Téléphone is the most common way to say “phone” in French. But there are several other options. As you learn French, you'll surely need to talk about your phone, make calls, or even describe your latest gadget! Let’s look at some common ways to say “phone” (and related concepts) in French!

The general 'phone' – le téléphone

Le téléphone is the most common and overarching word for "phone" in French. It refers to any device used for telecommunication.

As a masculine noun, it's always le téléphone in the singular and les téléphones in the plural. Remember the definite article le and plural les.

You can use le téléphone in almost any situation, from formal to informal, to refer to a device used for communication. It's a versatile, all-purpose term.

While le téléphone generally refers to any phone, in modern usage, it often implies a fixed line or a landline if not specified otherwise, especially when distinguishing it from a mobile phone.

To be more specific about mobile devices, French uses terms like le téléphone portable (mobile phone) or le smartphone (smartphone). However, le téléphone alone is still widely understood to mean a mobile phone in everyday conversation, particularly among younger generations.

For instance, if you ask Où est mon téléphone? (Where is my phone?), it's generally understood you're looking for your mobile phone. But if you say J'ai un téléphone fixe, you're explicitly referring to a landline.

Common expressions include passer un coup de fil (to make a phone call), répondre au téléphone (to answer the phone), and téléphoner à quelqu'un (to call someone).

In contemporary French, le téléphone is increasingly used interchangeably with le portable or le smartphone when context makes it clear you're referring to a mobile device. The shorter form is often preferred.

It's common to hear people simply say J'ai oublié mon portable or J'ai mon smartphone when referring to their personal mobile device, but mon téléphone remains a perfectly acceptable and frequently used alternative.

💡 * J'ai acheté un nouveau téléphone. (I bought a new phone.)

Peux-tu me passer le téléphone, s'il te plaît ? (Can you pass me the phone, please?)

Mon téléphone portable est cassé. (My mobile phone is broken.)

Je dois téléphoner à ma mère. (I need to call my mother.)

Elle est toujours au téléphone. (She is always on the phone.)

The 'mobile phone' or 'cell phone' – le portable

The most common and straightforward way to say 'mobile phone' or 'cell phone' in French is le portable.

Literally, portable is an adjective meaning 'portable' or 'handheld'. When used as a noun, it directly refers to a device that is portable, specifically a phone.

While the full term is un téléphone portable, in everyday conversation, French speakers almost exclusively shorten it to le portable. This is similar to how English speakers often just say 'mobile' or 'cell' instead of 'mobile phone' or 'cell phone'.

It's important to remember that le portable is masculine. So, you would say mon portable (my phone), un nouveau portable (a new phone), or Ce portable est cher (This phone is expensive).

You'll often hear phrases like appeler sur son portable (to call on one's mobile), envoyer un message sur portable (to send a message on a mobile), or recharger son portable (to charge one's mobile).

With the rise of smartphones, you might also hear le smartphone directly borrowed from English, especially for more advanced devices. However, le portable remains a widely understood and frequently used term for any mobile phone.

💡 * J'ai oublié mon portable à la maison. (I forgot my mobile phone at home.)

Peux-tu me passer ton numéro de portable ? (Can you give me your mobile number?)

Mon portable ne capte pas ici. (My mobile phone doesn't get reception here.)

Elle a acheté un nouveau portable. (She bought a new mobile phone.)

Il passe trop de temps sur son portable. (He spends too much time on his mobile phone.)

The 'smartphone' – le smartphone

In modern French, the most straightforward and universally understood term for a 'smartphone' is le smartphone.

Despite its English origin, 'smartphone' is treated as a masculine noun in French, always preceded by le (or un for 'a smartphone').

Unlike some other English borrowings, le smartphone has been fully embraced into the French lexicon and is used by people of all ages across France and other French-speaking regions. There is no need to search for a more 'French' equivalent; this is the standard term.

You'll often hear it used with common verbs like utiliser (to use), charger (to charge), regarder (to look at, to watch), or consulter (to check) when referring to activities on the device.

