Making Weekend Plans in French
Making weekend plans · a free French immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Qu'est-ce que tu fais ce week-end ?
What are you doing this weekend?
Literal What is it that you do this weekend?
A casual way to ask about someone's weekend plans using 'qu'est-ce que' for questions.
- 'Qu'est-ce que' introduces a direct question about an activity
- Present tense 'fais' used for near-future plans
On pourrait aller au cinéma samedi soir.
We could go to the movies Saturday night.
Literal One could go to the cinema Saturday evening.
Uses 'on pourrait' (conditional of pouvoir) for a polite, casual suggestion.
- 'On pourrait' = conditional tense, used for polite proposals
- 'au cinéma' = à + le cinéma (contraction)
Je vais retrouver mes amis au parc dimanche matin.
I'm going to meet my friends at the park Sunday morning.
Literal I go to meet again my friends at-the park Sunday morning.
Uses the near future formed with 'aller + infinitive' to express a clear plan.
- Near future: aller (conjugated) + infinitive
- 'au parc' = à + le parc (contraction)
Tu es libre vendredi soir ?
Are you free Friday evening?
Literal You are free Friday evening?
A simple intonation question — raise your voice at the end rather than inverting subject and verb.
- Intonation question: no inversion needed in casual speech
- 'libre' means free or available
Malheureusement, je suis déjà pris ce soir.
Unfortunately, I'm already busy tonight.
Literal Unfortunately, I am already taken this evening.
'Pris(e)' literally means 'taken' and is a natural way to say you're unavailable.
- 'Malheureusement' = unfortunately, a polite softener
- 'Pris' agrees with the subject's gender
On se retrouve chez Marie à dix-huit heures ?
Shall we meet at Marie's place at 6 PM?
Literal One each-other meets at Marie's at eighteen hours?
Uses reflexive 'se retrouver' for a mutual meeting and 'chez' for someone's home.
- 'chez' = at someone's place, always followed by a person
- 'se retrouver' = to meet up (reflexive verb)
- 24-hour clock is common in French
Je vais réserver une table pour samedi.
I'm going to book a table for Saturday.
Literal I go to reserve a table for Saturday.
Near future tense signals an action you firmly intend to carry out.
- Near future: 'vais + réserver'
- 'une table' = a table (feminine noun)
Désolé, je dois annuler nos projets pour dimanche.
Sorry, I have to cancel our plans for Sunday.
Literal Sorry, I must cancel our projects for Sunday.
'Devoir + infinitive' expresses obligation; 'annuler' is the standard word for canceling.
- 'devoir + infinitive' = to have to / must
- 'projets' can mean plans or projects in context
Ça te dit d'aller faire une randonnée ?
Do you feel like going for a hike?
Literal That to-you says to go to-do a hike?
'Ça te dit de + infinitive' is a casual, idiomatic way to propose an activity.
- 'Ça te dit de...' = Do you feel like...? (idiomatic)
- Followed by an infinitive verb
Super, on se voit samedi alors !
Great, we'll see each other Saturday then!
Literal Super, one each-other sees Saturday then!
Uses 'se voir' (to see each other) to enthusiastically confirm finalized plans.
- 'se voir' = to see each other (reflexive verb)
- 'alors' = then/so, used to confirm a conclusion
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
le week-end
the weekend
Qu'est-ce que tu fais ce week-end ?
What are you doing this weekend?
Borrowed from English, widely used in modern French
retrouver
to meet up / to find again
Je vais retrouver mes amis au parc.
I'm going to meet my friends at the park.
Used reflexively (se retrouver) when meeting each other
libre
free / available
Tu es libre vendredi soir ?
Are you free Friday evening?
chez
at someone's place
On se retrouve chez Marie.
We're meeting at Marie's place.
Always followed by a person's name or pronoun, never a place
annuler
to cancel
Je dois annuler nos projets.
I have to cancel our plans.
les projets
plans / projects
Elle a annulé tous ses projets du week-end.
She canceled all her weekend plans.
réserver
to reserve / to book
Je vais réserver une table pour samedi.
I'm going to book a table for Saturday.
la randonnée
hike / hiking
Ça te dit d'aller faire une randonnée ?
Do you feel like going for a hike?
malheureusement
unfortunately
Malheureusement, je suis déjà pris.
Unfortunately, I'm already busy.
Useful sentence opener for politely declining an invitation
pouvoir
to be able to / can
On pourrait aller au cinéma.
We could go to the movies.
Conditional 'pourrait' softens a suggestion into a gentle proposal
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Ce samedi, Sophie envoie un message à ses amis : « Ça vous dit d'aller au marché le matin, et ensuite on pourrait déjeuner chez Thomas ? » Lucas répond qu'il est libre toute la journée et propose de réserver une table au restaurant à la place. Sophie accepte et dit qu'elle va confirmer l'heure ce soir. Tout le monde est d'accord — le week-end s'annonce bien !
Sentence by sentence
Ça vous dit d'aller au marché ?
Do you feel like going to the market?
'Ça vous dit de + infinitive' is an idiomatic group suggestion; 'vous' is used for multiple people.
on pourrait déjeuner chez Thomas
we could have lunch at Thomas's place
'On pourrait' (conditional) makes the proposal sound casual and non-pressuring.
il est libre toute la journée
he is free all day
'Libre' = available; 'toute la journée' = the whole day, stressing full availability.
elle va confirmer l'heure ce soir
she's going to confirm the time tonight
Near future tense (aller + infinitive) signals a firm intention.
le week-end s'annonce bien
the weekend is looking good
'S'annoncer bien' is an idiomatic phrase meaning things are shaping up nicely.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Near Future: aller + infinitive
To express plans or intentions, use the present tense of 'aller' followed by an infinitive. This construction is more common than the simple future tense in everyday spoken French.
Subject + aller (present) + infinitive
Je vais réserver une table.
I'm going to book a table.
Nous allons aller au cinéma.
We're going to go to the movies.
Elle va appeler ses amis ce soir.
She's going to call her friends tonight.
Ils vont se retrouver au parc.
They're going to meet up at the park.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to French: 'What are you doing this weekend?'
Hint This is a common way to ask about weekend plans.
Translate to English: 'On pourrait aller au cinéma samedi soir.'
Hint Look for the conditional form 'pourrait'
Complete the sentence: 'Je vais _____ une table pour samedi.'
Hint It means 'to book or reserve'
Which is the most natural response to 'Tu es libre vendredi soir ?' Choose:
Rewrite using 'On' instead of 'Je': 'Je vais retrouver mes amis au parc dimanche matin.'
Hint Replace the subject pronoun and adjust the verb conjugation.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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