diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 024ed33..6c5fda0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ tgcli auth
 tgcli sync --follow
 tgcli messages list --chat @username --limit 20
 tgcli messages search "course" --chat @channel --source archive
+tgcli messages transcribe --chat @username --id 123 --id 124
 tgcli send text --to @username --message "hello"
 tgcli send text --to @username --message "**hi**" --parse-mode markdown
 tgcli send text --to @username --message "done" --reply-to 123
@@ -137,7 +138,7 @@ tgcli sync           Archive backfill and realtime sync
 tgcli server         Run background sync service (MCP optional)
 tgcli service        Install/start/stop/status/logs for background service
 tgcli channels       List/search channels
-tgcli messages       List/search messages
+tgcli messages       List/search/transcribe messages
 tgcli send           Send text, photos, or files
 tgcli media          Download media
 tgcli topics         Forum topics
diff --git a/cli.js b/cli.js
index 2701caf..07665b5 100755
--- a/cli.js
+++ b/cli.js
@@ -249,6 +249,13 @@ function buildProgram() {
     .option('--before <n>', 'Messages before')
     .option('--after <n>', 'Messages after')
     .action(withGlobalOptions((globalFlags, options) => runMessagesContext(globalFlags, options)));
+  messages
+    .command('transcribe')
+    .description('Transcribe voice or video messages (requires Telegram Premium)')
+    .option('--chat <id|username>', 'Channel identifier')
+    .option('--id <msgId>', 'Message id (repeatable)', collectList)
+    .option('--wait <seconds>', 'How long to wait for the final text (default 60)')
+    .action(withGlobalOptions((globalFlags, options) => runMessagesTranscribe(globalFlags, options)));
 
   const send = program.command('send').description('Send text, photos, or files');
   send
@@ -2848,6 +2855,51 @@ async function runMessagesShow(globalFlags, options = {}) {
   }, timeoutMs);
 }
 
+async function runMessagesTranscribe(globalFlags, options = {}) {
+  const timeoutMs = globalFlags.timeoutMs;
+  return runWithTimeout(async () => {
+    if (!options.chat) {
+      throw new Error('--chat is required');
+    }
+    const ids = (Array.isArray(options.id) ? options.id : [options.id]).filter(Boolean);
+    if (!ids.length) {
+      throw new Error('--id is required');
+    }
+    const waitMs = options.wait ? parsePositiveInt(options.wait, '--wait') * 1000 : undefined;
+    const storeDir = resolveStoreDir();
+    const release = acquireReadLock(storeDir);
+    const { telegramClient, messageSyncService } = createServices({ storeDir });
+    try {
+      if (!(await telegramClient.isAuthorized().catch(() => false))) {
+        throw new Error('Not authenticated. Run `node cli.js auth` first.');
+      }
+      const results = [];
+      for (const rawId of ids) {
+        const messageId = parsePositiveInt(rawId, '--id');
+        try {
+          const transcription = await telegramClient.transcribeVoice(options.chat, messageId, { waitMs });
+          results.push({ messageId, ...transcription });
+        } catch (error) {
+          results.push({ messageId, error: error?.message ?? String(error) });
+        }
+      }
+
+      const payload = { chat: String(options.chat), results };
+      if (globalFlags.json) {
+        writeJson(payload);
+      } else {
+        for (const item of results) {
+          console.log(`#${item.messageId}${item.pending ? ' (incomplete)' : ''}: ${item.error ? `error: ${item.error}` : item.text}`);
+        }
+      }
+    } finally {
+      await messageSyncService.shutdown();
+      await telegramClient.destroy();
+      release();
+    }
+  }, timeoutMs);
+}
+
 async function runMessagesContext(globalFlags, options = {}) {
   const timeoutMs = globalFlags.timeoutMs;
   return runWithTimeout(async () => {
diff --git a/telegram-client.js b/telegram-client.js
index 89c4c1d..f0dd115 100644
--- a/telegram-client.js
+++ b/telegram-client.js
@@ -650,6 +650,23 @@ function resolveDownloadLocation(media) {
   return null;
 }
 
+export function floodWaitSeconds(error) {
+  if (Number.isFinite(error?.seconds)) {
+    return Number(error.seconds);
+  }
+  const match = /FLOOD_WAIT_(\d+)/.exec(String(error?.message ?? ''));
+  return match ? Number(match[1]) : null;
+}
+
+export function formatTranscription(result, overrides = {}) {
+  return {
+    text: result?.text ?? '',
+    pending: overrides.pending ?? Boolean(result?.pending),
+    transcriptionId: result?.transcriptionId != null ? String(result.transcriptionId) : null,
+    trialRemaining: result?.trialRemainsNum ?? null,
+  };
+}
+
 export function normalizeChannelId(channelId) {
   if (typeof channelId === 'number') {
     return channelId;
@@ -1385,6 +1402,69 @@ class TelegramClient {
     };
   }
 
