Asking Someone to Review a Document｜French Business Conversation

In business contexts, it is very common to ask someone in French, “Could you review this document?”

Rather than simply saying “Please look at it,” it is important to adjust the level of politeness depending on your relationship with the person and the situation.

Here, I will explain key French phrases for making such requests, their grammatical points, alternative expressions, and useful responses.

Dialogue

A

Bonjour, pourriez-vous vérifier ce document, s’il vous plaît ?
(Hello, could you review this document, please?)

B

Oui, bien sûr. Je vais le lire tout de suite.
(Of course. I will read it right away.)

A

Merci beaucoup. J’aimerais avoir votre avis avant la réunion.
(Thank you very much. I would like to have your opinion before the meeting.)

B

Pas de problème. Je vous donnerai mon retour cet après-midi.
(No problem. I will give you my feedback this afternoon.)

1. Basic Request: Pouvez-vous … ?

The simplest way to make a request is “Pouvez-vous … ?”

This uses the present tense of the verb pouvoir (can, be able to) to ask, “Can you … ?” It is polite enough for everyday business conversations.

Adding “s’il vous plaît” (please) makes it even more courteous.

2. More Polite Request: Pourriez-vous … ?

For a more formal or deferential request, use the conditional tense: “Pourriez-vous …?”

Using the conditional changes the nuance to, “If it is possible, would you … ?” which sounds more polite and considerate.

In formal business contexts, this phrasing is preferred.

3. Verbs for “To Check”

In French, several verbs correspond to “to check,” each with slightly different nuances:

For spelling, content, or accuracy, use vérifier. For re-reading a text, relire is natural.

4. Asking for Opinions or Feedback

Sometimes you may want to go beyond asking for a check and request an opinion or feedback.

Here, avis means “opinion,” and retour refers to “feedback/response.”

5. Common Replies

It is also useful to know how colleagues or supervisors may respond:

Recognizing these typical responses will help conversations flow smoothly.

Summary

泉（Izumi）

Author

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