messagerie vocale
/mɛ.saʒ.ʁi vɔ.kal/
In French, voicemail is messagerie vocale.
The term refers to a message left on a voice mail system. To say you want to leave a message on the voicemail, you can use the phrase laisser un message sur la messagerie.
Meaning: message left on a voice mail system (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
messagerie vocale literally translates to "voice messaging", composed of messagerie (messaging or mail system) and vocale (voice).
Is it said differently in some regions?
messagerie vocale is prevalent in France, while boîte vocale is more commonly used in Quebec.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun messagerie is feminine, which is why it takes the feminine article la in the phrase la messagerie vocale.
Did you know?
- When French speakers talk about 'checking' their voicemail, they often use the verb consulter, which is more formal than 'check' and literally means 'to consult'.
- In France, the 'beep' or notification that you have a new message on your messagerie vocale is often colloquially referred to as un bip.
- In some contexts, especially in older telecommunications jargon, you might encounter the term répondeur, which refers specifically to the 'answering machine' hardware itself.
Examples in context
- Je suis désolé, mais je ne suis pas disponible pour le moment. Veuillez laisser un message sur ma messagerie vocale.I am sorry, but I am not available at the moment. Please leave a message on my voicemail.
- Pour atteindre le service client, veuillez laisser un message dans notre boîte vocale et nous vous contacterons dès que possible.To reach customer service, please leave a message in our voicemail and we will contact you as soon as possible.
- Je ne peux pas répondre à ton appel tout de suite, laisse-moi un message sur mon répondeur et je te rappellerai plus tard.I cannot answer your call right now, leave me a message on my voicemail and I will call you back later.
- Laisse un message sur ma messagerie si tu as besoin de me joindre après mon départ.Leave a message on my voicemail if you need to reach me after my departure.
- Il y a un nouveau message sur la messagerie vocale.There is a new message on the voicemail.
- Tu as écouté ma messagerie vocale ?Did you listen to my voicemail?
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are talking about a missed call.
- LucasEmma, j'ai essayé de t'appeler tout à l'heure.Emma, I tried to call you earlier.
- EmmaAh bon ? Je n'ai rien vu.Oh really? I didn't see anything.
- LucasJ'ai laissé un message sur ta messagerie vocale.I left a message on your voicemail.
- EmmaD'accord, je vais l'écouter maintenant.Okay, I'll listen to it now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry messagerie vocale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
