diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/ErrorMessageID.java b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/ErrorMessageID.java
index d99d5014a281..99311fd1cfc1 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/ErrorMessageID.java
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/ErrorMessageID.java
@@ -133,7 +133,8 @@ public enum ErrorMessageID {
     TypeTestAlwaysSucceedsID,
     TermMemberNeedsNeedsResultTypeForImplicitSearchID,
     CaseClassCannotExtendEnumID,
-    ValueClassParameterMayNotBeCallByNameID
+    ValueClassParameterMayNotBeCallByNameID,
+    NotAnExtractorID
     ;
 
     public int errorNumber() {
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/messages.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/messages.scala
index cec649bc061b..10ac5e7356ea 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/messages.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/diagnostic/messages.scala
@@ -2117,4 +2117,18 @@ object messages {
     override def msg: String = hl"""normal case class cannot extend an enum. case $cls in ${cls.owner} is extending enum ${parent.name}."""
     override def explanation: String = ""
   }
+
+  case class NotAnExtractor(tree: untpd.Tree)(implicit ctx: Context) extends Message(NotAnExtractorID) {
+    override def msg: String = hl"$tree cannot be used as an extractor in a pattern because it lacks an unapply or unapplySeq method"
+    override def kind: String = "Syntax"
+    override def explanation: String =
+      hl"""|An `unapply` method should be defined in an `object` as follow:
+           |  - If it is just a test, return a `Boolean`. For example `case even()`
+           |  - If it returns a single sub-value of type T, return an `Option[T]`
+           |  - If it returns several sub-values T1,...,Tn, group them in an optional tuple `Option[(T1,...,Tn)]`
+           |
+           |Sometimes, the number of sub-values isn’t fixed and we would like to return a sequence.
+           |For this reason, you can also define patterns through `unapplySeq` which returns `Option[Seq[T]]`.
+           |This mechanism is used for instance in pattern `case List(x1, ..., xn)`""".stripMargin
+  }
 }
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Applications.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Applications.scala
index 4de90b309307..24e5d8dfc796 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Applications.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/Applications.scala
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import language.implicitConversions
 import reporting.diagnostic.Message
 import reporting.trace
 import Constants.{Constant, IntTag, LongTag}
-import dotty.tools.dotc.reporting.diagnostic.messages.UnapplyInvalidNumberOfArguments
+import dotty.tools.dotc.reporting.diagnostic.messages.{NotAnExtractor, UnapplyInvalidNumberOfArguments}
 
 import scala.collection.mutable.ListBuffer
 
@@ -895,8 +895,7 @@ trait Applications extends Compatibility { self: Typer with Dynamic =>
   def typedUnApply(tree: untpd.Apply, selType: Type)(implicit ctx: Context): Tree = track("typedUnApply") {
     val Apply(qual, args) = tree
 
-    def notAnExtractor(tree: Tree) =
-      errorTree(tree, s"${qual.show} cannot be used as an extractor in a pattern because it lacks an unapply or unapplySeq method")
+    def notAnExtractor(tree: Tree) = errorTree(tree, NotAnExtractor(qual))
 
     /** If this is a term ref tree, try to typecheck with its type name.
      *  If this refers to a type alias, follow the alias, and if
diff --git a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/ErrorMessagesTests.scala b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/ErrorMessagesTests.scala
index b176712f76f5..78b52cdb1a11 100644
--- a/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/ErrorMessagesTests.scala
+++ b/compiler/test/dotty/tools/dotc/reporting/ErrorMessagesTests.scala
@@ -1511,4 +1511,20 @@ class ErrorMessagesTests extends ErrorMessagesTest {
       assertEquals(tailRegMessages, Set("variable", "value", "object", "class"))
     }
 
+  @Test def notAnExtractor() =
+    checkMessagesAfter(FrontEnd.name) {
+      """
+        | class Foo
+        | object Test {
+        |   def test(foo: Foo) = foo match {
+        |       case Foo(name) => ???
+        |   }
+        | }
+      """.stripMargin
+    }.expect { (ictx, messages) =>
+      implicit val ctx: Context = ictx
+      assertMessageCount(1, messages)
+      val NotAnExtractor(tree) = messages.head
+      assertEquals("Foo", tree.show)
+    }
 }