Hi and welcome back!

Today we’re going to learn something that’s absolutely essential for social life in France: how to invite someone, how to accept or politely refuse, and how to congratulate someone.

Even if you don’t know much French yet, these phrases will carry you far. They’re short, powerful, and they’ll immediately help you sound more natural in everyday life.

Let’s go step by step.

1. Making an Invitation

In France, inviting someone for a coffee, for dinner, or to see a movie is part of daily life. So let’s start with a few very common ways to invite someone.

👉 Repeat after me:

• Tu veux prendre un café ?
  (Do you want to have a coffee?)
  This is informal and very common between friends.

• On se voit ce week-end ?
  (Shall we meet this weekend?)
  Notice how short it is. In real life, people don’t say nous nous rencontrons. That’s too formal, and it sounds like you’re meeting someone for the very first time. Instead, just say on se voit.

• Ça te dit d’aller au cinéma ?
  (Do you feel like going to the movies?)
  This is a friendly way to suggest an activity.

👉 Important tip: Forget about nous in spoken French for invitations. Using on is much more natural and modern.

2. Accepting an Invitation

Now, let’s say someone invites you. You want to say yes in a friendly way.

Here are the most common phrases:

• Oui, avec plaisir !
  (Yes, with pleasure!)
  This is warm and enthusiastic.

• Volontiers. /VOLONTIé/ (you don't pronounce the final "r" and "s")
  (Gladly.)
  This one is a little more classy, but still used.

• Ça me va. /SAMVA/
  (That works for me.)
  Very casual and natural.

👉 Pro tip: Don’t worry too much about sounding “perfect.” These three replies will work almost everywhere.

3. Politely Refusing

Sometimes you can’t go. The key is to refuse politely but without sounding cold.

Here are three easy options:

• Désolé(e), je peux pas.
  (Sorry, I can’t.)
  Notice how I didn’t say je ne peux pas. In spoken French, people often drop the ne. So je peux pas is totally normal.

• Une autre fois peut-être.
  (Maybe another time.)
  This is a friendly way to say no without closing the door.

• Je suis occupé(e).
  (I’m busy.)
  Simple and clear.

👉 Remember: Dropping the ne is very common in real life. You’ll see more examples of this in the next modules.

4. Congratulating or Praising Someone

Social life isn’t only about invitations. You also need to know how to congratulate someone or say something nice.

Here are the phrases you’ll hear everywhere:

• Félicitations !
  (Congratulations!)

• Bravo !
  (Well done!)

• Bon travail !
  (Good job!)

• C’est super !
  (That’s great!)

• C’est cool !
  (That’s cool!)

• Je suis content(e) pour toi ! (content, masc / contente, fem)
  (I’m happy for you!)

👉 Try to say them with a little enthusiasm. In French, intonation makes a big difference. Bravo! with energy sounds much warmer than just whispering it.

5. Mini Dialogue

Now let’s put it all together in a short dialogue. Listen carefully:

— Salut Marie ! Tu veux prendre un café ce soir ?
(Hi Marie! Do you want to grab a coffee tonight?)

— Oui, avec plaisir !
(Yes, I’d love to!)

— Parfait, à 18h au café du coin.
(Perfect, 6 p.m. at the corner café.)

— Super, à tout à l’heure !
(Great, see you later!)

Later on…

— Félicitations pour ton nouveau travail !
(Congratulations on your new job!)

— Merci beaucoup !
(Thank you very much!)

👉 Did you notice how natural and short these sentences are? That’s how people really speak.

6. What You Can Do Now

After this lesson, you can:

• Invite someone in French.

• Accept or refuse politely.

• Congratulate friends, coworkers, or acquaintances.

• Keep your social interactions smooth and friendly.

🎯 Quick Action Exercise

Tonight, practice by inviting someone in French. You don’t even need a French-speaking friend, just say it out loud to yourself or record a voice memo:

• Tu veux prendre un café ?

• On se voit ce week-end ?

Then answer yourself with:

• Oui, avec plaisir !

• Désolé, je peux pas.

This way, you train both sides of the conversation.

What’s Next

In the next lesson, we’ll keep building your social skills toolbox with directions, asking and understanding how to find places. That’s another must-have for daily life in France.

For now, bravo! You’re already speaking French more naturally.