In this workshop you will practice responding to an informal invitation in French. You will hear short recorded lines that accept enthusiastically, accept politely, or decline with a reason. Then you will take both roles in a short dialogue: the person inviting and the person responding. The goal is to speak the lines aloud, choose the right response for the situation, and check your own answers. No automatic scoring is provided, so use the answer keys to compare what you said.
Warm-up: Hear the key responses
Listen to each recorded line and repeat it aloud. First, an enthusiastic acceptance: «Ouais, carrément !». This means something like 'Yeah, definitely!' and is very casual. Next, another warm acceptance: «Ça me dit trop !». This means 'I'd really love to!' and is common among younger speakers. For a polite but friendly acceptance, use «Avec plaisir !», which means 'With pleasure!' Finally, a polite refusal: «Je ne peux pas, mais merci !», meaning 'I can't, but thanks!' Notice that the refusal still includes thanks, which keeps the tone friendly. Practice each line several times, paying attention to rhythm and linking between words.
Dialogue: Invitation at the cinema
Now listen to a short exchange. One speaker asks: «Tu veux venir au ciné ce soir ?», which means 'Do you want to come to the cinema tonight?' The other speaker accepts enthusiastically with «Ouais, carrément ! Ça me dit trop !», combining two of the phrases you practiced. Then the first speaker turns to another person and asks: «Super ! Et toi, Léa, tu viens ?», meaning 'Great! And you, Léa, are you coming?' The second person declines politely: «Je ne peux pas, mais merci ! J'ai déjà quelque chose.», which means 'I can't, but thanks! I already have something.' Notice how the refusal gives a short reason. Practice both roles: first read the inviting lines, then read the responding lines. You can pause the audio and repeat each line until it feels natural.
Choosing the right response
The response you choose depends on whether you want to accept or decline, and how close you are to the person inviting you. For a close friend, an enthusiastic acceptance like «Ouais, carrément !» or «Ça me dit trop !» works well. For an acquaintance or colleague, a polite acceptance like «Avec plaisir !» is safer. If you cannot come, use a polite refusal like «Je ne peux pas, mais merci !» and add a short reason if you have one, as in «Je ne peux pas, mais merci ! J'ai déjà quelque chose.». Remember that declining is not rude when you include thanks. Practice switching between accepting and declining so you can respond quickly in a real conversation.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Ouais, carrément !
Yeah, definitely!
oo-ay kah-ray-mahn
Ça me dit trop !
I'd really love to!
sah muh dee troh
Avec plaisir !
With pleasure!
ah-vek play-zeer
Je ne peux pas, mais merci !
I can't, but thanks!
zhuh nuh puh pah, meh mair-see
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Tu veux venir au ciné ce soir ?
Do you want to come to the cinema tonight?Ouais, carrément ! Ça me dit trop !
Yeah, definitely! I'd really love to!Super ! Et toi, Léa, tu viens ?
Great! And you, Léa, are you coming?Je ne peux pas, mais merci ! J'ai déjà quelque chose.
I can't, but thanks! I already have something.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: Accept an invitation
Imagine a friend asks you to come to the cinema tonight. You want to accept enthusiastically. Use the recorded lines to build your response.
Your task: Say the friend's question aloud: «Tu veux venir au ciné ce soir ?». Then respond with an enthusiastic acceptance using «Ouais, carrément !» and «Ça me dit trop !» together, as in «Ouais, carrément ! Ça me dit trop !». Repeat the exchange three times, switching roles each time.
Reply comprehension: Choose the correct response
Read the following situations and choose the best recorded response for each. Then say it aloud.
Your task: Situation 1: A close friend invites you to a party and you really want to go. Situation 2: An acquaintance invites you to dinner but you already have plans. Situation 3: A colleague invites you to lunch and you are free. Use only the recorded lines «Ouais, carrément !», «Ça me dit trop !», «Avec plaisir !», «Je ne peux pas, mais merci !», and «Je ne peux pas, mais merci ! J'ai déjà quelque chose.» to respond.
Recall and role-play: Invite and respond
Work with a partner or imagine both roles. One person invites, the other responds. Use only the recorded lines.
Your task: Person A says «Tu veux venir au ciné ce soir ?». Person B accepts with «Ouais, carrément ! Ça me dit trop !». Person A then says «Super ! Et toi, Léa, tu viens ?». Person B declines with «Je ne peux pas, mais merci ! J'ai déjà quelque chose.». Perform the whole dialogue twice, then swap roles and perform it again.
Common questions
Can I use these phrases with anyone?
Some phrases are very informal. «Ouais, carrément !» and «Ça me dit trop !» are best with close friends. «Avec plaisir !» is polite and works with acquaintances or colleagues. «Je ne peux pas, mais merci !» and «Je ne peux pas, mais merci ! J'ai déjà quelque chose.» are polite refusals that include thanks, so they are safe in many situations.
What if I want to decline but suggest another time?
The recordings in this workshop do not include a phrase for suggesting another time. You can still decline politely with «Je ne peux pas, mais merci !» or «Je ne peux pas, mais merci ! J'ai déjà quelque chose.». If you later learn a phrase for suggesting an alternative, you can add it after your refusal.
Sources and further reading
- french: accept decline invitationsChecked September 2026
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