You survived yet another week and it is time to celebrate the upcoming weekend!
Et si on allait prendre l’apéro? (How about going for after-work drinks?)
Oh oui! You totally deserve this alcoholic treat! On your way to the bistro, you realise that half of the people there will be speaking French…
Pas de panique: I’ve got you covered. It is time for you to show off your French skills using my little tips to create a nice conversation.
Here are 5 great tips to better schmingle in French
1. Faire les premiers pas
A nice glass of wine in hand, you are now ready to get this apéro started. It’s now time to dare to speak French! I recommend using ”tu” if you feel that the atmosphere is relaxed enough to be informal.
- Salut, je m’appelle Elisabeth. Et toi? (Hi, my name is Elisabeth. And you?)
- Bonsoir, je suis Peter. Et vous êtes…? (Good evening, I’m Peter. And you are…?)
- Enchanté(e). (Nice to meet you!)
- Santé! (Cheers!)
2. Ask Questions
If you are too worried to speak, ask questions and let the other person speak. Most French native speakers like to chat and will be more than happy to answer your questions. Don’t worry if you don’t understand everything they are saying. The important thing is to grasp the general idea and to show your interest.
- Tu es la collègue/l’amie de Paul? (Are you Paul’s colleague/friend?)
- Oui, je travaille avec lui depuis septembre. (Yes, I’ve been working with him since September.)
- Qu’est-ce que tu bois? Ça m’a l’air bon! (What are you drinking? It looks nice!)
- C’est la première fois que tu prends l’apéro ici? (Is it the first time you have drinks here?)
- Ça fait longtemps que tu habites à Genève? (Have you been living in Geneva for a long time?)
- Où habitais-tu avant de déménager à Paris? (Where did you live before moving to Paris?)
- Est-ce que tu aimes vivre à Montreux? (Do you like living in Montreux?)
- D’où es-tu originaire? (Where are you from originally?)
- Comment s’est passée ta semaine? (How was your week?)
- Quels sont tes plans pour ce week-end? (What are your plans for this weekend?)
* Not sure how to ask questions in French? Read my other post for more great tips! *
3. Talk About Your Daily Life
Now that you know your schmingling partner a bit better, it is a good time for you to inquire about her/his occupation.
- Ça fait longtemps que vous habitez ici? (Have you been living here for long?)
- J’habite à Genève depuis 2 ans. (I’ve been living in Geneva for 2 years.)
- Avant, j’habitais à Munich, en Allemagne. (I used to live in Munich, Germany.)
- Qu’est-ce que vous faites dans la vie? (What do you do for a living?)
- Je travaille pour l’ONU / chez Proctor & Gamble. (I work for the UN / at P&G.)
- Je suis présentement en recherche d’emploi / en reconversion professionnelle. (I’m currently looking for a new job / doing a professional reconversion.)
- Je suis à la recherche de nouveaux défis. (I’m looking for new opportunities.)
- Je suis maman / papa à temps plein. (I am a full time mom / dad.)
4. Go With The Flow
So, you’ve been discussing with the same person for over 5 minutes. You got to know him/her a bit better, but there is no personal or professional chemistry. That is fine! If pursuing an interesting conversation or showing a genuine interest isn’t possible, excuse yourself politely and start schmoozing somewhere else!
- Vraiment? C’est très intéressant! (Really? That’s so interesting!)
- C’est / c’était un plaisir de discuter avec vous. (It is / was nice chatting with you.)
- Vous voudrez bien m’excuser, je vais aller me chercher un autre verre. (If you’ll please excuse me, I will get myself another drink.)
- Excuse-moi, mais je dois partir. (I’m so sorry, but I have to leave.)
- J’aimerais vous présenter quelqu’un qui pourrait vous intéresser. Vous avez une carte de visite? (I would like to introduce you to someone who might interest you. Do you have a business card?)
- Tu es sur Facebook / LinkedIn? (Are you on FB / LinkedIn?)
- Voici mes coordonnées. (Here are my contact details.)
- Je vous souhaite beaucoup de succès avec vos projets. (I wish you every success with your projects.)
- Au plaisir de te revoir prochainement! (I look forward to seeing you again soon!)
- À la prochaine! (See you around!)
*Remember this extra tip* : the more -insert alcoholic drink here- your drink, the better your French will be!
I hope you now have more tools to better schmingle in French!
Isabelle
As a native Québécoise, born to a Franco-Belgian family, now living in Nyon with her two children, Isabelle is no stranger to the expat reality! Trained as a professional opera singer, her passion for arts and languages led her to become an ambassador of the French language & francophone culture, i.e. a French Teacher!
She founded Prêt à Parler in January 2015. Since then she's been hard at work helping native and non-native English-speaking expats make French part of their everyday life! Prêt à Parler's mission is based on what Isabelle does best: helping busy professionals and parents improve their French language skills by providing a high quality, eco-friendly, fun, no-nonsense approach to learning French online!
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