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Lesson 223 of 240

New here? This is lesson 223 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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Persuade someone in French

Claire hates long visits as much as long meetings. Sam wants her to try a shorter audio guide loop for the museum.

You'll make a case, answer her doubts, and then ask her to decide.

Stay on tu with Claire. Name three reasons, hear her reservations, and close with a clear ask.

By the end of this lesson

Make a case, answer objections, and ask for a decision.

  • Laisse-moi te convaincre d'essayer.Let me talk you into trying.
  • Plutôt que d'attendre, on avance maintenant.Rather than wait, we move now.
  • Il y a trois raisons de le faire.There are three reasons to do it.
  • Je comprends tes réserves.I understand your reservations.
  • On ne risque rien à essayer.We've got nothing to lose by trying.
  • Alors, qu'est-ce que tu en dis ?So what do you say?

Scene — the short loop

Late morning in the small office two metro stops from rue des Tilleuls. Sam has a laptop and a pair of headphones on the desk.

Claire sits across from him with her blazer on the chair. The courtyard window is open. She wants the museum visit short, like her meetings.

Wide establishing view of a small office in late-morning sun, with Sam and Claire seated across a desk, a laptop and headphones between them, a jacket on a chair, and the courtyard window open.

Learn — make a case

Six lines for a short pitch: open, give reasons, meet her doubts, then ask her to decide.

Claire already uses tu with Sam, so these lines stay informal.

  1. Medium two-shot of Sam turning the laptop toward Claire and leaning in with an open palm, inviting Claire to try.

    Laisse-moi te convaincre d'essayer.

    Let me talk you into trying.

    When to use it: Use this when you want a friend to give your idea a try.

    Te is for a friend or for Claire; a new manager would still get vous.

  2. Low-angle view of Sam half-risen from the chair, one hand on the desk and the other sweeping toward the door as if to go now, while Claire stays seated.

    Plutôt que d'attendre, on avance maintenant.

    Rather than wait, we move now.

    When to use it: Use this when waiting looks safer than starting.

    After plutôt que, de plus a verb names the option you skip.

  3. Close-up of Sam's hand raised over the desk, ticking off points of the case, with the laptop and headphones nearby.

    Il y a trois raisons de le faire.

    There are three reasons to do it.

    When to use it: Start your case by saying how many reasons you have.

    Le stands for the plan, so you do not say the whole idea again.

  4. Over Claire's shoulder, Sam sits across the desk with open still hands in a patient pose, taking the hesitation seriously.

    Je comprends tes réserves.

    I understand your reservations.

    When to use it: Say this when someone names a doubt and you still want a yes.

    Tes réserves is plural, so you can answer je les entends.

    Say it: The s at the end of comprends is silent.

  5. Profile of Sam standing by the open courtyard window with a slight shrug and both palms spread, unworried, while Claire remains at the desk.

    On ne risque rien à essayer.

    We've got nothing to lose by trying.

    When to use it: Use this after a doubt, to say a try costs little.

    Rien is what you do not risk, and à essayer names the try.

    Say it: The n in rien links into à.

  6. High-angle view of Sam at the desk, one hand extended toward Claire in a quiet question, waiting for a decision.

    Alors, qu'est-ce que tu en dis ?

    So what do you say?

    When to use it: Ask this at the end when you want a yes or no.

    En points back at the plan you just argued for.

    Say it: In qu'est-ce, the s is pronounced; the t is silent.

Story — she hates long visits

Sam puts the short loop on the table. Claire will push back, then decide.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Sam turns the laptop toward Claire. The courtyard is quiet.
  2. SamLaisse-moi te convaincre d'essayer.Let me talk you into trying.
  3. ClaireIls veulent encore toutes les salles, Sam.They still want every room, Sam.
  4. SamIl y a trois raisons de le faire.There are three reasons to do it.
  5. SamD'abord, les visiteurs lâchent après douze minutes.First, visitors drop off after twelve minutes.
  6. ClaireOui, ça, je le vois.Yes, I can see that one.
  7. SamEnsuite, la salle du fond fatigue tout le monde.Next, the back room wears everyone out.
  8. SamEnfin, on garde les salles principales.Finally, we still keep the main rooms.
  9. ClaireC'est trop long, oui. Comme mes réunions.It's too long, yes. Like my meetings.
  10. She taps the desk once, then looks back at the screen.
  11. SamJe comprends tes réserves.I understand your reservations.
  12. SamJe les entends, et je reste sur la boucle courte.I hear them, and I'm staying with the short loop.
  13. ClaireOn attend le mail du musée, non ?We wait for the museum's email, right?
  14. SamPlutôt que d'attendre, on avance maintenant.Rather than wait, we move now.
  15. SamJe préférerais la version courte.I'd rather go with the short version.
  16. ClaireEt le risque, si ça passe mal ?And the risk, if it goes badly?
  17. SamOn ne risque rien à essayer.We've got nothing to lose by trying.
  18. SamAlors, qu'est-ce que tu en dis ?So what do you say?
  19. ClaireEt si on gardait la version courte ?What if we kept the short version?
  20. SamTrès bien, on fait comme ça.Right, let's do it that way.

Practice — reasons then a yes

Ten short exercises wait here. You'll listen, fill a gap, build a line, and pick what to say.

They stay on the pitch with Claire, not on new grammar.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    Plutôt que d'attendre, on avance maintenant.

  3. Fill the gap

    There are three reasons to do it.

    Il y a ____ raisons de le faire.

  4. What do you say?

    Claire has just listed her doubts about the short loop. You want her to feel heard.

  5. Build the line

    We've got nothing to lose by trying.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  6. Pick the reply

    Claire says:

    J'ai entendu tes raisons. Pose-moi la question, je décide.

    I've heard your reasons. Ask me the question; I'll decide.

    And you reply with:

  7. True or false?

    Sam is saying he would rather go with the short version.

  8. What do you say?

    You already made your case. Claire is ready to choose. Propose keeping the short loop, not a new pitch.

  9. Swap the word

    The short loop is agreed. Confirm you will do it that way, not that you refuse.

    Très bien, on ____ comme ça.

  10. Find the mistake

Say it — ask her to decide

Now you're Sam at the desk with Claire. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. ClaireLe musée veut encore la version longue.The museum still wants the long version.
  2. Sam (you)Ask her to let you talk her into a try.

    Laisse-moi te convaincre d'essayer.

    Let me talk you into trying.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Laisse-moi te convaincre d'essayer.Let me talk you into trying.
Plutôt que d'attendre, on avance maintenant.Rather than wait, we move now.
Il y a trois raisons de le faire.There are three reasons to do it.
Je comprends tes réserves.I understand your reservations.
On ne risque rien à essayer.We've got nothing to lose by trying.
Alors, qu'est-ce que tu en dis ?So what do you say?
Next: lesson 224A polite complaint

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A quick round with the Yak Cards keeps the case, the doubt, and the ask ready for the next meeting.

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