Negotiating is an important skill to have, both in our everyday lives and also in business settings.
It’s important therefore, to have the vocabulary to be able to negotiate in a wide variety of settings in French.
French Negotiation Vocabulary
Here’s a list of useful words and phrases to help you negotiate in French.
| Negotiation Vocabulary | Le vocabulaire de la négociation |
| A negotiation | Une négociation |
| A negotiator | Un négociateur/une négociatrice |
| To negotiate | Négocier |
| To begin negotiations (with someone for something) | Engager des négociations (avec quelqu’un pour obtenir quelque chose) |
| To reach an agreement | Parvenir à un accord |
| To have conflict (with someone) | Être en conflit (avec quelqu’un) |
| To be at a stalemate | Être dans une impasse |
Negotiating in-depth
Negotiating with someone for something, or making a decision can be a difficult task at times. You may need to look into the situation more in-depth. You may need:
| A win-win strategy | Une stratégie gagnant-gagnant |
| A point of view | Un point de vue |
| To establish an environment of trust | Établir un climat de confiance |
| To find common ground | Trouver un terrain d’entente |
| To question something | Remettre en cause |
| To get to the heart of the matter | Entrer dans le vif du sujet |
| To analyze the stakes | Analyser les enjeux |
| To make concessions | Faire des concessions |
| To reach a consensus | Aboutir à un consensus |
| To shake someone’s hand | Serrer la main de quelqu’un |
Agreeing and Disagreeing
Negotiating means that you’ll inevitably have to agree or disagree with another person or group. Below are some of the most common ways to agree and disagree with someone.
Agreeing
| I agree | Je suis d’accord |
| I completely agree with you | Je suis complètement d’accord avec vous |
| I’m of the same opinion | Je suis du même avis |
Disagreeing
| I disagree | Je ne suis pas d’accord |
| I disagree completely with you | Je ne suis pas du tout d’accord avec vous |
| To be right/correct | Avoir raison |
| I’m right | J’ai raison |
| To be in the wrong | Avoir tort |
| You are wrong | Tu as tort (Vous avez tort) |
For more information about agreeing and disagreeing in French check out our blog post.
Negotiating for a better price
In certain situations you may be able to negotiate for a better price. Places like flea markets are great to try and get a better deal, or to simply not be ripped off and end up paying tourist prices.
Below are some phrases to help you in negotiating a better price.
| How much does this cost? | Combien ça coûte? |
| What’s your best price? | Quel est votre meilleur prix? |
| Can you reduce the price? | Pouvez-vous baisser le prix? |
| Can we make a good deal? | Peut-on trouver une bonne affaire? |
| How much for the two, (three, four)? | Combien pour les deux, (trois, quatre)? |
| That’s too expensive (for me) | C’est trop cher (pour moi) |
| I’m paying in cash | Je paie en liquide |
| To haggle | Marchander |
What about you? Do you have any experience negotiating in French? What do you think are the best things to negotiate for when travelling? Let us know in the comments.
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