#11 Expressions for Talking About Recent News｜French Conversation Patterns
Izumi French Garden
#88 Praising a Colleague’s Work｜French for Business
Izumi
In the workplace, offering appropriate praise for a colleague’s achievements or performance helps build positive relationships and can greatly contribute to team morale.
French offers many expressions to show appreciation and admiration, and it is important to acknowledge the other person’s efforts using concrete words.
This lesson introduces useful French expressions for praising a colleague’s work, along with conversational examples and practical tips.
Contents
Dialogue
J’ai vu votre présentation hier. Elle était vraiment excellente.
(I saw your presentation yesterday. It was truly excellent.)
Merci beaucoup, ça me fait très plaisir.
（Thank you very much, I’m very happy to hear that.）
Vous avez expliqué les points clés de manière très claire.
（You explained the key points very clearly.）
J’ai essayé de simplifier au maximum.
（I tried to make it as concise as possible.）
Votre travail a beaucoup aidé l’équipe.
（Your work greatly helped the team.）
C’est gentil. Je suis ravi(e) que cela vous ait été utile.
（That’s very kind. I’m glad it was helpful to you.）
1. Praising Overall Performance
When complimenting a colleague’s work, it is effective to begin by conveying your overall impression.
- Votre présentation était excellente.
（Your presentation was excellent.）
The adjective excellente indicates that the work is of very high quality and is suitable when delivering a respectful evaluation.
A more casual expression:
- Très bon travail.
(Great job.)
This versatile expression can be used across a wide range of work situations—reports, documents, project tasks, and more.
2. Complimenting Specific Points
Compliments are more impactful when you highlight “what exactly” was good.
- Vous avez expliqué les points clés de manière très claire.
(You explained the key points very clearly.)
By identifying which aspect stood out, your acknowledgement becomes more meaningful.
- Votre analyse était très pertinente.
(Your analysis was very insightful.) - Votre gestion du projet a été remarquable.
(Your project management was outstanding.)
Here, pertinente means “appropriate / to the point,” and remarquable means “remarkable / noteworthy.” These adjectives are often used in professional evaluations.
3. Expressing How Their Work Helped
If your colleague’s efforts benefited you or the team, it is important to express that effect clearly.
- Votre travail a beaucoup aidé l’équipe.
(Your work greatly helped the team.)
Explaining the contribution shows sincere appreciation beyond simply saying “good job.”
- Merci pour votre soutien.
(Thank you for your support.) - Nous apprécions vraiment vos efforts.
(We truly appreciate your efforts.)
The verb apprécier conveys not only gratitude but also respect for the person’s contribution.
4. Recognizing Effort and Attitude
Praising not only results but also the process and effort is highly effective.
- Je sais que vous avez beaucoup travaillé sur ce projet.
(I know you worked very hard on this project.)
This expresses that you value the person’s dedication itself, helping to enhance motivation.
Additional useful expressions:
- Votre professionnalisme est exemplaire.
(Your professionalism is exemplary.) - Vous avez fait preuve de beaucoup de créativité.
(You showed a great deal of creativity.)
The phrase “faire preuve de …” means “to demonstrate/show …,” making it a useful structure for professional praise.
5. Responding to Praise
Responding appropriately when you receive praise helps maintain smooth communication.
- Ça me fait très plaisir.
(I’m very happy to hear that.) - Je suis ravi(e) que cela vous ait été utile.
(I’m glad it was helpful to you.) - Je l’apprécie beaucoup.
(I really appreciate it.)
These expressions convey respect and modesty, making them very effective in professional settings.
Summary
- Seriez-vous disponible … ?
→ A polite way to confirm availability. - Je suis disponible ～ .
→ Clearly indicates when you are available. - Et si ～ ? / Cela vous conviendrait ?
→ Useful when proposing a time. - en visioconférence / dans nos bureaux
→ Helps clarify meeting format or location. - Ça me va / Cela me convient
→ Used to accept a proposal.
