How to Invite Someone in French: Polite Formal and Informal Invitations
Learn clear, polite French phrases to invite friends, colleagues or acquaintances to an event, and how to respond when someone sounds unsure.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
Inviting someone in French is not just a matter of translating 'Do you want to...'. French speakers often choose between tu and vous, use different question patterns, and soften an invitation with polite phrases. This lesson gives you ready-made invitations for friends, colleagues and people you have just met, plus useful ways to react when the other person says 'maybe' or asks for more details. You will practise complete sentences, not isolated words, so you can invite someone clearly without sounding too direct.
By the end, you can…
- invite a friend or colleague to an event using tu or vous correctly.
- use polite phrases such as 'ça te dit' and 'seriez-vous disponible' to make an invitation sound natural.
- ask for more details when someone gives a tentative response.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Tu veux venir à la fête samedi ?
Do you want to come to the party on Saturday?
tew vuh vuh-NEER ah lah fet sahm-DEE
Informal invitation to a friend or family member. Use tu. The question rises at the end.
Ça te dit d'aller au cinéma vendredi ?
Do you fancy going to the cinema on Friday?
sah tuh dee dah-LAY oh see-nay-MAH vahn-druh-DEE
Very common informal French invitation. Literally 'Does that say to you to go...'. Use with tu.
Est-ce que vous êtes libre samedi soir ?
Are you free on Saturday evening?
ess-kuh voo ZET lee-bruh sahm-DEE swahr
Polite and neutral. Use vous with a colleague, neighbour or new acquaintance.
Seriez-vous disponible pour venir à notre événement ?
Would you be available to come to our event?
suh-ree-ay voo dee-spo-NEEBL poor vuh-NEER ah noh-truh ay-vayn-MAHN
Formal invitation, suitable for a professional email or an official event. The conditional seriez-vous sounds respectful.
On pourrait se retrouver devant la salle à 19 heures.
We could meet in front of the venue at 7 p.m.
ohn poo-REH suh ruh-troo-VAY duh-VAHN lah sal ah deez-UHR
Useful when you invite someone and also suggest a practical meeting point. On pourrait softens the suggestion.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
French invitations often use a question about the other person's wish or availability. With tu, use 'Tu veux + infinitive' or 'Ça te dit de + infinitive': 'Tu veux venir ?' and 'Ça te dit de venir ?' both mean 'Do you want to come?'. With vous, use 'Est-ce que vous êtes libre...' or the conditional 'Seriez-vous disponible...'. The conditional is more polite and is common in formal messages: 'Seriez-vous disponible samedi ?' sounds softer than 'Êtes-vous disponible samedi ?'. Always include the event or activity: 'venir à la fête', 'aller au cinéma', 'venir dîner'.
When to use it
Choose tu with friends, close family, classmates and children. Choose vous with colleagues you do not know well, clients, teachers, older people and anyone you have just met. In a group, use vous even if you use tu with one person individually. If you are unsure, vous is the safer choice; the other person may then say 'On peut se tutoyer' if they prefer tu. For a tentative response, do not push. Ask a simple follow-up: 'Tu veux que je t'envoie les détails ?' or 'Voulez-vous que je vous envoie plus d'informations ?'. This keeps the invitation open without pressure.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Salut Marie ! Ça te dit de venir à mon anniversaire samedi ?
Hi Marie! Do you fancy coming to my birthday on Saturday?sah-LOO mah-REE sah tuh dee duh vuh-NEER ah mohn ah-nee-vair-SAIR sahm-DEEAh, samedi... je ne suis pas sûr. C'est à quelle heure ?
Ah, Saturday... I'm not sure. What time is it?ah sahm-DEE zhuh nuh swee pah sewr say tah kel UHRVers 20 heures, chez moi. Tu veux que je t'envoie l'adresse ?
Around 8 p.m., at my place. Do you want me to send you the address?vair vahn-tuh-NUHR shay mwah tew vuh kuh zhuh tahn-VWAH lah-DRESSOui, envoie-la moi. Je te réponds demain, d'accord ?
Yes, send it to me. I'll reply tomorrow, okay?wee ahn-VWAH lah mwah zhuh tuh ray-POHN duh-MAN dah-KORA little context goes a long way
In France, Belgium and Switzerland, the tu/vous choice matters in invitations. Using tu too quickly with a colleague or an older person can sound too familiar, while vous with a close friend can sound distant or joking. In Quebec, tu is common in many informal workplace situations, but vous remains safe with clients and strangers. Written invitations often use the conditional 'Seriez-vous disponible...' to sound polite without being stiff.
One thing to watch for
Using 'Voulez-vous venir ?' with a friend because it looks like the English 'Do you want to come?'.
Try this instead: With a friend, 'Voulez-vous venir ?' sounds formal and distant. Say 'Tu veux venir ?' or 'Ça te dit de venir ?'. Keep 'Voulez-vous venir ?' for a formal or professional invitation, for example to a client: 'Voulez-vous venir à notre événement ?'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Invite a close friend to the cinema on Friday using tu and 'ça te dit'.
Show a sample answer
Ça te dit d'aller au cinéma vendredi ?
This uses the informal tu form and the common invitation pattern 'Ça te dit de + infinitive'. 'Tu veux aller au cinéma vendredi ?' is also correct and slightly more direct.
2You are writing to a colleague you do not know well. Ask politely if they are free on Saturday evening.
Show a sample answer
Est-ce que vous êtes libre samedi soir ?
This uses vous and a neutral question form. In a more formal email, 'Seriez-vous disponible samedi soir ?' is also correct and sounds more polite.
3Someone answers 'Je ne suis pas sûr.' What can you say to keep the invitation open?
Show a sample answer
Tu veux que je t'envoie les détails ?
This follow-up offers help without pressuring the person. With vous, say 'Voulez-vous que je vous envoie les détails ?'. Both keep the invitation open.
Use tu with friends and vous in formal situations, choose 'Tu veux...' or 'Ça te dit de...' for informal invitations, and 'Est-ce que vous êtes libre...' or 'Seriez-vous disponible...' for polite ones. If the answer is unsure, offer to send details instead of insisting.
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