One of the most satisfying moments in learning a language is when you can make and respond to real social invitations. In this lesson you'll learn the key expressions for inviting someone, accepting, declining politely, and postponing plans — essential social vocabulary for everyday life in France. Camille phones Lucas with a series of invitations for the week ahead, and their conversation gives you a natural, friendly model to follow. By the end of this lesson you'll be able to handle any social invitation in French with confidence!
Learning tips
- 'Tu veux + infinitive?' and 'On va + infinitive?' are the two most natural ways to invite someone to do something in spoken French. Memorise them as ready-made formulas.
- To accept, the two best expressions are 'D'accord !' (OK! / Agreed!) and 'Avec plaisir !' (With pleasure!). Both are polite, warm, and instantly recognisable.
- To decline, always soften the refusal with an explanation: 'Désolé, je suis occupé(e)' or 'Je ne peux pas ce soir.' Adding a reason makes the decline much more natural.
- 'La prochaine fois !' (Next time!) is a wonderfully useful phrase that closes a declined invitation on a positive note — use it whenever you can't make something.
- Notice that 'désolé' needs an -e ending for a female speaker: 'Désolée, je ne peux pas.' The pronunciation difference is subtle but worth knowing.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| il fait chaud | it's hot |
| il fait froid | it's cold |
| il pleut | it's raining |
| il fait beau | it's nice (weather) |
| il y a du vent | it's windy |
| le soleil | sun |
| la pluie | rain |
| la neige | snow |
| le nuage | cloud |
| le temps | weather; time |
Dialog
Camille calls Lucas and offers him a series of invitations for the coming days: a party tonight, the cinema tomorrow, a museum visit on Saturday, and football on Sunday. Lucas navigates his schedule, accepting some and declining others. This dialog is packed with the social expressions you'll use constantly in French.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| tu veux | /ty vø/ | you want (do you want?) | Second person singular of 'vouloir' (to want). 'Tu veux + infinitive?' is the standard conversational invitation formula. Note: 'je voudrais' (I would like) is more polite than 'je veux' (I want). |
| on va | /ɔ̃ va/ | we're going to / let's | Near future with 'on' (= nous in spoken French). 'On va + infinitive' = we're going to do something. Also used as a suggestion: 'On va au cinéma ?' = Shall we go to the cinema? |
| d'accord | /da.kɔʁ/ | OK, agreed, alright | Extremely common in spoken French. Used to accept a proposal or confirm agreement. 'D'accord' is a contraction of 'de accord' — 'in agreement'. |
| avec plaisir | /a.vɛk plɛ.ziʁ/ | with pleasure | A warm, enthusiastic way to accept an invitation. More expressive than a simple 'oui'. Common in formal and informal contexts alike. |
| désolé | /de.zɔ.le/ | sorry | Used to decline politely or apologise. 'Désolé' (m) / 'Désolée' (f). Stronger than 'pardon' — expresses genuine regret. |
| libre | /libʁ/ | free, available | Adjective. 'Je suis libre' = I'm free / I'm available. Also means 'free' as in freedom: 'un pays libre' = a free country. |
| occupé | /ɔ.ky.pe/ | busy | Adjective. 'Je suis occupé(e)' = I'm busy. Feminine form adds an -e: occupée. The past participle of 'occuper' (to occupy). |
| ce soir | /sə swaʁ/ | tonight, this evening | Time expression. 'Ce soir' is used for evening/night-time plans. Compare: 'ce matin' (this morning), 'cet après-midi' (this afternoon). |
| demain | /də.mɛ̃/ | tomorrow | Common time adverb. 'Demain matin' = tomorrow morning. 'Demain soir' = tomorrow evening. 'Après-demain' = the day after tomorrow. |
| la prochaine fois | /la pʁɔ.ʃɛn fwa/ | next time | Feminine noun phrase. 'À la prochaine fois !' or simply 'La prochaine fois !' is a very natural way to close a declined invitation warmly. |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| peut-être | /pø.tɛtʁ/ | maybe, perhaps | Adverb. 'Peut-être que oui' = maybe yes. More tentative than 'd'accord' — useful when you're unsure. |
