Make plans in French
Learn elementary French phrases to invite someone, suggest a time, accept or politely decline, and agree on a plan. Includes pronunciation, dialogue, and practice.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
In this lesson, you will learn how to invite someone in French, suggest a specific time, accept or politely decline, and then agree on a final plan. We focus on standard contemporary French used in everyday situations, such as asking a friend to grab a coffee or see a movie. You will practice key phrases like 'Tu es libre?' and 'Ça te dit?' and learn how to respond naturally. By the end, you will be able to handle a full invitation exchange with confidence, using appropriate politeness and regional variants where relevant.
By the end, you can…
- invite someone to do an activity using common French expressions.
- suggest a specific time and day for a meeting.
- accept an invitation enthusiastically or politely decline with a reason.
- negotiate and agree on a final plan in French.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Tu es libre samedi ?
Are you free on Saturday?
tew eh LEE-bruh sahm-DEE
Informal, used with friends or peers. Use 'Vous êtes libre samedi ?' (voo zet LEE-bruh sahm-DEE) for formal or plural.
Ça te dit d'aller au cinéma ?
Do you feel like going to the movies?
sah tuh dee dah-LAY oh see-nay-MAH
Very common informal invitation. 'Ça vous dit' is the formal/plural version.
On pourrait se retrouver à 18h ?
Could we meet at 6 PM?
ohn poo-REH suh ruh-troo-VAY ah dee-zwee-TUHR
Suggests a time politely. '18h' is 6 PM in 24-hour time, common in France.
Oui, avec plaisir !
Yes, with pleasure!
wee ah-VEK pleh-ZEER
Warm acceptance. Can also say 'Oui, ça me dit !' (wee sah muh dee) meaning 'Yes, I'd like that!'
Désolé(e), je ne peux pas, j'ai déjà quelque chose de prévu.
Sorry, I can't, I already have something planned.
day-zoh-LAY, zhuh nuh puh pah, zhay day-ZHAH kel-kuh shoz duh pray-VEW
Polite decline with a reason. Add 'e' to 'Désolé' if you are female. In Quebec, 'Désolé' may be pronounced with a different vowel, but spelling is the same.
On se dit à samedi prochain, alors ?
So, see you next Saturday?
ohn suh dee ah sahm-DEE praw-SHAN ah-LOR
Confirms the plan. 'On se dit' is informal for 'see you'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To invite someone, use 'Ça te dit de + infinitive?' for informal situations. For example, 'Ça te dit de manger au restaurant ?' means 'Do you feel like eating at a restaurant?' For a more formal invitation, use 'Ça vous dit de + infinitive?' or 'Voulez-vous + infinitive?' as in 'Voulez-vous dîner avec nous ?' (Would you like to have dinner with us?). To suggest a time, use 'On pourrait + infinitive + à + time' as in 'On pourrait se voir à 20h.'
When to use it
Use informal invitations with friends, family, or people your age. Use formal invitations with strangers, older people, or in professional settings. When declining, always give a brief reason and soften with 'Désolé(e)' or 'Je suis désolé(e)'. For example, 'Je suis désolé, je travaille ce jour-là.' If you want to propose another time, say 'Ça te dit de reporter à dimanche ?' (Do you want to postpone to Sunday?). In Quebec, 'Ça te dit' is also common, but you might hear 'Ça te tente?' for 'Do you feel like it?'
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Salut ! Tu es libre samedi après-midi ?
Hi! Are you free Saturday afternoon?sah-LOO tew eh LEE-bruh sahm-DEE ah-pray-mee-DEEOui, je pense. Qu'est-ce que tu veux faire ?
Yes, I think so. What do you want to do?wee zhuh pahns kess-kuh tew vuh fairÇa te dit d'aller au parc et de pique-niquer ?
Do you feel like going to the park and having a picnic?sah tuh dee dah-LAY oh park ay duh peek-nee-KAYBonne idée ! On pourrait se retrouver à 15h devant l'entrée ?
Good idea! Could we meet at 3 PM in front of the entrance?bun ee-DAY ohn poo-REH suh ruh-troo-VAY ah kenz-UHR duh-VAH lahn-TRAYParfait. Apporte quelque chose à boire, d'accord ?
Perfect. Bring something to drink, okay?par-FEH ah-PORT kel-kuh shoz ah BWAHR dah-KORD'accord ! À samedi !
Okay! See you Saturday!dah-KOR ah sahm-DEEA little context goes a long way
In France, it is common to use the 24-hour clock for appointments (e.g., '15h' for 3 PM). In informal invitations, 'tu' is standard among friends, but using 'vous' with a peer can sound distant. In Quebec, 'on' is often pronounced 'on' but may be heard as 'nous' in formal speech; however, 'on' is widely used. When declining, directness is acceptable if you give a reason, but adding a softener like 'malheureusement' (unfortunately) is polite.
One thing to watch for
Using 'Je veux' to invite someone, as in 'Je veux aller au cinéma' meaning 'I want to go to the movies' as an invitation.
Try this instead: 'Je veux' expresses your own desire, not an invitation. To invite, use 'Ça te dit d'aller au cinéma ?' or 'Tu veux aller au cinéma ?' The latter is acceptable but less polite than 'Ça te dit'. For formal, use 'Ça vous dit' or 'Voulez-vous'.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you informally invite a friend to have a coffee tomorrow?
Show a sample answer
Ça te dit de prendre un café demain ?
This uses the informal invitation pattern 'Ça te dit de + infinitive'. You could also say 'Tu veux prendre un café demain ?' which is slightly more direct but still common.
2Suggest meeting at 7 PM using a polite conditional form.
Show a sample answer
On pourrait se retrouver à 19h ?
'On pourrait' is a polite suggestion. '19h' is 7 PM in 24-hour time. You could also say 'à 7 heures du soir' in less formal contexts.
3Politely decline an invitation to a party because you are busy, and suggest another day.
Show a sample answer
Désolé(e), je ne peux pas, je suis occupé(e). Ça te dit de reporter à dimanche ?
This declines with a reason and proposes an alternative. 'Occupé(e)' agrees with your gender. 'Reporter à' means 'postpone to'. You could also say 'On peut faire ça dimanche ?'
To invite in French, use 'Ça te dit de...' informally or 'Ça vous dit de...' formally. Suggest a time with 'On pourrait... à...'. Accept with 'avec plaisir', decline politely with 'Désolé(e), je ne peux pas' and a reason, then confirm with 'On se dit à...'.
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