Business French for Expats: 50 Essential Phrases
Reading time: 16 min
You’re an expat.
You work in France or for a French company.
And then there’s that moment...
During a meeting, your boss asks you a question.
Everyone turns to look at you.
And your brain goes:
“Uh...”
You know French.
But professional French is different.
It’s faster.
More formal.
More precise.
And most importantly: you have to answer right away.
The real problem:
You may understand everyday French, but freeze as soon as you have to speak in a meeting, present a project, answer an objection, or write a professional email.
It’s not an intelligence problem. It’s a targeted practice problem.
Why is professional French different?
Professional French is not the same French you use at a café, in a restaurant, or with friends.
It’s different on three levels.
1. Vocabulary
At a café, you can say:
“Ça va ?”
In a meeting, you’re more likely to hear:
“Comment se présente le dossier ?”
At a restaurant, you say:
“Je prends un steak.”
At work, you say:
“Je vais prendre en charge ce dossier.”
2. Register
In a normal conversation, you can be more casual.
You can hesitate.
You can rephrase.
But at work, you want to sound clear, professional, and confident.
3. Speed
At a café, you can take five seconds to answer.
In a meeting, five seconds can feel very long.
You often have to answer in two or three seconds.
This is why knowing French is not enough.
You need to know the professional phrases French people really use, then practice them until they become automatic.
50 essential professional French phrases
I’ve organized them by situation.
Because that’s how you’ll actually remember them.
Context 1: Arriving at a meeting
You arrive at a meeting. You need to greet people, introduce yourself, or start the discussion.
1. “Bonjour à tous. Excusez-moi pour le retard.” (Hello everyone. Sorry for being late.)
2. “Je suis [ton nom], je travaille sur le projet [nom].” (I’m [name], I work on the [project name].)
3. “On peut commencer ?” (Can we get started?)
4. “Avant de commencer, est-ce que vous aviez des questions ?” (Before we start, did anyone have questions?)
5. “On a [X] minutes, je vous propose qu’on se concentre sur les trois points clés.” (We have [X] minutes, I suggest we focus on the three key points.)
Context 2: Giving your opinion in a meeting
This is often the critical moment.
You have an idea, but you need to express it quickly, clearly, and professionally.
6. “Je suis d’accord avec ce qui a été dit.” (I agree with what was said.)
7. “Je ne suis pas tout à fait d’accord. Voici pourquoi...” (I don’t quite agree. Here’s why...)
8. “C’est un bon point, mais...” (That’s a good point, but...)
9. “Je pense qu’on devrait considérer...” (I think we should consider...)
10. “Ça dépend de comment on le regarde.” (It depends on how you look at it.)
11. “Le risque, c’est que...” (The risk is that...)
12. “On a déjà essayé ça, et voilà ce qui s’est passé...” (We already tried that, and here’s what happened...)
13. “Je comprends ton point de vue, mais en pratique...” (I understand your point of view, but in practice...)
The professional reflex:
At work, you don’t need to make long sentences to sound intelligent.
Above all, you need to be clear, precise, and able to answer quickly.
Context 3: Presentations and pitches
You have to present a project.
You’re in front of everyone.
The stress rises.
These phrases will help you structure what you say.
14. “Merci de m’avoir donné cette opportunité de vous présenter ce projet.” (Thank you for giving me this opportunity to present this project.)
15. “L’objectif de cette présentation est de...” (The goal of this presentation is to...)
16. “Je vais vous montrer trois éléments clés : [1], [2], [3].” (I’m going to show you three key elements: [1], [2], [3].)
17. “Comme vous pouvez le voir sur ce graphique...” (As you can see on this chart...)
18. “En résumé, l’impact serait...” (To summarize, the impact would be...)
19. “Des questions avant qu’on passe au point suivant ?” (Any questions before we move to the next point?)
20. “Je suis ouvert à vos retours.” (I’m open to your feedback.)
Context 4: Answering objections
Someone disagrees.
Someone thinks your idea is too expensive, too risky, or too complicated.
Here’s how to answer without panicking.
21. “C’est une très bonne question.” (That’s a very good question.)
22. “Vous faites référence à...” (You’re referring to...)
23. “C’est vrai que c’est un risque, mais voilà comment on peut le limiter...” (It’s true that it’s a risk, but here’s how we can reduce it...)
24. “On a pensé à ça, et voilà notre plan B...” (We thought about that, and here’s our plan B...)
25. “Je comprends vos préoccupations. Voici les données qui montrent que...” (I understand your concerns. Here are the data showing that...)
26. “Je peux revenir vers toi avec plus de détails là-dessus.” (I can get back to you with more details on that.)
