French Phrase
Cherche une cabine téléphonique.
Meaning
A direct command telling someone to look for a phone booth. It’s useful when you need a place to make a call and you’re asking another person (or yourself) to find one.
When to use
Use this phrase when giving directions, writing a quick note, or speaking to a friend while navigating a city where public phone booths still exist. It’s also handy for role‑play scenarios in language classes that focus on giving instructions.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Chercheunecabinetéléphonique.
Imperative (2nd person singular)
‘Cherche’ is the imperative form of the verb ‘chercher’, used to give a direct command to ‘you’ (tu).
Indefinite article (feminine)
‘une’ is the feminine singular indefinite article, matching the gender of ‘cabine’.
Adjective agreement
‘téléphonique’ is an adjective that must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies, hence the feminine singular ending –e.
Noun phrase order
In French, the adjective ‘téléphonique’ follows the noun ‘cabine’, unlike English where the adjective precedes the noun.
🗨In Conversation
Je n'arrive pas à trouver une cabine téléphonique.
I can’t find a phone booth.
Cherche une cabine téléphonique près de la gare.
Look for a phone booth near the train station.
✕Common Mistakes
un cabine téléphonique
‘Cabine’ is feminine, so the article must be ‘une’, not ‘un’.
Cherche un cabine téléphonique.
Both the article and adjective must agree with the feminine noun ‘cabine’.
Cherche une cabine téléphone.
The adjective should be ‘téléphonique’, not the noun ‘téléphone’.
Je cherche une cabine téléphonique.
While grammatically correct, this changes the meaning from a command to a statement. Use the imperative ‘Cherche…’ when you intend to give an instruction.
↔Alternatives
Je cherche une cabine téléphonique.
I am looking for a phone booth.
Trouve une cabine téléphonique.
Find a phone booth.
Cherche un poste téléphonique.
Look for a public phone.
Cherche un téléphone public.
Look for a public telephone.
Cultural Tip
Phone booths (‘cabines téléphoniques’) have largely disappeared from French streets, replaced by mobile phones and Wi‑Fi hotspots. You’ll still find a few in historic neighborhoods, train stations, or tourist areas. When speaking to locals, ‘poste téléphonique’ is a common synonym, and younger people may simply say ‘un téléphone public’. Using the formal term shows good command of French vocabulary.