French · Real conversations
How to say “I'd prefer not to discuss that.” in French
Politely say that you do not want to discuss a topic.
Je préférerais ne pas en parler.
I'd prefer not to discuss that.
The expression states a conversational boundary without requiring a detailed reason.
Use it in three situations
A personal question
Je préférerais ne pas en parler.
I'd prefer not to discuss that.
At a social gathering
Je préférerais ne pas parler de ma famille.
I'd prefer not to discuss my family.
Changing a sensitive topic
On pourrait parler d'autre chose ?
Could we talk about something else?
What to watch for
A preference not to discuss something is different from saying you do not understand it.
Read the whole expression before replacing a detail. The natural wording may use a different order or construction from the English sentence.
Your turn
Imagine support and boundaries. Say this in French: I'd prefer not to discuss my family.
Reveal a sample reply
Je préférerais ne pas parler de ma famille.
I'd prefer not to discuss my family.
Build a useful exchange
Show care while being clear about your limits.
This expression 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.
