#42 Expressing Thanks in Emails｜French Business Phrases
Izumi French Garden
#115 Visiting a Nail Salon｜French Daily-Life Phrases
Izumi
When visiting a nail salon abroad, you will often need to communicate detailed requests—such as your preferred style, nail length, color, and aftercare.
Being able to describe these elements clearly in French will help ensure a smooth and comfortable experience.
In this article, I introduce practical French expressions you can use at a nail salon, along with grammatical and usage points to help you speak with confidence.
Contents
Dialogue
Bonjour, j’ai un rendez-vous à 14h pour une manucure.
（Hello, I have an appointment at 2 p.m. for a manicure.）
Bienvenue. Souhaitez-vous un soin classique ou une pose de vernis gel ?
（Welcome. Would you like a classic treatment or a gel polish application?）
J’aimerais une pose de gel, s’il vous plaît. Et j’aimerais garder la longueur actuelle.
（I would like a gel application, please. And I would like to keep the current length.）
Avez-vous une couleur ou un style en tête ?
（Do you have a particular color or style in mind?）
Oui, je préférerais quelque chose de naturel, peut-être un beige clair.
（Yes, I would prefer something natural—perhaps a light beige.）
Souhaitez-vous ajouter un soin des cuticules ou un petit dessin ?
（Would you like to add cuticle care or a small design?）
Oui, un soin des cuticules, mais pas de dessin pour aujourd’hui.
（Yes, cuticle care, please. But no design for today.）
Très bien, installez-vous. On va commencer.
（Very well, please have a seat. We will begin shortly.）
1. Confirming Your Appointment
At a nail salon, the first step is to confirm whether you have an appointment.
- J’ai un rendez-vous à 14h pour une manucure.
（I have an appointment at 2 p.m. for a manicure.）
The word rendez-vous (appointment) is useful in many contexts, including at beauty salons, hospitals, and administrative offices.
If you want to make an appointment, you can say:
- Je voudrais prendre un rendez-vous.
（I would like to make an appointment.）
When booking, you may also need to check their availability:
- Est-ce que vous avez une disponibilité aujourd’hui ?
（Do you have any availability today?）
The word disponibilité (availability) adds a polite and professional tone.
2. Communicating the Treatment You Want
ネイルサロンでは、希望する施術について明確に伝えることが大切です。
- J’aimerais une pose de gel.
（I would like a gel application.）
The phrase j’aimerais is a soft and polite way to express your preference.
- J’aimerais garder la longueur actuelle.
（I would like to keep the current length.）
Here, garder means “to keep,” and “la longueur actuelle” means “the current length.”
If you prefer to shorten the nails:
- Je voudrais les raccourcir un peu.
（I would like to shorten them a little.）
You can also specify the desired nail shape:
- Je préfère une forme arrondie.
（I prefer a rounded shape.） - Je préfère une forme carrée.
（I prefer a square shape.）
Since shape affects the overall impression of the nails, it is helpful to express your preference clearly.
3. Specifying Nail Colors
Choosing the color is a key part of deciding the overall look.
- Je préférerais quelque chose de naturel.
（I would prefer something natural.）
The structure “quelque chose de + adjective” means “something + adjective,” making it easy to describe style and color.
Examples:
- un beige clair → light beige
- un rose pâle → pale pink
- une couleur plus vive → a brighter color
You can also describe the mood rather than the specific color:
- quelque chose de discret → something subtle
- quelque chose d’élégant → something elegant
4. Asking About Additional Options
Salons often offer additional treatments or optional services.
- Souhaitez-vous ajouter un soin des cuticules ?
（Would you like to add cuticle care?）
The expression souhaitez-vous is polite yet natural in customer service settings.
When declining, a gentle tone is preferred:
- Pas pour aujourd’hui, merci.
（Not for today, thank you.）
Summary
- avoir un rendez-vous / prendre un rendez-vous
→ Basic expressions for confirming or scheduling an appointment. - J’aimerais garder la longueur actuelle / Je voudrais les raccourcir.
→ Useful phrases for specifying nail length. - Je préférerais quelque chose de naturel.
→ Helps describe the desired color or overall style. - Souhaitez-vous ajouter un soin des cuticules ?
→ Common phrase when confirming optional services.
