Arranging meetings
Welcome to this first class in our series of French for meetings and conferences. In this lesson we'll look at how to arrange a meeting and make invitiations, both via email or the telephone. We'll also take a look at how to talk about dates and times in French.
Key vocabulary
Here's some key vocabulary related to meetings:
- meeting
- meeting room
- attendees
- audiovisual equipment
- date
- day
- time
Proposing dates and times
- Etes-vous disponible le 16 décembre à 17h ?
Are you available on the 16th of December at 17:00? - Est-ce que 16h30 vous convient?
Does 16:30 suit you?
Asking to change the day or time
What if the proposed time/day doesn't suit us? We can use:
- Pourrions-nous faire la réunion un peu plus tard ?
Could we have the meeting a little later? - Pourrions-nous convenir de vendredi au lieu de jeudi?
Could we say Friday instead of Thursday? - Je crois que mercredi serait mieux pour nous.
I think Wednesday would be better for us.
Giving dates
The following phrases are great if you just want to inform attendees of the details of a meeting that has already been arranged
- La réunion de ventes a été organisée pour le 16 à 12h30.
The Sales meeting has been arranged for the 16th at 12:30.
Don't give the buggers a choice, I say!
Writing dates in French
We cover this in a separate class, here:
Telling the time in French
If you're writing the time, there shouldn't be any problem. However, if you are arranging a meeting verbally - over the phone for example - then make sure you know how to tell the time in French!
Proposing the venue
- Would you be able to come to our offices?
- Could we make it Madrid?
Thanks for visiting!
Some other stuff here
This Course
Business French
Our Business French course is designed to get you working in French as quickly as possible. The course contains sections on meetings and the telephone, as well as French for finance and practical workplace French (The type of practical phrases you'll need in a French-speaking office).
We are also working on a series of sector-based courses. First up is a set of classes for estate agents and property buyers.
Other sections in this course
Real estate
Whether you're selling property in Provence or working with clients in Paris, the type of vocabulary you'll need isn't going to vary much from place to place.
Speaking on the Phone
Speaking on the phone can be one of the most difficult tasks in any foreign language. In this course we'll take you through all the basics, from answering the phone, to taking messages or giving excuses when your boss hasn't come back from lunch.
French for Meetings
Need to attend a meeting with French-speaking clients?
In this section we'll cover everything from arranging dates and sending invitations, to writing agendas, through to summarising the agreements reached at the meeting.
In a French-speaking office
Dont' know how to ask for a stapler? In this section we'll take you through all those useful little phrases and questions for office life that other courses just don't cover.
Finance and Numbers
How do we present numbers and talk about financial information in French? In this section we cover the basics (the numbers in French!) as well as how to present graphs, sales results, or complicated statistical data.
French for Meetings
Other classes in this section:
Arranging meetings
Need to arrange a meeting with French-speaking colleagues or clients? In this class we'll see how to do that via email or phone. We'll also introduce you to a whole load of vocabulary related to meetings, conferences and dates.