je te rappellerai
The English phrase "I will call you back" is translated into French as je te rappellerai.
This phrase is used to express a promise to telephone someone again at a later time.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb rappellerai is the future tense of rappeler, which literally means "to call back" or "to recall".
Which one should you use?
While je te rappellerai emphasizes the future promise, the phrase je te rappelle can be used in conversation to mean "I'll call you back" in a more immediate sense, essentially functioning as "I am calling you back".
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual spoken French, speakers often use the present tense je te rappelle to express a near-future intention instead of the formal future tense je te rappellerai. When speaking to a stranger, a superior or more than one person, use je vous rappellerai instead of je te rappellerai.
Did you know?
- The pronoun te in je te rappellerai descends from the Proto-Indo-European word *te, making it a distant relative of the English word 'thee'.
- The word rappel can refer to a professional callback, a memory reminder, or even a safety recall for a defective product.
- In French, the verb rappeler is used not only for phone calls but also for the act of reminding someone of something.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, je suis désolé de vous avoir manqué. Je vous rappellerai plus tard.Hello, I am sorry I missed you. I will call you back later.
- Salut, j'ai raté ton appel tout à l'heure. Je te rappelle dans quelques minutes, ça te va ?Hi, I missed your call earlier. I'll call you back in a few minutes, is that okay?
- Je te rappellerai demain matin.I will call you back tomorrow morning.
- Ne t'inquiète pas, je te rappellerai plus tard.Don't worry, I will call you back later.
- Je suis occupé, je te rappellerai dès que possible.I am busy, I will call you back as soon as possible.
Example conversation
Léa calls Gabriel while he is at work.
- GabrielLéa, je ne peux pas parler maintenant.Léa, I cannot talk right now.
- LéaD'accord, est-ce que tu peux me rappeler ?Okay, can you call me back?
- GabrielOui, je te rappellerai ce soir.Yes, I will call you back this evening.
- LéaParfait, à ce soir alors !Perfect, see you this evening then!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
