#87 Reviewing a Contract ｜ French for Business

Exchanging and reviewing contracts is a crucial process in business and must be handled carefully.

When confirming contract details, asking questions about specific clauses, requesting revisions, or asking for resubmission of documents, it is important to communicate clearly and politely in French.

In this lesson, I will introduce useful French expressions for reviewing a contract, along with sample dialogues. I will also explain how to use these phrases and highlight important points.

Dialogue

A

J’ai bien reçu le contrat. Pourrions-nous vérifier quelques points ensemble ?
（I have received the contract. Would it be possible to review a few points together?）

B

Bien sûr, je suis à votre disposition.
（Of course. I am at your disposal.）

A

Concernant l’article 3, pourriez-vous clarifier les conditions de paiement ?
（Regarding Article 3, could you clarify the payment terms?）

B

Oui, le paiement doit être effectué dans les 30 jours suivant la facturation.
（Yes, payment must be made within 30 days following invoicing.）

A

Très bien. Et serait-il possible de modifier légèrement la date de livraison ?
（Very well. Would it be possible to slightly adjust the delivery date?）

B

Oui, nous pouvons fixer la date au 15 avril si cela vous convient.
（Yes, we can set the date to April 15 if that works for you.）

A

Parfait, merci. Pourriez-vous m’envoyer une version mise à jour ?
（Perfect, thank you. Could you send me an updated version?）

B

Bien sûr. Je vous l’enverrai d’ici demain.
（Of course. I will send it to you by tomorrow.）

1. Notifying Receipt of the Contract

When you receive a contract, first confirm its receipt clearly.

In business communication, it is important to avoid misunderstandings by acknowledging exchanges properly.

The expression “j’ai bien reçu” conveys the nuance of “I have indeed received…” and is frequently used in business emails.

When you wish to request a review of the contract in a polite manner, you can use:

Although its literal meaning is “Could we review…?”, it is used idiomatically to make a gentle, courteous request.

2. Asking About Specific Clauses

Contracts contain many clauses, and there may be unclear points or items that require confirmation.

In such cases, the following expressions are useful:

Starting with Concernant〜 helps clarify the focus of the discussion.

To request clarification, use:

“Pourriez-vous ～ ?” is a polite request form commonly used in business situations.

The verb clarifier means “to make clear / to explain,” and is used when asking for clarification on ambiguous points.

3. Requesting Revisions or Changes

When requesting modifications to a contract, it is important to ask politely.

The adverb légèrement (slightly) softens the request and shows consideration.

You can also say:

The verb repousser means “to postpone / delay.”

4. Confirming Agreement or Approval

If the proposed change is acceptable, express your approval clearly.

This phrase means “It suits me / It is acceptable,” and is frequently used in business contexts. If you wish to express stronger approval, you may say Parfait. (Perfect.)

Using such expressions adds clarity and smoothness to communication.

5. Requesting the Latest / Updated Version

When revisions are needed or you require the final version, the following expression is helpful:

Here, version means “edition,” and “mise à jour” means “updated.”

Adding “Merci d’avance.” (Thank you in advance.) at the end of your message gives a polite impression.

Summary