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Lesson 162 of 240

New here? This is lesson 162 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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Soften the no in French

Claire has a plan for the museum audio guide, and Sam does not quite agree. In this meeting he learns to put a cushion before the no, so the no can land without a fight.

You will agree only up to a point, admit you might be wrong, and say something is true but not urgent.

Claire hates long speeches, not honest ones. A short cushion keeps the room calm.

By the end of this lesson

Put a cushion before you disagree.

  • Je suis d'accord jusqu'à un certain point.I agree up to a point.
  • Je me trompe peut-être, mais ___.I might be wrong, but ___.
  • Je comprends, mais j'ai l'impression que ___.I understand, but I have a feeling that ___.
  • C'est vrai, mais ce n'est pas le plus urgent.That's true, but it's not the most urgent thing.
  • Je peux ajouter quelque chose ?Can I add something?
  • Je ne dis pas que tu as tort.I'm not saying you're wrong.

Scene — the meeting runs long

Thursday at the office. Claire has her laptop open on a courtyard window desk. The museum guide is on the agenda, and the meeting is already running long.

Sam sits across from her with notes. He wants to disagree, but he has to keep it short.

Claire sits at a courtyard-window desk with a laptop open while Sam sits across from her with paper, the office meeting already running long.

Learn — a cushion before the no

Six lines let you agree only in part, then add a doubt or a feeling before you say no.

You also get a polite way to jump in, and a line that says you are not calling someone wrong.

  1. Sam sits across the desk with one palm raised in a careful half-agreement while Claire stays at the laptop.

    Je suis d'accord jusqu'à un certain point.

    I agree up to a point.

    When to use it: Say this when you share only part of someone's idea.

    Jusqu'à un certain point means your yes stops after that point.

    Say it: The last d in d'accord is silent.

  2. Sam pauses a pen above a pad of paper, head tilted, hedging before he pushes back.

    Je me trompe peut-être, mais ___.

    I might be wrong, but ___.

    When to use it: Use this before a no, so the other person stays open.

    After mais, add a full thought, not just one noun.

    Say it: The t in peut is sounded because être follows.

  3. Over Claire's shoulder, Sam leans in with a hand to his chest, offering a private doubt.

    Je comprends, mais j'ai l'impression que ___.

    I understand, but I have a feeling that ___.

    When to use it: Use this when you heard the point, but you still feel otherwise.

    J'ai l'impression que takes a whole clause after it.

    Say it: Je becomes j' before ai.

  4. From above, Sam sits back and taps a pad of paper, setting the topic aside as not urgent.

    C'est vrai, mais ce n'est pas le plus urgent.

    That's true, but it's not the most urgent thing.

    When to use it: Use this when a fact is true, but it can wait.

    Keep ne in ce n'est pas; this line does not drop it.

    Say it: The s in plus links to urgent as /z/.

  5. Sam scoots his chair closer and lifts one finger toward Claire, asking for a turn to add a point.

    Je peux ajouter quelque chose ?

    Can I add something?

    When to use it: Ask this before you jump in, so you do not cut in.

    This asks for a turn and is not a no yet.

    Say it: The x in peux is silent.

  6. Sam holds open palms toward Claire in a conciliatory pose, making clear he is not attacking.

    Je ne dis pas que tu as tort.

    I'm not saying you're wrong.

    When to use it: Say this to a colleague on tu when you still disagree.

    Tu is for Claire here; a new manager would get vous.

    Say it: The s in dis is silent.

Story — she hates long speeches

Sam and Claire are in a meeting about the museum guide. Watch how Sam cushions each no.

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

  1. The courtyard window is bright. Claire's laptop is open, and the meeting has already run long.
  2. ClaireOn met une intro plus longue, d'accord ?We put in a longer intro, right?
  3. SamJe suis d'accord jusqu'à un certain point.I agree up to a point.
  4. ClaireC'est trop long, tu trouves ?You think it's too long?
  5. SamJe me trompe peut-être, mais l'intro est trop longue.I might be wrong, but the intro is too long.
  6. ClaireC'est un bon argument. Le musée veut plus de texte.That's a fair point, and the museum wants more text.
  7. SamJe peux ajouter quelque chose ?Can I add something?
  8. ClaireBien sûr, vas-y.Sure, go ahead.
  9. SamJe comprends, mais j'ai l'impression que le son compte plus.I understand, but I have a feeling that the sound matters more.
  10. ClaireLe texte, c'est important, non ?The text is important, right?
  11. SamC'est vrai, mais ce n'est pas le plus urgent.That's true, but it's not the most urgent thing.
  12. ClaireTu trouves que j'ai tort ?You think I'm wrong?
  13. SamJe ne dis pas que tu as tort.I'm not saying you're wrong.
  14. Claire smiles. She hates long speeches, not an honest no.
  15. ClaireOn garde ça pour plus tard.We'll leave this for later.

Practice — soft no, not a fight

Eleven short tasks wait here. You will listen, fill a gap, swap a word, and build a line.

They stay in the meeting, with a cushion first and then a no.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. What does it mean?

    Je peux ajouter quelque chose ?

  3. What do you say?

    You already understood Claire. Soften the no by naming a feeling, not by ranking urgency or saying she is not wrong.

  4. Fill the gap

    I might be wrong, but ___.

    Je me ____ peut-être, mais ___.

  5. Swap the word

    Claire's idea is true, but the work can wait.

    C'est vrai, mais ce n'est pas le plus ____.

  6. Pick the reply

    Claire says:

    Tu trouves que j'ai tort ?

    You think I'm wrong?

    And you reply with:

  7. Match the pairs

    French

    Je suis d'accord jusqu'à un certain point.Drop the English here
    C'est vrai, mais ce n'est pas le plus urgent.Drop the English here
    Je peux ajouter quelque chose ?Drop the English here
    Je ne dis pas que tu as tort.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  8. Build the line

    I agree up to a point.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  9. True or false?

    You say this when someone has just made a fair point.

  10. What do you say?

    A colleague asks if they can add something. Let them speak.

  11. Fill the gap

    We'll leave this for later.

    On garde ça pour plus ____.

Say it — keep it short

Now you are Sam in Claire's meeting. When it is your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

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

  1. ClaireOn met une intro plus longue, d'accord ?We put in a longer intro, right?
  2. Sam (you)Share only part of her idea.

    Je suis d'accord jusqu'à un certain point.

    I agree up to a point.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Je suis d'accord jusqu'à un certain point.I agree up to a point.
Je me trompe peut-être, mais ___.I might be wrong, but ___.
Je comprends, mais j'ai l'impression que ___.I understand, but I have a feeling that ___.
C'est vrai, mais ce n'est pas le plus urgent.That's true, but it's not the most urgent thing.
Je peux ajouter quelque chose ?Can I add something?
Je ne dis pas que tu as tort.I'm not saying you're wrong.
Next: lesson 163Going along with it

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these cushions handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards keeps a soft no ready for the next meeting.

Open Yak Cards