Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| téléphone mobile | /te.le.fɔn mɔ.bil/ | masculine |
| mobile | /mɔ.bil/ | |
| téléphone portable m portable | France, masculine | |
| GSM | /ʒe.ɛ.sɛm/ /ʒe.e.sɛm/ |
Belgium, masculine |
| téléphone cellulaire | /te.le.fɔn sɛ.ly.lɛʁ/ /te.le.fɔn se.ly.lɛʁ/ |
Canada, Louisiana, New England, masculine |
| cellulaire | /sɛ.ly.lɛʁ/ /se.ly.lɛʁ/ |
masculine |
| natel | /na.tɛl/ | Switzerland, masculine |
The term refers to a cellular telephone. The term smartphone can be used in French to refer to a smartphone.
Which one should you use?
While téléphone mobile is understood globally, different regions prefer specific terms. In Canada, the standard term is téléphone cellulaire, whereas in Switzerland, the term natel is used. In Belgium, GSM is used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
téléphone portable and its shorthand portable are the standard forms in France. In Canada, Louisiana and New England, téléphone cellulaire is the standard. In Belgium, GSM is used. In Switzerland, the specific term natel is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a masculine noun. When using the shortened form portable to mean a mobile phone, it remains masculine and can be used with possessive adjectives such as mon (my).
Did you know?
- The word mobile is a linguistic doublet of the French word meuble, which means 'furniture'. Both words share the same Latin root meaning 'movable'.
- The Swiss word natel is not a generic term but is actually an old brand name from the 1970s that became the common word for any mobile phone in Switzerland.
- In France, portable literally means 'portable' or 'carryable'. Because of this, it is the same word used for a laptop computer, which is called an ordinateur portable.
Examples in context
- As-tu un natel ?Have you got a mobile phone?This sentence shows how to ask someone if they have a natel.Tatoeba #535418 by qdii, translation #765911 by Dunbab
- Avez-vous un natel ?Do you have a mobile phone?Tatoeba #535423 by qdii, translation #1489178 by weihaiping
- Je n’ai pas de mobile.I haven't got a mobile phone.This sentence is useful for stating that you do not have a mobile.Tatoeba #10705488 by AutoBot, translation #10697410 by sundown
- Mon téléphone portable est noir.My mobile phone is black.
- Nous avons acheté de nouveaux téléphones portables.We bought new mobile phones.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are looking for a lost item in the living room.
- LéaHugo, as-tu vu mon téléphone mobile ?Hugo, have you seen my mobile phone?
- HugoNon, il n'est pas sur la table.No, it is not on the table.
- LéaJe crois que j'ai perdu mon téléphone mobile.I think I lost my mobile phone.
- HugoJe vais essayer de l'appeler.I am going to try to call it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mobile phone” translations and entries téléphone mobile, mobile, GSM, téléphone cellulaire, cellulaire, natel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mobile, portable, téléphone, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