| ça dépend | /sa de.pɑ̃/ | it depends | Fixed expression. 'Ça dépend' is one of the most natural hedging phrases in French — use it when you're not yet sure of your answer. |
| malheureusement | /ma.lœ.ʁøz.mɑ̃/ | unfortunately | Adverb. Formal alternative to 'désolé'. 'Malheureusement, je ne peux pas.' Used in both spoken and written French. |
| volontiers | /vɔ.lɔ̃.tje/ | gladly, willingly | Adverb. A slightly more formal or old-fashioned equivalent of 'avec plaisir'. Still common in everyday polite speech. |
| pourquoi pas | /puʁ.kwa pa/ | why not? | Expression. Used to accept casually and with a relaxed attitude. 'Pourquoi pas !' = Why not! / Sure! |
| bonne idée | /bɔn i.de/ | good idea! | Expression. 'Bonne idée !' is a natural, enthusiastic way to agree with a suggestion. 'Idée' is feminine, so 'bonne' (not 'bon'). |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| tu veux venir ? | do you want to come? |
| je suis libre / occupé | I'm free / I'm busy |
| la prochaine fois | next time |
Grammar: Making and responding to invitations — Tu veux + infinitive? / On va + infinitive? — accepting and declining
| Intention | Expression | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| Inviter | Tu veux + infinitif ? | Tu veux venir ce soir ? |
| Inviter | On va + infinitif ? | On va au cinéma ? |
| Accepter | D'accord ! | D'accord, avec plaisir ! |
| Accepter | Avec plaisir ! | Oui, avec plaisir ! |
| Refuser | Désolé(e), je suis occupé(e). | Désolé, je suis occupé. |
| Refuser | Je ne peux pas. | Je ne peux pas ce soir. |
| Reporter | La prochaine fois ! | Ce sera la prochaine fois ! |
This lesson focuses on the social language of making, accepting, and declining invitations in French. There are two main ways to invite someone: 'Tu veux + infinitive?' (Do you want to...?) and 'On va + infinitive?' (Shall we...? / We're going to...?). Both use present-tense constructions and are far more common in everyday speech than any formal invitation formula. To accept, use 'D'accord !' (OK/Agreed) or 'Avec plaisir !' (With pleasure) — both work in any context. To decline, the most natural phrase is 'Désolé(e), je suis occupé(e)' (Sorry, I'm busy) or 'Je ne peux pas + time expression' (I can't + tonight/this weekend). Notice that 'ne peux pas' uses 'pouvoir' (to be able to) in the negative — je ne peux pas, tu ne peux pas, il/elle ne peut pas. To soften a refusal and keep the relationship warm, add 'la prochaine fois !' (next time!) at the end. This phrase is so culturally embedded in French social life that it often sounds more natural than any elaborate excuse. Together, these expressions give you a complete social toolkit for navigating plans and invitations in French.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct French word or expression from the lesson.
- Tu veux avec nous au restaurant ce soir ? (venir)(the infinitive of 'to come')
- Je suis samedi — j'ai du travail. (occupé)(the adjective meaning not free, with work to do)
- ! Je suis libre ce soir. (D'accord)(the expression meaning 'yes, I agree')
- , je ne peux pas venir — je suis malade. (Désolé)(the word used to apologise when declining)
- On va au cinéma ? Il y a un bon film. (ce soir)(this evening — a time expression)
Grammar Application
Fill in each blank with the correct invitation or response expression from the grammar table.
- venir à la fête ce soir ? (tu veux)(use 'tu veux' to invite — you want)
- jouer au football demain ? (on va)(use 'on va' as a suggestion — we're going to)
- — je suis libre ! (d'accord)(accepting — 'OK!')
- — je suis occupé ce soir. (désolé)(declining — 'sorry')
- Ce sera — je ne peux pas maintenant. (la prochaine fois)(postponing — 'next time')
Translate into French
Translate each English sentence into French using the invitation vocabulary from this lesson.
- Do you want to come to the cinema tonight?
- I am free tomorrow evening.
- Sorry, I am busy this weekend.
- With pleasure — I love concerts!
- Maybe next time!
Build Your Own Sentence
Write a short French exchange: one invitation sentence and one response (accepting or declining politely).
Takeaway
Two phrases open every French invitation — 'Tu veux venir ?' and 'On va...?' — and two phrases close any polite decline: 'Désolé(e), je suis occupé(e)' and 'La prochaine fois !'