By the end of this lesson you'll be able to invite someone out, accept an invitation with enthusiasm, and say no without causing offence.
Inviting someone
With a friend, there are several easy ways. You can use vouloir, from the lesson on pouvoir, vouloir and devoir, or start by asking if someone's free, as in Tu es libre samedi ?.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ça te dit de… ? | sah tuh DEE duh | Do you fancy…?Followed by an infinitive. |
| Ça te dit ? | sah tuh DEE | Do you fancy it? |
| On se retrouve à… | ohn suh ruh-TROOV ah | Let's meet at… |
| Tu veux venir… ? | tew vuh vuh-NEER | Do you want to come…? |
| Voulez-vous venir dîner ? | voo-lay voo vuh-neer dee-NAY | Would you like to come to dinner? |
Tu veux venir au cinéma ?
Do you want to come to the cinema?
Ça te dit d'aller au parc ?
Do you fancy going to the park?
On se retrouve à 20 h devant le cinéma.
Let's meet at 8 p.m. outside the cinema.
Tu viens chez moi samedi ?
Are you coming to my place on Saturday?
Chez comes from the lesson on prepositions. For plans, use the near future, from the lesson on the near future: On va manger au restaurant (We're going to eat at the restaurant).
With someone you call vous, keep it more formal: Vous êtes libre samedi ? Voulez-vous venir dîner ?
Saying yes
You know D'accord ! from the lesson on writing a short message. Here are some warmer ways.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Avec plaisir ! | ah-vek pleh-ZEER | With pleasure! |
| Volontiers. | voh-lohn-TYAY | Gladly. |
| Bonne idée ! | bonn ee-DAY | Good idea! |
Bonne idée ! Je viens avec plaisir.
Good idea! I'd love to come.
Saying no politely
In French, as in English, it's kind to soften a refusal. Thank the person, say you're sorry, and give a short reason. You know désolé / désolée and occupé / occupée already.
| French | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je ne suis pas libre. | zhuh nuh swee pah LEE-bruh | I'm not free. |
| Peut-être une autre fois. | puh-tet ewn oh-truh FWAH | Maybe another time. |
| Merci pour l'invitation. | mehr-see poor lan-vee-tah-SYOHN | Thank you for the invitation. |
| C'est gentil. | seh zhahn-TEE | That's kind. |
To give a reason, use this pattern with parce que and a simple sentence: Je ne peux pas parce que je dois travailler (I can't because I have to work).
Désolé, je ne peux pas. Je suis occupé.
Sorry, I can't. I'm busy.
Merci pour l'invitation, mais je dois travailler.
Thank you for the invitation, but I have to work.
C'est gentil. Peut-être une autre fois ?
That's kind. Maybe another time?
Making the plan clear
Once someone has said yes, settle the details: the day, the time and the place. On se retrouve à… takes care of the time, and you can add a place with devant (in front of): devant la gare, devant le cinéma. If you're writing instead of talking, you can use the short styles from your text messages, and end with À samedi ! (See you on Saturday!). The same three details work for a coffee, a meal or a trip.
With a friend
- Salut ! Tu es libre samedi ? (Hi! Are you free on Saturday?)
- Oui, pourquoi ? (Yes, why?)
- Ça te dit d'aller au restaurant ? (Do you fancy going to a restaurant?)
- Avec plaisir ! On se retrouve à quelle heure ? (With pleasure! What time shall we meet?)
- À 19 h, devant la gare. (At 7 p.m., outside the station.)
- D'accord, à samedi ! (OK, see you on Saturday!)
More formally
- Bonjour, madame. Vous êtes libre vendredi soir ? Voulez-vous venir dîner ? (Hello, madam. Are you free on Friday evening? Would you like to come to dinner?)
- C'est gentil, merci pour l'invitation. Malheureusement, je ne peux pas parce que je travaille. (That's kind, thank you for the invitation. Unfortunately, I can't because I'm working.)
- Peut-être une autre fois ? (Maybe another time?)
- Oui, avec plaisir. (Yes, with pleasure.)
What's next
Next, the lesson on the francophone world shows where French is spoken. You'll bring plans and invitations together in the review of this unit.