#30 Checking In at a Hotel｜Useful Phrases for Confirming Reservations
Izumi French Garden
#86 Scheduling a Business Meeting｜French Business Conversation
Izumi
In business negotiations and meetings, scheduling is one of the most essential exchanges.
Being able to express phrases such as “May I ask about your availability?” or “This schedule works for me” in French will help facilitate smooth communication with business partners.
Here, I explain practical French expressions for scheduling, along with key conversational points.
Contents
Dialogue
Bonjour, seriez-vous disponible pour une réunion la semaine prochaine ?
（Hello, would you be available for a meeting next week?）
Bonjour. Oui, je suis disponible mercredi après-midi.
（Hello. Yes, I am available Wednesday afternoon.）
Parfait. Et si nous nous rencontrions à 15h ?
（Perfect. How about meeting at 3:00 p.m.?）
Ça me va. Où voulez-vous nous rencontrer ?
（That works for me. Where would you like to meet?）
Nous pouvons nous rencontrer dans nos bureaux ou en visioconférence si vous préférez.
（We can meet at our office, or via videoconference if you prefer.）
La visioconférence me convient. Merci beaucoup.
（A videoconference works well for me. Thank you very much.）
1. Asking About Availability
“Seriez-vous disponible pour … ?” is a polite expression meaning “Would you be available for …?”
- Seriez-vous disponible pour une réunion la semaine prochaine ?
（Would you be available for a meeting next week?）
Using seriez-vous (conditional) softens the tone, similar to the English “Would you be available…?”, making it appropriate for business situations.
Although “Êtes-vous disponible… ?” conveys the same meaning, it sounds more direct. In business or when speaking to someone for the first time, the conditional form “Seriez-vous… ?” is more suitable.
2. Indicating Your Availability
When asked about scheduling, specify the dates/times that work for you.
- Je suis disponible mercredi après-midi.
（I am available Wednesday afternoon.）
Specifying morning (matin) or afternoon (après-midi) adds clarity.
To refer to timing relative to the current week, use expressions such as “la semaine prochaine” (next week).
3. Suggesting a Time
Once you agree on a date, you can propose a time using “Et si ～ ?”
- Et si nous nous rencontrions à 15h ?
（How about meeting at 3:00 p.m.?）
Here, the conditional form “nous nous rencontrions” expresses a polite suggestion.
More formal proposals are also possible:
- Je vous propose une réunion à 15h.
（I propose a meeting at 3:00 p.m.） - Est-ce que cela vous conviendrait ?
（Would that work for you?）
The verb convenir (“to suit / to work”) appears frequently in business French.
4. Confirming the Place or Format
After the schedule is set, confirm whether the meeting will be held in person or online.
- Où voulez-vous nous rencontrer ?
（Where would you like to meet?）
When asking about the meeting location, use the verb rencontrer (to meet).
- Nous pouvons nous rencontrer dans nos bureaux ou en visioconférence si vous préférez.
（We can meet at our office, or via videoconference if you prefer.）
The term visioconférence is widely used, and may be paired with platform names such as “Zoom” or “Teams.”
Adding “si vous préférez” (if you prefer) gives a polite tone that respects the other party’s preference.
5. Polite Ways to Respond
To express acceptance of a proposal:
- Ça me va.
（That works for me.）
Other useful business expressions:
- Cela me convient.
（That is fine with me.） - C’est parfait.
（That’s perfect.）
Adding Merci / Merci beaucoup makes the response even more courteous.
Summary
- Seriez-vous disponible … ?
→ Polite way to ask about availability - Je suis disponible ～ .
→ Clearly indicate your availability - Et si ～ ? / Cela vous conviendrait ?
→ Useful for proposing a meeting time - en visioconférence / dans nos bureaux
→ Expressions to confirm meeting format/location - Ça me va / Cela me convient
→ Useful ways to accept a proposed schedule