💡 *J'ai oublié mon smartphone à la maison. (I forgot my smartphone at home.)*Peux-tu me prêter ton smartphone ? (Can you lend me your smartphone?)*Je dois charger mon smartphone. (I need to charge my smartphone.)*Mon nouveau smartphone a un excellent appareil photo. (My new smartphone has an excellent camera.)

The 'landline phone' – le téléphone fixe

The term for a 'landline phone' in French is le téléphone fixe.

Literally meaning 'the fixed telephone,' le téléphone fixe refers to a telephone that is connected by a physical line, as opposed to a mobile phone (le téléphone portable or le mobile).

While less common for personal use today, landlines are still prevalent in professional settings and for internet connections in many French households.

As 'téléphone' is masculine, le téléphone fixe is also masculine. The adjective 'fixe' remains unchanged for gender but reflects the 'fixed' nature.

💡 *J'appelle toujours ma grand-mère sur son téléphone fixe. (I always call my grandmother on her landline phone.)
*Le téléphone fixe sonne dans le bureau. (The landline phone is ringing in the office.)
*Nous avons gardé le téléphone fixe pour l'internet. (We kept the landline phone for the internet.)
*Beaucoup d'entreprises utilisent encore un téléphone fixe. (Many businesses still use a landline phone.)

The 'cellphone' (another common term) – le mobile

While le portable is widely used, le mobile is another extremely common and equally valid term for 'cellphone' or 'mobile phone' in French.

Le mobile literally translates to 'the mobile' (as in, a mobile device). It directly refers to a cellphone, emphasizing its portability and connectivity.

You'll hear le mobile frequently in France, particularly in formal contexts like advertisements, technical discussions, or news reports, but also in everyday conversation. It's often seen as slightly more formal or 'standard' than le portable by some speakers, though this distinction is subtle.

For most practical purposes, le mobile and le portable are interchangeable. While le portable might be slightly more prevalent in casual speech in some regions, le mobile is universally understood and used across the Francophone world.

Remember that mobile is a masculine noun in this context, so you'll always use the masculine definite article le (or un for indefinite) with it.

💡 *J'ai oublié mon mobile à la maison. (I forgot my cellphone at home.)
*Peux-tu me donner ton numéro de mobile ? (Can you give me your mobile number?)
*Mon mobile n'a plus de batterie. (My cellphone has no more battery.)
*Il faut recharger le mobile. (The cellphone needs to be recharged.)

The 'device' (referring to a phone) – l'appareil

In French, l'appareil (masculine singular) literally translates to 'the device,' 'the apparatus,' or 'the appliance.' While it has a broad meaning, in everyday conversation, especially among younger generations or in informal contexts, it's very commonly used to refer to a mobile phone.

Using l'appareil for a phone often serves to avoid repetition of le téléphone portable or le smartphone. If the context is clear that you're talking about a phone (e.g., 'I left my appareil on the table'), it's a natural and common substitute. It implies 'the device I use for communication/internet' without being overly specific.

While le téléphone or le portable (short for téléphone portable) are the most direct terms for 'phone' or 'mobile phone,' l'appareil offers a slightly more casual or generic way to refer to it. Think of it like saying 'my gadget' or 'my device' in English when referring to your phone.

It's important to remember that l'appareil can refer to many other types of devices too, such as a camera (un appareil photo), a hearing aid (un appareil auditif), or even a household appliance (un appareil électroménager). The context is key to understanding its meaning.

You can confidently use l'appareil to refer to your phone in informal settings when it's clear from the conversation that a phone is what you mean. For instance, when asking someone to hand you 'the device' that's ringing, or mentioning 'my device' needs charging. In formal contexts, stick to le téléphone or le portable.

💡 * J'ai oublié mon appareil sur la table. (I forgot my phone on the table.)

Mon appareil n'a plus de batterie. (My phone has no more battery.)

