message vocal
/mɛ.saʒ vɔ.kal/masculine
In French, voice message is message vocal.
The term refers to a message left on a voice mail system. When describing the act of leaving such a message, you can use the phrase laisser un message vocal. It is polite to begin your message with Bonjour.
Meaning: message left on a voice mail system (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the term messagerie vocale may be preferred to refer to voice messages received on a phone's voicemail system.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine, so you use the indefinite article un to say un message vocal (a voice message). The plural form of the phrase is messages vocaux.
How do you pronounce it?
It consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- While message vocal is used for the recording itself, the system that stores them is la messagerie. In French, the suffix -erie often denotes a place of business or a specialized workshop.
- In some informal contexts, French speakers use un vocal as a shorthand ellipsis for un message vocal. This mirrors how English speakers might say 'a text' instead of 'a text message'.
- The word vocal is a linguistic 'doublet' of the French word for vowel, voyelle. Both words trace their lineage back to the same Latin root, vōcālis.
Examples in context
- Laissez-moi un message vocal, s'il vous plaîtPlease leave me a voice message
- J'ai reçu ton message vocal enregistréI received your recorded voice message
- J'ai vérifié ma messagerie vocaleI checked my voicemail
- J'ai reçu un message vocal ce matin.I received a voice message this morning.
- Laisse un message vocal si je ne réponds pas.Leave a voice message if I don't answer.
- Ton message vocal était très court.Your voice message was very short.
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are talking on the phone.
- ManonGabriel, tu as écouté mon message vocal ?Gabriel, did you listen to my voice message?
- GabrielOui, je l'ai entendu tout à l'heure.Yes, I heard it a little while ago.
- ManonD'accord, alors on se voit demain ?Okay, so are we seeing each other tomorrow?
- GabrielOui, c'est parfait pour moi.Yes, that's perfect for me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “voice message” translations and entries message vocal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries message, vocal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
