French · Real conversations
Suggest a plan naturally in French
A suggestion invites a joint decision. Name a day, offer an activity, or make a plan conditional on the other person's availability.
Three ways to say it
On se voit samedi ?
Shall we meet on Saturday?
Suggest a concrete meeting day.
Et si on se promenait après le déjeuner ?
How about a walk after lunch?
Offer a relaxed activity after an existing part of the day.
Si tu es libre, on pourrait essayer ce nouveau café.
If you're free, we could try that new café.
Suggest a new place while leaving room for the person's schedule.
Avoid translating word by word
English 'How about a walk?' proposes an activity; it does not ask how a walk works. Use the target-language suggestion pattern with the activity, rather than translating 'how' and 'about' separately.
See the difference in context
Choosing a day to meet
Quand est-ce qu'on se voit ?
When should we meet?
On se voit samedi ?
Shall we meet on Saturday?
Deciding what to do after lunch
Qu'est-ce qu'on fait après le déjeuner ?
What shall we do after lunch?
Et si on se promenait après le déjeuner ?
How about a walk after lunch?
Your turn
Suggest trying a new café if the other person is free. Make the availability condition clear.
Reveal a sample reply
Si tu es libre, on pourrait essayer ce nouveau café.
If you're free, we could try that new café.
This speaking goal in other languages
A note on speaking French
Use vous with strangers, staff, and people you address formally; use tu when that relationship is established. Je voudrais and pourriez-vous can make a request considerate. The most appropriate choice depends on the person and the situation.
Keep accents and apostrophes. A familiar spoken expression may differ from its literal English translation. Read the complete line, including the pronoun and the words that connect the request.
