To decline an invitation in French, start with a reply the other person can understand: Désolé(e), je ne peux pas. — “Sorry, I can’t.” If you want to meet another time, add a new suggestion. If you do not, you can stop after your refusal.
This lesson practises an invitation between friends using tu. You will first rehearse a short refusal, then a separate exchange about the time. Finally, you will combine the moves in a new written scenario. You do not need a long explanation for every refusal.
Choose what you want to communicate
Before reaching for a phrase, decide whether the problem is the proposed arrangement or whether you want to decline the invitation itself.
| Your intention | French starting point | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| You cannot accept | Désolé(e), je ne peux pas. | Sorry, I can’t. |
| You want to acknowledge the invitation | Merci pour l’invitation. | Thank you for the invitation. |
| You want to offer another day | Demain, ça te va ? | Does tomorrow work for you? |
| You want to offer a time | À quatorze heures, ça va ? | At two o’clock, is that okay? |
| You want to accept instead | Oui, avec plaisir. | Yes, with pleasure. |
The table gives options, rather than a script you must say in full. The recorded refusal below uses désolée for Léa; the written masculine form is désolé. Choose the form that fits your speaker.
TV5MONDE’s accepting or refusing a proposal lesson includes stating that you are unavailable and proposing another date. Here, you will practise those choices with separate model turns and a concealed reply.
Practise a reply before revealing a model
These six complete models are Parle’s existing generated French reference recordings, created through the OpenAI speech service. They are unchanged whole dialogue lines. They are synthetic voices, not recordings presented as human speakers. This first-party guide was prepared with AI assistance.
Open a model to hear its exact printed line. Close it before your attempt. Closing a model stops and rewinds it; starting another model stops the previous one. Native Pause keeps your place for resuming. The website does not record your voice.
Round 1: refuse a dinner invitation
Marc invites Léa to dinner. Hear the invitation, close it, and give a short refusal before opening Léa’s reply. Leave yourself about eight quiet seconds to answer.
Hear Marc’s dinner invitation
Tu veux dîner avec moi ?
Do you want to have dinner with me?
Reveal Léa’s refusal after your attempt
Désolée, je ne peux pas.
Sorry, I can’t.
Hear Marc acknowledge the refusal
Pas de problème.
No problem.
In this model exchange, the invitation is declined and Marc acknowledges it. There is no second invitation to accept. Keep that meaning clear before practising a different outcome.
Round 2: agree on a time
This is a separate exchange. Léa and Marc are arranging a meeting; it is not a recording of a replacement dinner date. Listen to Léa’s question, hide the suggested time, and propose two o’clock yourself.
Hear Léa ask about the time
On se retrouve à quelle heure ?
What time shall we meet?
Reveal Marc’s time suggestion after your attempt
À quatorze heures, ça va ?
At two o’clock, is that okay?
Hear Léa confirm the time
Parfait, à quatorze heures.
Perfect, at two o’clock.
Models are hidden until you open them. Try your reply first.
Round 3: change the day and time yourself
Your situation: a friend proposes Saturday at seven in the evening. You cannot make that plan, but you would like to meet on Sunday at two in the afternoon. Refuse Saturday, propose Sunday, and give the new time. This is written speaking practice; there is no recording of the complete changed reply.
Stop the models and keep the example closed. Give yourself about eight seconds for a first attempt. If you need longer, continue at your own pace.
Reveal one possible changed reply
Désolé(e), samedi je ne peux pas. Dimanche, ça te va ? À quatorze heures ?
Sorry, I can’t on Saturday. Does Sunday work for you? At two o’clock?
This is one possible reply. A different clear sentence can work too. The audio models above still contain only their original printed lines.
Compare a refusal with a different intention
Je ne peux pas tells the person you cannot accept. Je ne veux pas means “I don’t want to.” Choose the meaning you intend. A brief refusal is often easier to deliver accurately than a long improvised explanation.
If you decide to give a reason, keep it short. For example, J’ai un rendez-vous. means “I have an appointment.” That is a written option here. You can also say Merci pour l’invitation, mais je ne peux pas. — “Thank you for the invitation, but I can’t.” Neither sentence appears in the six recordings.
Avoid offering another date just to complete the practice pattern. A new proposal communicates that you want to make a new plan. If that is not your intention, practise the short refusal and acknowledgement instead.
Match tu or vous to the person
The models use tu between friends. With someone you address as vous, a written alternative is Est-ce que demain vous convient ? — “Does tomorrow suit you?” Keep the form of address consistent through the exchange.
You can soften a request with the conditional, as in Pourrions-nous nous voir demain ? — “Could we meet tomorrow?” The OQLF explanation of the conditional’s modal uses describes how it can make a request less direct. This is an optional written extension; the beginner practice above works with the present tense. Wording alone does not guarantee a polite outcome in every setting.
Keep two useful phrase groups together
Practise the refusal as Désolée / je ne peux pas. Keep the last three words connected, with a clear ending on pas. Then return to the whole recorded turn.
For the proposed time, use À quatorze heures / ça va ? Listen to the complete question rather than assembling words from separate clips. In the next attempt, change the time in your own speech. Your changed number is a new written variation, not a different recording supplied by this page.
Continue with a different social task
Try Accept or refuse: the Social plans role-play, then Agree on a time. Those existing website tasks are free. The invitation task practises acceptance or refusal; the time task practises arranging a time. They do not promise the exact Sunday scenario as a recorded App lesson.
On iPhone or iPad, open Course → A1.2 → Social plans to find the corresponding Premium tasks. The App’s first four First Contact missions and all 35 Sounds remain free; Premium opens the current 120-mission course. Record and replay an attempt to compare it with the model. Phrase Match reports recognized model words and cannot judge politeness or accent quality.
For another setting, use the French small-talk guide to practise opening and closing a conversation. Keep your refusal practice focused on one goal: the other person understands whether you are declining or proposing a different plan.