Tu peux me passer l'appareil, s'il te plaît ? (Can you pass me the phone, please?)

J'ai pris une photo avec mon appareil. (I took a photo with my phone/device.)

Il faut que je mette mon appareil en mode silencieux. (I need to put my phone on silent mode.)

The 'telephone receiver' (the part you speak into) – le combiné

When referring to the physical part of a landline telephone that you speak into and listen from, the French word you're looking for is le combiné.

This term specifically denotes the handset or receiver of a phone, the piece that combines both the microphone and the earpiece. It's often used in the context of traditional landline phones, though it can sometimes refer to the handset of a cordless phone as well.

Le combiné is a masculine noun. It comes from the verb combiner (to combine), reflecting its function of combining both speaking and listening components.

💡 * J'ai décroché le combiné pour répondre à l'appel. (I picked up the receiver to answer the call.)

Le combiné était chaud après une longue conversation. (The receiver was warm after a long conversation.)

Elle a posé le combiné sur la table. (She placed the receiver on the table.)

Tu peux me passer le combiné s'il te plaît ? (Can you pass me the receiver please?)

The 'phone' (in a very casual, shortened way) – le tel

When you hear a French speaker refer to their 'phone' as le tel, you're encountering a very common, highly casual abbreviation for le téléphone.

Le tel is primarily used in informal settings, among friends, family, or in very relaxed conversations. It's the equivalent of saying 'my phone' or 'my cell' in a laid-back, colloquial way in English.

This shortened form comes directly from le téléphone and, like its longer counterpart, it remains a masculine noun. You'll always use the masculine article le with it.

While widely understood, reserve le tel for casual interactions. In formal or professional contexts, stick to the full word, le téléphone, to maintain appropriate register.

💡 * J'ai oublié mon tel à la maison. (I forgot my phone at home.)

Tu peux me passer ton tel ? (Can I borrow your phone?)

Mon tel est déchargé. (My phone is dead.)

Je t'envoie un message sur ton tel. (I'll send you a message on your phone.)

The 'cordless phone' – le téléphone sans fil

How do you say “cordless phone” in French?

The most common and direct way to say “cordless phone” in French is: le téléphone sans fil.

This phrase literally translates to “the phone without wire.” Sans means “without,” and fil means “wire” or “thread.” The adjective sans fil (cordless, wireless) is frequently used in French for devices that operate without a physical connection.

While mobile phones (les téléphones portables) are ubiquitous, le téléphone sans fil specifically refers to a landline phone that doesn't need to be plugged into the wall for use, allowing you to move freely within a certain range of its base station.

In everyday conversation, you might also hear just un sans fil (a cordless) used as a noun to refer to the cordless phone itself, especially in a domestic context.

💡 * J'ai besoin de recharger mon téléphone sans fil. (I need to charge my cordless phone.)

Le téléphone sans fil est sur la table basse. (The cordless phone is on the coffee table.)

Elle a cherché le sans fil partout dans la maison. (She looked for the cordless phone all over the house.)

Notre nouveau téléphone sans fil a une excellente portée. (Our new cordless phone has excellent range.)

Préfères-tu un téléphone fixe ou un sans fil? (Do you prefer a corded phone or a cordless one?)

Are there other ways to say 'phone' in French?

Are there other ways to say “phone” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “phone” in French. But French, like any language, has a rich vocabulary, including slang, regional terms, and even older expressions that might still be heard.

You can also do an online search for “comment dire téléphone en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local variations.

You might find some interesting synonyms for téléphone or related terms on this list. Of course, always make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about phones and technology in various situations.

And if you’re looking for more specific terms related to phones, their parts, or their usage in French, the WordReference entry for téléphone is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s a thought from Jean Cocteau on the impact of this ubiquitous device: Le téléphone a tué la conversation. (The telephone has killed conversation.) While perhaps a bit pessimistic, it highlights the profound effect this small device has had on our interactions!

9 ways to say "phone" in French