How to speak up in a meeting in French
Est-ce que mardi matin vous conviendrait ?
“Would Tuesday morning suit you?”
When: Suggesting a meeting time
The moment
You are in a team meeting at a Paris agency, deciding when to launch a campaign. You need to propose a time, push back politely on one idea, and sum up what was agreed.
B1 · Unit 1 · Work & study
The lines
Proposing a slot politely
The conditional 'conviendrait' turns a demand into an offer. Use it with clients and anyone you vouvoie: 'Est-ce que mardi matin vous conviendrait ?'
Est-ce que mardi matin vous conviendrait ?
“Would Tuesday morning suit you?”
When to use it: Suggesting a meeting time
What you’ll hear back: Oui, ça me va très bien. (Yes, that works fine for me.)
Disagreeing without friction
Concede the principle first, then float your alternative with 'j'aurais tendance à' so it lands as a leaning, not a verdict.
Je vous suis sur le principe, mais j'aurais tendance à faire autrement.
“I agree with the idea, but I would tend to do it differently.”
When to use it: Pushing back on a colleague's proposal
What you’ll hear back: Ah, c'est-à-dire ? (Oh, how so?)
Words for this scene
| French | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| on part là-dessus | ohn par lah-duh-SOO | let's go with that |
Bon, si tout le monde est d'accord, on part là-dessus. Right, if everyone agrees, let's go with that. Tip: Closes a decision crisply without sounding like you are giving orders. | ||
| je récapitule | zhuh ray-kah-pee-TOOL | let me sum up |
Je récapitule : Marc rédige le devis et je relance le client vendredi. Let me sum up: Marc writes the quote and I follow up with the client on Friday. Tip: Announce it, then name who does what and by when. | ||
| caler une réunion | kah-LEH oon ray-oo-NYOHN | to lock in a meeting |
On peut caler une réunion en visio jeudi après-midi ? Can we lock in a video meeting on Thursday afternoon? Tip: Office slang; warmer than 'organiser' with colleagues you tutoie. | ||
Your objective
Propose a day and time for the next meeting, push back politely on one idea with a reason, and sum up what was agreed.
- a day and time
- a polite objection and why
- a summary of the decision
Lines that get it done
- Est-ce que mardi matin vous conviendrait ?
- Je vous suis sur le principe, mais j'aurais tendance à faire autrement.
- Je récapitule : Marc rédige le devis et je relance le client vendredi. · Let me sum up: Marc writes the quote and I follow up with the client on Friday.
In the live scene the objective stays on screen, and the Replay afterwards says whether you got it done.
Check yourself
1. How do you politely suggest Tuesday morning to a client?
- Est-ce que mardi matin vous conviendrait ?
- Est-ce que mardi matin te conviendrait ?
- Est-ce que mardi matin est convenable pour vous ?
- Est-ce que mardi matin vous convenez bien ?
Show the answer
Est-ce que mardi matin vous conviendrait ?
The conditional plus 'vous' is the polite default with a client.
2. A colleague suggests an approach you don't fully agree with. What is the diplomatic reply?
- Je vous suis sur le principe, mais j'aurais tendance à faire autrement.
- Non, ce n'est pas du tout comme ça qu'il faut faire.
- Je suis désolé, mais vous avez complètement tort.
- Je ne vous suis pas du principe, mais je fais autrement.
Show the answer
Je vous suis sur le principe, mais j'aurais tendance à faire autrement.
You agree with the principle first, then soften the objection with the conditional.
3. How do you announce that you are going to sum up the decisions?
- Je récapitule : on valide le budget et on se revoit lundi.
- Je récapitulation : on valide le budget et on se revoit lundi.
- Je me récapitule : on valide le budget et on se revoit lundi.
- Je fais récapituler : on valide le budget et on se revoit lundi.
Show the answer
Je récapitule : on valide le budget et on se revoit lundi.
'Récapituler' is a plain verb here, with no reflexive pronoun and no extra noun.