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Glite Dictionary
to have someone's number

to have someone's number

15 4.2
To know someone's phone number so you can call them
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : tener el número de teléfono de alguien
  • Do you have this girl's phone number?
  • have Cora's phone number
  • have Shay's cell number
  • still have Joe's number

Examples

  • Do you have Stan's number?

    It Chapter Two (2019)

  • Do you still have that doctor's number?

    Fiction book (1998)

  • I have her mother's phone number at the office.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • I do indeed have Jack's number!

    Blog text (4)

  • I have her lawyer's number, Sandone.

    The Dunning Man (2017)

  • Well, do you happen to have Jamie's father's number?

    Rich Kids (1979)

  • Suzie, do you still have Joe's number?

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Would you have Kai Kuan's telephone number, Inspector?

    Cremaster 3 (2002)

  • I HAVE MICHELLE'S NUMBER.

    Home for the Holidays (1995)

  • Do you have Stan's number so I can call him later?

Surface Forms

have someone's number infinitive
had someone's number past
had someone's number past participle
having someone's number present participle
has someone's number third person singular

Morphology

have + someone's + number

The meaning 'to possess someone's phone number' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'have' (to hold/own) with the possessive 'someone's' and 'number' (a numeric identifier, commonly a telephone number). This straightforward compositional reading follows common cross-linguistic possessive + item patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

The phrase have someone's number comes from the simple idea of keeping a person's phone number on a list: if you have their number, you can call them anytime. So the phrase means 'to be able to contact' someone.