vous vous êtes trompé de numéro
In French, vous vous êtes trompé de numéro is used to say "you have the wrong number".
This phrase is used to inform a caller that they have dialed the incorrect telephone number. It is common and polite to prefix the phrase with Désolé (Sorry) to soften the correction.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "you have mistaken yourself regarding the number."
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are addressing more than one person, you must add an 's' to the past participle 'trompé' to make it vous vous êtes trompés de numéro.
Did you know?
- In French, the concept of making a mistake is often expressed as a reflexive action. The phrase vous vous êtes trompé literally means you have 'mistaken yourself'.
- The word numéro is a linguistic doublet of the French word nombre. While they both come from the same Latin root, numéro was borrowed specifically from Italian.
- While numéro refers to a specific digit in a sequence like a phone number, nombre is used for a quantity. Using nombre in this phrase would be a grammatical error.
Examples in context
- Vous vous êtes trompé de numéro.You have the wrong number.Tatoeba #129891 by sacredceltic, translation #20854 by CK
- Désolé, vous vous êtes trompé de numéro.Sorry, you have the wrong number.Tatoeba #11427098 by lbdx, translation #881163 by Martha
- Je pense que vous vous êtes trompé de numéro.I think you have the wrong number.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel calls a house but reaches Léa instead.
- LéaAllô ? Qui est à l'appareil ?Hello? Who is calling?
- GabrielBonjour, je cherche Marc.Hello, I am looking for Marc.
- LéaDésolée, mais vous vous êtes trompé de numéro.Sorry, but you have the wrong number.
- GabrielAh, je suis navré, excusez-moi.Ah, I am sorry, excuse me.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, numéro, vous, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
