First Phrases

Dinner with strangers · Français

Dinner with strangers in French: 10 phrases for tonight

A shared table where nobody knows anybody, which makes it easy to ask the obvious questions. Names, what you do, how you know the host: everyone is in the same boat.

Register: Polite (formal is safer). At a dinner with strangers in France, start with "vous" and wait for the others to suggest "tu" ("on se tutoie ?"). The meal is slow and the host serves.

How to read the sounds: Say the vowel through your nose where you see n/m after it (on, an, in); don't sound the n. r is a soft throat sound. Final consonants are mostly silent. Stress falls on the last syllable and is marked in CAPITALS.

10 phrases, door to goodbye

  1. 01 · Arriving
    Bonsoir ! Je m'appelle ___. Enchanté(e).
    Say it like: bon-SWAHR! zhuh mah-PEL ___. on-shon-TAY
    Good evening! I'm ___. Pleased to meet you.
  2. 02 · Saying you're new
    Je ne connais personne, alors je suis ravi(e) d'être là !
    Say it like: zhuh nuh ko-NAY pair-SON, ah-LOR zhuh swee rah-VEE DETR LAH
    I don't know anyone, so I'm glad to be here!
  3. 03 · Asking how it works
    On se met où on veut ? Les plats se partagent ?
    Say it like: on suh MAY oo on VUH? lay PLAH suh par-TAZH
    Do we sit where we like? Are the dishes shared?
  4. 04 · Small talk
    Qu'est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ?
    Say it like: kes kuh voo FET don lah VEE
    What do you do for a living?
  5. 05 · Small talk
    Comment connaissez-vous l'hôte ?
    Say it like: ko-MON ko-nay-say-VOO LOHT
    How do you know the host?
  6. 06 · Small talk
    Vous êtes déjà venu(e) à un dîner comme celui-ci ?
    Say it like: voo-ZET day-ZHAH vuh-NOO ah un dee-NAY kom suh-lwee-SEE
    Have you been to a dinner like this before?
  7. 07 · Dietary needs
    Je suis végétarien(ne). Il y a une option sans viande ?
    Say it like: zhuh swee vay-zhay-tah-RYAN. eel ee ah oon op-SYON son VYOND
    I'm vegetarian. Is there an option without meat?
  8. 08 · At the table
    Pourriez-vous me passer l'eau, s'il vous plaît ?
    Say it like: poo-ryay-VOO muh pah-SAY LOH, seel voo PLAY
    Could you pass me the water, please?
  9. 09 · Paying
    On partage l'addition ou comment ça se passe ?
    Say it like: on par-TAZH lah-dee-SYON oo ko-MON sah suh PAS
    Do we split the bill, or how does it work?
  10. 10 · Leaving & keeping in touch
    Merci pour cette belle soirée. On remet ça bientôt !
    Say it like: mair-SEE poor set BEL swah-RAY. on ruh-MAY sah byan-TOH
    Thank you for this lovely evening. Let's do it again soon!

3 things you will probably hear

  1. H1 · You may hear
    Installez-vous où vous voulez.
    Say it like: an-sta-lay-VOO oo voo voo-LAY
    Sit wherever you like.
  2. H2 · You may hear
    Vous avez des allergies ou quelque chose que vous ne mangez pas ?
    Say it like: voo-za-VAY day-za-lair-ZHEE oo KEL-kuh shoz kuh voo nuh mon-ZHAY pah
    Any allergies, or anything you don't eat?
  3. H3 · You may hear
    On reprend une bouteille de vin ?
    Say it like: on ruh-PRON oon boo-TAY duh VAN
    Shall we have another bottle of wine?

Go and try it

Find dinners with strangers on Come Alone

Quick answers

What do I say when I arrive alone at a dinner with strangers in French?

Start with: "Bonsoir ! Je m'appelle ___. Enchanté(e)." (Good evening! I'm ___. Pleased to meet you.). Then say you are new: "Je ne connais personne, alors je suis ravi(e) d'être là !" (I don't know anyone, so I'm glad to be here!)

Should I use informal or formal French at a dinner with strangers?

At a dinner with strangers in France, start with "vous" and wait for the others to suggest "tu" ("on se tutoie ?"). The meal is slow and the host serves.

How do I ask to meet again after a dinner with strangers in French?

Try: "Merci pour cette belle soirée. On remet ça bientôt !" (Thank you for this lovely evening. Let's do it again soon!)

Same evening, another language

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French, another evening

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All 7 × 6 cards · Phrases for a specific event near you

How it works

  1. Pick the evening and the language people will speak.
  2. Read the ten phrases in order: they follow the evening from the door to goodbye. Tap the speaker to hear each one in your device's voice.
  3. Print the card or keep it open on your phone. Native-speaker review is still pending; a "check" mark flags a phrase we are least sure of.
  4. Find the event on Come Alone, open it in Meet & Mint to see who else is going, and say the first phrase for real.

firstphrases.app/tonight/dinner/fr/ · Meet & Mint