Professional Emails in French
Email at work · a free French immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Je vous écris pour vous informer de l'avancement du projet.
I am writing to inform you of the project's progress.
Literal I you write to you inform of the progress of the project.
A formal opening used to state the purpose of a professional email.
- 'Je vous écris' uses the formal 'vous' form
- 'pour' + infinitive expresses purpose
Pourriez-vous m'envoyer le rapport avant vendredi ?
Could you send me the report before Friday?
Literal Could-you me-send the report before Friday?
A polite request using the conditional tense, standard in professional email.
- 'Pourriez-vous' is the conditional of 'pouvoir' — softens the request
- 'm'envoyer' uses indirect object pronoun 'me' contracted to 'm''
Je confirme ma présence à la réunion de jeudi.
I confirm my attendance at Thursday's meeting.
Literal I confirm my presence at the meeting of Thursday.
Used to formally confirm attendance, a common email convention in French workplaces.
- 'Je confirme' is a simple present used performatively
- 'ma présence' — possessive adjective matching feminine noun 'présence'
Serait-il possible de reporter la réunion à la semaine prochaine ?
Would it be possible to postpone the meeting to next week?
Literal Would-it be possible to postpone the meeting to the next week?
A diplomatic way to suggest rescheduling, using an impersonal conditional structure.
- 'Serait-il possible de' + infinitive: conditional impersonal structure
- Polite alternative to a direct refusal in professional communication
Auriez-vous un moment pour discuter de ce dossier ?
Would you have a moment to discuss this file?
Literal Would-you-have a moment to discuss of this file?
A courteous way to request someone's time using the conditional of 'avoir'.
- 'Auriez-vous' is the conditional of 'avoir'
- 'discuter de' requires the preposition 'de' before its object
Je fais suite à notre échange de la semaine dernière.
I am following up on our exchange from last week.
Literal I make follow-up to our exchange of the last week.
A standard phrase to open a follow-up email in French professional writing.
- 'Je fais suite à' is a fixed phrase meaning 'to follow up on'
- 'notre échange' uses the plural possessive 'notre' (our)
Veuillez trouver ci-joint le document demandé.
Please find enclosed the requested document.
Literal Please find here-attached the document requested.
A formal phrase used when attaching a file to a professional email.
- 'Veuillez' is a formal imperative from 'vouloir'
- 'ci-joint' is an invariable adverb meaning 'enclosed' or 'attached'
Dans l'attente de votre réponse, je reste à votre disposition.
While awaiting your response, I remain at your disposal.
Literal In the wait of your response, I remain at your disposal.
A classic professional email closing indicating availability and courtesy.
- 'Dans l'attente de' is a fixed formal expression
- 'je reste à votre disposition' signals openness and continued availability
Il est important que vous nous fassiez part de vos commentaires.
It is important that you share your feedback with us.
Literal It is important that you us make-known of your comments.
Uses the subjunctive mood after 'il est important que', as required in French.
- 'il est important que' triggers the subjunctive
- 'fassiez' is the subjunctive form of 'faire'
- Indirect object 'nous' is placed before the verb
Je vous remercie de votre confiance et reste disponible pour toute question.
I thank you for your trust and remain available for any question.
Literal I you thank of your trust and remain available for all question.
A warm professional closing that expresses gratitude and openness to further contact.
- 'Je vous remercie de' is a formal phrase meaning 'thank you for'
- 'toute question' uses 'toute' as a singular indefinite adjective meaning 'any'
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
le dossier
the file / case
Pourriez-vous m'envoyer le dossier complet ?
Could you send me the complete file?
In a workplace context, 'dossier' refers to a project file or case folder.
la réunion
the meeting
Je confirme ma présence à la réunion.
I confirm my attendance at the meeting.
la réponse
the response / reply
Dans l'attente de votre réponse, je reste disponible.
Awaiting your response, I remain available.
disponible
available
Je suis disponible demain après-midi.
I am available tomorrow afternoon.
'Disponible' is used for both people and items or resources.
reporter
to postpone / to reschedule
Serait-il possible de reporter la réunion ?
Would it be possible to postpone the meeting?
False friend: 'reporter' means to push back a date, not to report news.
ci-joint
enclosed / attached
Veuillez trouver ci-joint le document.
Please find the document attached.
'Ci-joint' is invariable as an adverb when placed before a noun.
la confiance
trust / confidence
Je vous remercie de votre confiance.
I thank you for your trust.
l'avancement
the progress / advancement
Quel est l'avancement du projet ?
What is the progress of the project?
veuillez
please (formal)
Veuillez confirmer votre présence.
Please confirm your attendance.
From 'vouloir'; used only in formal written contexts as a polite imperative.
informer
to inform
Je vous écris pour vous informer des dernières nouvelles.
I am writing to inform you of the latest news.
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Sophie ouvre sa messagerie professionnelle et trouve trois nouveaux messages. Elle écrit d'abord à son manager : « Je vous écris pour vous informer de l'avancement du projet. Veuillez trouver ci-joint le rapport de la semaine. » Ensuite, elle contacte un collègue : « Pourriez-vous m'envoyer le dossier complet avant vendredi ? Serait-il possible de reporter notre réunion à jeudi prochain ? » En fin de message, elle conclut : « Dans l'attente de votre réponse, je reste à votre disposition. »
Sentence by sentence
Sophie ouvre sa messagerie professionnelle
Sophie opens her professional inbox
'Messagerie professionnelle' refers to a work email inbox. 'Ouvre' is the third-person present of 'ouvrir'.
Je vous écris pour vous informer de l'avancement du projet.
I am writing to inform you of the project's progress.
Formal email opening using 'vous' and 'pour + infinitif' to express the purpose of writing.
Veuillez trouver ci-joint le rapport de la semaine.
Please find enclosed the weekly report.
'Veuillez' is an extremely polite formal imperative. 'Ci-joint' signals that a file is attached.
Serait-il possible de reporter notre réunion à jeudi prochain ?
Would it be possible to postpone our meeting to next Thursday?
Conditional impersonal structure 'serait-il possible de + infinitif' makes a polite, indirect suggestion.
Dans l'attente de votre réponse, je reste à votre disposition.
While awaiting your response, I remain at your disposal.
A fixed professional closing phrase. 'Dans l'attente de' is a formal set expression.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
The Conditional Tense for Polite Requests
In professional French emails, the conditional tense softens requests and signals courtesy. Instead of commanding directly, using 'pourriez-vous' (could you) or 'serait-il possible de' (would it be possible to) expresses deference and politeness.
[Conditional verb] + [subject/complement] + de + [infinitive] ?
Pourriez-vous m'envoyer le rapport avant vendredi ?
Could you send me the report before Friday?
Serait-il possible de reporter la réunion à la semaine prochaine ?
Would it be possible to postpone the meeting to next week?
Auriez-vous un moment pour discuter de ce dossier ?
Would you have a moment to discuss this file?
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to French: 'Could you send me the report by Friday?'
Hint Use the conditional tense (pourriez) to be polite
Translate: 'Je fais suite à notre échange de la semaine dernière.'
Complete the sentence: 'Je vous écris pour vous _____ de l'avancement du projet.'
Hint This verb means 'to inform' and is one of the lesson vocabulary words
Which request is most polite?
Rewrite more politely using the conditional tense: 'Vous pouvez reporter la réunion à la semaine prochaine.'
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