French Phrase
Comment tu mets quelqu'un en attente ?
Meaning
Literally, “How do you put someone on hold?” It is used when you want to know the procedure for placing a caller on hold during a phone conversation, or metaphorically when you want to know how to keep someone waiting.
When to use
Use this informal question with a colleague, a friend, or a teammate when you need to learn the steps for putting a caller on hold, or when you’re discussing how to keep someone waiting in a non‑phone context. Switch to the formal version (*Comment mettez‑vous…*) in a business or polite setting.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Commenttumetsquelqu'unenattente?
Comment
Interrogative adverb meaning 'how', placed at the beginning of a question.
tu
Informal second‑person singular pronoun; use with friends or peers.
mets
Present tense of the verb *mettre* (to put) conjugated for *tu*.
quelqu'un
Indefinite pronoun meaning 'someone' or 'somebody'.
en attente
Fixed expression meaning 'on hold' or 'waiting'.
🗨In Conversation
Comment tu mets quelqu'un en attente ?
How do you put someone on hold?
Je clique sur le bouton « Mettre en attente », j'annonce la mise en attente, puis j’attends que la personne revienne.
I click the ‘Hold’ button, announce that I’m putting them on hold, and then wait for the person to come back.
✕Common Mistakes
Comment vous mets quelqu'un en attente ?
Verb agreement error – with *vous* the verb should be *mettez*.
Comment tu mets quelquun en attente ?
Missing apostrophe; the correct form is *quelqu'un*.
Comment tu mets quelqu'un en attente ? (splitting is fine, but avoid saying *en* *attente* as separate unrelated words.)
Do not split the fixed expression; it stays together as *en attente*.
↔Alternatives
Comment mettez‑vous quelqu’un en attente ?
How do you (formal) put someone on hold?
Comment placer quelqu’un en attente ?
How to place someone on hold?
Comment mettre quelqu’un en pause ?
How to put someone on pause?
Cultural Tip
In French phone etiquette it is polite to say « Un instant, je vous mets en attente » and give a brief reason (e.g., checking a file). Avoid leaving the caller silent for more than a few seconds; a short music hold or a brief “Je reviens tout de suite” is expected. The expression *en attente* can also be used figuratively, e.g., *être en attente d’une réponse* (to be waiting for an answer).