A small natural correction:
You may sometimes hear “mitiger” in professional contexts, but in more natural French, you can say “limiter un risque” or “réduire un risque”.
Context 5: Asking for help or delegating
Asking for help at work requires the right tone.
You want to be clear without sounding harsh.
27. “Est-ce que tu aurais du temps pour m’aider avec...” (Would you have time to help me with...)
28. “Je voudrais que tu prennes en charge ce dossier. Ça te convient ?” (I’d like you to take charge of this file. Does that work for you?)
29. “On a jusqu’au [date] pour le finir. Ça te laisse assez de temps ?” (We have until [date] to finish it. Is that enough time for you?)
30. “Je compte sur toi pour...” (I’m counting on you to...)
31. “Reviens vers moi si tu as besoin de précisions.” (Get back to me if you need clarification.)
Context 6: Giving feedback
Giving feedback in French can be delicate.
You need to stay professional, clear, and human.
32. “Globalement, c’est du bon travail. Quelques points à affiner...” (Overall, it’s good work. A few points to refine...)
33. “Je pense qu’il faudrait revoir...” (I think we should revise...)
34. “C’est presque là, mais il manque...” (It’s almost there, but it’s missing...)
35. “Je t’aiderais volontiers si tu veux discuter de ça.” (I’d be happy to help if you want to discuss it.)
36. “C’est important parce que...” (It’s important because...)
37. “La prochaine fois, essaie plutôt de...” (Next time, try instead to...)
Context 7: Negotiations and money
Talking about money or negotiating can be stressful.
These phrases help you stay professional and direct.
38. “On pourrait parler de [sujet] ?” (Could we discuss [topic]?)
39. “Voilà ce que je propose...” (Here’s what I propose...)
40. “Est-ce que c’est négociable ?” (Is that negotiable?)
41. “On pourrait trouver un terrain d’entente ?” (Could we find common ground?)
42. “Ça marche pour vous ?” (Does that work for you?)
Context 8: Professional emails — opening
Professional emails have their own formulas.
43. “Bonjour [Nom],
J’espère que vous allez bien.” (Hi [Name], I hope you’re doing well.)
44. “Suite à notre conversation d’hier...” (Following our conversation yesterday...)
45. “Je vous contacte au sujet de...” (I’m contacting you regarding...)
46. “À titre informatif, voici...” (For your information, here’s...)
Context 9: Professional emails — closing
To close a professional email, you can use these formulas.
47. “Pourriez-vous me confirmer que vous avez bien reçu ce message ?” (Could you confirm that you received this message?)
48. “Je reste à votre disposition si vous avez des questions.” (I remain at your disposal if you have any questions.)
49. “Cordialement,” / “Bien à vous,” / “Meilleurs vœux,” (Best regards / Sincerely / Best wishes)
50. “P.S. N’oublie pas de [action]. C’est important.” (P.S. Don’t forget to [action]. It’s important.)
The real problem: knowing the phrases isn’t enough
Now you know the 50 phrases.
But let’s be honest.
In a meeting, when your boss asks you a question quickly, you don’t have time to think:
“Wait, was that phrase number 7 or phrase number 11?”
You need to answer naturally.
Automatically.
The real difference:
Knowing a phrase is a first step.
Being able to use it in real time, under pressure, is another skill.
How can you truly memorize these phrases?
You need to practice them.
Not just read them.
Not just copy them into a notebook.
You need to say them out loud.
Use them in simulations.
Repeat them in realistic situations.
To improve your professional French, you need to:
- know the useful phrases,
- practice them regularly,
- receive feedback,
- train in realistic contexts.
How can Ohlala French School help you?
At Ohlala French School, you can practice professional French in real conversations.
You can work on themes such as:
- meetings,
- presentations,
- professional discussions,
- opinion exchanges,
- everyday workplace situations.
And most importantly, you receive feedback so you know how to speak more naturally, more clearly, and more professionally.
Ready to speak French with more confidence at work?
Try Ohlala French School free for 7 days.
Real conversations.
Feedback.
Real professional French.
→ Start my free trialRecap
5 phrases for arriving at a meeting.
8 phrases for giving your opinion.
7 phrases for giving a presentation.
6 phrases for answering objections.
5 phrases for asking for help or delegating.
6 phrases for giving feedback.
5 phrases for negotiating.
8 phrases for writing professional emails.
Learn them.
Practice them.
And use them to fully exist in French at work.
Ready to speak with the right words, naturally?
Join Ohlala French School and turn vocabulary into real, confident conversations.
Start your 7-day free trial