+  async transcribeVoice(channelId, messageId, options = {}) {
+    await this.ensureLogin();
+    const peer = await this.client.resolvePeer(normalizeChannelId(channelId));
+    const msgId = Number(messageId);
+    const waitMs = Number.isFinite(options.waitMs) ? options.waitMs : 60000;
+
+    const first = await this._callWithFloodWait(
+      { _: 'messages.transcribeAudio', peer, msgId },
+      options,
+    );
+    if (!first.pending) {
+      return formatTranscription(first);
+    }
+
+    // The finished text arrives as an update, not in the reply. Polling instead
+    // of waiting spends the rate limit and returns the unrefined first pass.
+    const finished = await this._awaitTranscribedAudio(first.transcriptionId, msgId, waitMs);
+    return formatTranscription(finished ?? first, { pending: !finished });
+  }
+
+  async _callWithFloodWait(request, options = {}) {
+    const maxWaitSeconds = Number.isFinite(options.maxFloodWaitSeconds)
+      ? options.maxFloodWaitSeconds
+      : 60;
+    for (;;) {
+      try {
+        return await this.client.call(request);
+      } catch (error) {
+        const seconds = floodWaitSeconds(error);
+        if (seconds === null || seconds > maxWaitSeconds) {
+          throw error;
+        }
+        await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, seconds * 1000 + 500));
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  async _awaitTranscribedAudio(transcriptionId, msgId, waitMs) {
+    await this.startUpdates();
+    return new Promise((resolve) => {
+      let unsubscribe = () => {};
+      const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+        unsubscribe();
+        resolve(null);
+      }, waitMs);
+      unsubscribe = this.onUpdate((info) => {
+        const update = info?.update;
+        if (update?._ !== 'updateTranscribedAudio' || update.pending) {
+          return;
+        }
+        if (Number(update.msgId) !== msgId) {
+          return;
+        }
+        if (transcriptionId != null && String(update.transcriptionId) !== String(transcriptionId)) {
+          return;
+        }
+        clearTimeout(timer);
+        unsubscribe();
+        resolve(update);
+      });
+    });
+  }
+
   async listContacts() {
     await this.ensureLogin();
     return this.client.getContacts();
diff --git a/tests/transcribe.test.js b/tests/transcribe.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b2dbd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/transcribe.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+import TelegramClient, { floodWaitSeconds, formatTranscription } from '../telegram-client.js';
+
+describe('floodWaitSeconds', () => {
+  it('reads the wait from a FLOOD_WAIT error message', () => {
+    expect(floodWaitSeconds(new Error('Telegram API error 420: FLOOD_WAIT_13'))).toBe(13);
+  });
+
+  it('prefers a numeric seconds field when the error carries one', () => {
+    expect(floodWaitSeconds({ seconds: 7, message: 'FLOOD_WAIT_13' })).toBe(7);
+  });
+
+  it('returns null for unrelated errors so they are rethrown', () => {
+    expect(floodWaitSeconds(new Error('CHAT_ADMIN_REQUIRED'))).toBeNull();
+  });
+});
+
+describe('formatTranscription', () => {
+  it('normalizes a finished transcription', () => {
+    expect(formatTranscription({ text: 'hello', pending: false, transcriptionId: 12n, trialRemainsNum: 2 }))
+      .toEqual({ text: 'hello', pending: false, transcriptionId: '12', trialRemaining: 2 });
+  });
+
+  it('lets the caller mark a result as still incomplete', () => {
+    expect(formatTranscription({ text: 'half', pending: true }, { pending: true }).pending).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('transcribeVoice', () => {
+  const build = () => {
+    const client = Object.create(TelegramClient.prototype);
+    client.ensureLogin = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+    client.startUpdates = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+    client.client = { resolvePeer: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ _: 'inputPeerUser' }), call: vi.fn() };
+    return client;
+  };
+
+  it('returns immediately when Telegram reports the transcription as done', async () => {
+    const client = build();
+    client.client.call.mockResolvedValue({ text: 'done', pending: false, transcriptionId: 5n });
+
+    const result = await client.transcribeVoice(123, 7);
+
+    expect(result.text).toBe('done');
+    expect(client.client.call).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  // Polling instead of awaiting the update spends the rate limit and yields draft text
+  it('waits for the update instead of polling when the first answer is pending', async () => {
+    const client = build();
+    client.client.call.mockResolvedValue({ text: 'draft', pending: true, transcriptionId: 5n });
+    client._awaitTranscribedAudio = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ text: 'final', transcriptionId: 5n });
+
+    const result = await client.transcribeVoice(123, 7, { waitMs: 10 });
+
+    expect(result.text).toBe('final');
+    expect(client.client.call).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it('marks the result incomplete when the final update never arrives', async () => {
+    const client = build();
+    client.client.call.mockResolvedValue({ text: 'draft', pending: true, transcriptionId: 5n });
+    client._awaitTranscribedAudio = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(null);
+
+    const result = await client.transcribeVoice(123, 7, { waitMs: 10 });
+
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ text: 'draft', pending: true });
+  });
+
+  it('sleeps through a short flood wait and retries once', async () => {
+    const client = build();
+    client.client.call
+      .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('Telegram API error 420: FLOOD_WAIT_1'))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce({ text: 'after the wait', pending: false });
+
+    const result = await client.transcribeVoice(123, 7);
+
+    expect(result.text).toBe('after the wait');
+    expect(client.client.call).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+  });
+
+  it('rethrows a flood wait that is longer than the caller allows', async () => {
+    const client = build();
+    client.client.call.mockRejectedValue(new Error('Telegram API error 420: FLOOD_WAIT_600'));
+
+    await expect(client.transcribeVoice(123, 7, { maxFloodWaitSeconds: 5 })).rejects.toThrow('FLOOD_WAIT_600');
+  });
+});