Invitations & Making Plans
Use these phrases to invite friends or colleagues out, agree on the details, or politely decline if you are busy.
Key Phrases
Tu veux boire un verre après le travail ?
casualDo you want to have a drink after work?
Casual — use with friends or colleagues. 'Boire un verre' is the standard conversational phrase for getting a drink.
Est-ce que vous voulez dîner avec nous demain ?
neutralDo you want to have dinner with us tomorrow?
Uses 'vous' for formal or plural situations, safe for people you do not know well.
Oui, c'est une très bonne idée. Je veux bien.
casualYes, that's a very good idea. I would like to.
Casual — 'je veux bien' (I want well) is the most natural everyday way to accept an offer.
Oui, avec plaisir. À quelle heure ?
neutralYes, with pleasure. At what time?
Simple, direct, and slightly more polite than just saying yes.
Ah mince, je ne suis pas libre ce soir.
casualOh darn, I am not free tonight.
Casual — 'ah mince' is a mild, very common way to express disappointment.
Je suis désolé, mais je dois travailler.
neutralI am sorry, but I have to work.
A direct and standard way to decline and give a clear reason.
On se retrouve où et à quelle heure ?
casualWhere and at what time are we meeting?
Casual — 'on se retrouve' (we find each other) is used constantly in spoken French for meeting up.
Est-ce qu'on peut se voir devant la gare ?
neutralCan we meet in front of the train station?
A clear, polite way to propose a specific meeting location.
Ça marche ! À tout à l'heure.
casualWorks for me! See you later.
Casual — 'ça marche' literally means 'it walks', but everyone uses it for 'that works' or 'agreed'.
C'est parfait. Je vais vous attendre là-bas.
neutralThat is perfect. I am going to wait for you there.
Confirms the plan using the near future tense, which is very common for immediate plans.