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téléphoner

to phone, to call

verb teh-leh-foh-NEH Less Common
Communication Technology

Usage Note

Téléphoner is used with the preposition à: téléphoner à quelqu'un (to phone someone). The simpler colloquial alternative is appeler (to call). The noun le téléphone and the adjective téléphonique share the same root. In everyday speech, French speakers also use passer un coup de fil ('to give a ring').

Examples

"Je vais lui téléphoner ce soir."

Natural Translation

I am going to phone him this evening.

Literal Translation

I am-going (to) him to-telephone this evening

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