quickly as possible. The course contains sections on meetings and the telephone, as well as French for finance and practical workplace French (The type of practical phrases you'll need in a French-speaking office).
We are also working on a series of sector-based courses. First up is a set of classes for estate agents and property buyers.
Other sections in this course
Real estate
Whether you're selling property in Provence or working with clients in Paris, the type of vocabulary you'll need isn't going to vary much from place to place.
Speaking on the Phone
Speaking on the phone can be one of the most difficult tasks in any foreign language. In this course we'll take you through all the basics, from answering the phone, to taking messages or giving excuses when your boss hasn't come back from lunch.
French for Meetings
Need to attend a meeting with French-speaking clients?
In this section we'll cover everything from arranging dates and sending invitations, to writing agendas, through to summarising the agreements reached at the meeting.
In a French-speaking office
Dont' know how to ask for a stapler? In this section we'll take you through all those useful little phrases and questions for office life that other courses just don't cover.
Finance and Numbers
How do we present numbers and talk about financial information in French? In this section we cover the basics (the numbers in French!) as well as how to present graphs, sales results, or complicated statistical data.
Speaking on the Phone
Other classes in this section:
First phone conversation
In this first class we’ll look at the standard phrases we need when we answer the phone.
Making a phone call
How to you make a telephone call in French? What do we say to introduce yourself?
Taking and Leaving Messages
Taking and leaving messages can be tricky in a foreign language, particularly in a business context where mistakes can be costly! However, it's a really important part of being able to speak on the telephone. So roll up your sleeves and let's get into the nitty gritty!