#198 Expressing Your Opinion to a Supervisor｜French Business Phrases

In the workplace, you may often find yourself being asked for your opinion on a supervisor’s instructions or proposals, or you may need to present your own suggestions for improvement.

When expressing your opinion to a supervisor, it is important to communicate your ideas clearly while maintaining politeness and consideration. Doing so helps ensure smooth and professional communication.

In this section, I will explain useful French expressions for such situations, together with key grammatical points.

Dialogue

A

Excusez-moi, puis-je vous faire part d’une idée concernant le projet ?
（Excuse me, may I share an idea regarding the project?）

B

Bien sûr, je vous écoute.
（Of course. I am listening.）

A

À mon avis, nous pourrions simplifier la présentation pour la rendre plus claire.
（In my opinion, we could simplify the presentation to make it clearer.）

B

C’est intéressant. Que proposez-vous concrètement ?
（That is interesting. What do you propose specifically?）

A

Je suggère de réduire le nombre de diapositives et de mettre en avant les points essentiels.
（I suggest reducing the number of slides and highlighting the key points.）

B

D’accord, c’est une bonne idée. Nous pouvons essayer cette approche.
（I see. That is a good idea. We can try this approach.）

A

Merci de votre écoute.
（Thank you for your attention.）

1. Asking Permission Before Giving Your Opinion

When you want to express your opinion to a supervisor, I recommend that you begin by asking permission to speak. This shows respect and consideration.

The structure “Puis-je + infinitive” is an inverted question form of “pouvoir” in the present tense. In regular sentences, it appears as “je peux,” but in inversion it becomes “puis-je,” which sounds more formal.

The expression “faire part de + noun” means “to share” or “to communicate” something.

The noun “part” originally means “a portion” or “a share,” and the phrase conveys the idea of sharing something with another person.

2. Presenting Your Opinion Diplomatically

If you state your opinion too directly, it may sound overly forceful. For this reason, I recommend using softening expressions such as the following.

The phrase “À mon avis” means “in my opinion” and helps frame the statement as a personal perspective rather than a firm assertion.

The verb form “nous pourrions” uses the present conditional of “pouvoir.” In business contexts, the conditional often conveys a polite suggestion or a possible option rather than a strong recommendation.

In addition, the phrase “pour + infinitive” introduces a purpose and makes your suggestion more persuasive.

3. Presenting a Concrete Proposal

When you express an opinion, I recommend that you not only point out an issue but also provide a concrete suggestion. This approach leads to more constructive discussions.

The structure “Je suggère de + infinitive” is commonly used to present a proposal in a polite and moderate tone.

The expression “mettre en avant + noun” means “to highlight” or “to emphasize.”

Literally, it means “to put forward,” which conveys the idea of bringing something to the front to make it stand out.

Summary