Mission: give your opinion at a dinner party
Giving, sharing and challenging opinions. Say what you think without starting a fight.
FrenchB1 · Opinions and debateAbout 6 min: 3 reading, 3 practiceUpdated
- Give an opinion with à mon avis, je trouve que, je pense que, il me semble que, pour moi
- Agree with je suis d'accord, tout à fait, c'est vrai
- Disagree politely with je ne suis pas tout à fait d'accord
- Ask others what they think: et toi, t'en penses quoi ?
Opinions and debate: lesson 1 of 4
- B1 · Opinions and debate
- Mission: give your opinion at a dinner party 6 min
- Mission: tell your flatmates what needs doing 7 min
- Mission: react to news from a friend 7 min
- Mission: win an argument politely 7 min
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Level Level B1 (around the DELF B1 exam). Real French: a lively dinner-party conversation.
What it is
Your mission: you're at a dinner party at Camille's flat in Nantes. Her friend Karim announces, « Le télétravail, c'est l'avenir ! » Give your own opinion using two different expressions, agree with one of his points, disagree politely with another, and ask Karim what he thinks about something.
At B1 you are expected to say what you think and why, not just answer questions. These are the openers:
| Expression | Feel |
|---|---|
| à mon avis, … | in my opinion |
| je trouve que … | I find that (the everyday one) |
| je pense que … | I think that |
| il me semble que … | it seems to me that (softer) |
| pour moi, … | for me |
After je trouve que, je pense que and il me semble que you use an ordinary indicative verb: je trouve que c'est une bonne idée.
Agreeing: je suis d'accord, tout à fait, c'est vrai, exactement.
Disagreeing politely: je ne suis pas tout à fait d'accord, je vois les choses autrement, c'est vrai, mais …. Starting with a small agreement makes the disagreement much softer.
Asking others: et toi, t'en penses quoi ? (friends, tu) or et vous, qu'en pensez-vous ? (vous).
More detail: the negative opinion
Je ne pense pas que … is followed by the subjunctive: je ne pense pas que ce soit une bonne idée. You'll learn that mood in the next missions; for now, to say the opposite, use je trouve que … with a negative idea (je trouve que ce n'est pas pratique) or je ne suis pas d'accord.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
Karim says « Le télétravail, c'est toujours mieux. » You half agree. Which reply is polite?
- Blunt, not polite
- That agrees completely
Show answer
Je ne suis pas tout à fait d'accord.. pas tout à fait d'accord softens the disagreement.
Why it matters
Conversation in France often means talking about ideas: politics, work, food, football. People expect you to have a view and to defend it with good manners. It is also what the DELF B1 speaking exam asks for in its expression d'un point de vue part, where you give and justify an opinion. Learn these few frames and you can join the table instead of nodding.
Worked example
At Camille's table:
- Karim: Le télétravail, c'est l'avenir ! On gagne du temps et on est plus calme.
- You: À mon avis, c'est vrai pour certains métiers. Je trouve que c'est pratique, surtout sans les transports.
- Karim: Voilà ! Donc on devrait tout faire à distance.
- You: Là, je ne suis pas tout à fait d'accord. Il me semble que l'équipe a besoin de se voir de temps en temps.
- Camille: Il a raison, non ?
- Karim: Peut-être. Et Camille, elle en pense quoi ?
- You: Et toi, Karim, t'en penses quoi : tu veux vraiment travailler seul tous les jours ?
Real French: between friends, ne often disappears: je suis pas d'accord. In an exam or a letter, keep je ne suis pas d'accord. And t'en penses quoi ? is informal; with someone you address as vous, say qu'en pensez-vous ?.
Common mistake
Translating "I am agree" word for word: wrong: je suis agree, or wrong: j'ai d'accord. French uses être d'accord: je suis d'accord, je ne suis pas d'accord.
And don't say wrong: je pense à mon avis in one breath. Choose one frame: à mon avis, c'est utile or je pense que c'est utile.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
"I agree with you." Which is right?
- French uses être d'accord
- Not French
Show answer
Je suis d'accord avec toi.. être d'accord = to agree.
Key terms
- à mon avis
- in my opinion
- je trouve que
- I find that, I think that
- il me semble que
- it seems to me that
- pour moi
- for me
- je suis d'accord
- I agree
- tout à fait
- absolutely, exactly
- je ne suis pas tout à fait d'accord
- I don't quite agree
- je vois les choses autrement
- I see things differently
- t'en penses quoi ?
- what do you think about it? (informal)
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 9 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| à mon avis | in my opinion |
| je trouve que | I find that, I think that |
| il me semble que | it seems to me that |
| pour moi | for me |
| je suis d'accord | I agree |
| tout à fait | absolutely, exactly |
| je ne suis pas tout à fait d'accord | I don't quite agree |
| je vois les choses autrement | I see things differently |
| t'en penses quoi ? | what do you think about it? (informal) |
Practice
Sort it
Agreeing or disagreeing?
Tout à fait !
complete agreementShow answer
Agree. complete agreement
C'est vrai, tu as raison.
you accept his pointShow answer
Agree. you accept his point
Je suis d'accord avec toi.
être d'accordShow answer
Agree. être d'accord
Je vois les choses autrement.
a different viewShow answer
Disagree. a different view
Je ne suis pas tout à fait d'accord.
polite disagreementShow answer
Disagree. polite disagreement
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
You want to ask a close friend (using tu) for her opinion.
- A vous form: wrong for a close friend
- Incomplete: que needs a clause after it; say tu es d'accord ? or tu es d'accord avec moi ?
Show answer
Et toi, t'en penses quoi ?. t'en penses quoi ? is the casual tu question.
Which sentence gives a softer, more careful opinion?
- This closes the discussion
- This attacks the other person
Show answer
Il me semble que c'est trop cher.. il me semble que = it seems to me that.
Build the sentence
Build "I find that this film is too long." (start with Je trouve)
Show answer
Je trouve que ce film est trop long.. je trouve que + a clause in the indicative.
Practise speaking
Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.
Mission role-play. You are Karim, a friendly, opinionated guest at a dinner party in Nantes. Speak naturally but clearly, at level B1, using tu. Start with « Le télétravail, c'est l'avenir ! » and then ask me one question at a time about it, then about other everyday topics (the four-day week, cycling to work, cooking at home). Give your own opinion in short sentences, sometimes provocatively but kindly, so I have to agree or disagree. After each of my answers, tell me in English what kind of mistake I made, if any, and let me try again; watch for opinion frames (à mon avis, je trouve que, il me semble que) and polite disagreement. The mission is complete when I have given opinions with two different expressions, agreed once, disagreed politely once, and asked you « Et toi, t'en penses quoi ? »: then say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 3 sentences.
Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.
Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. Many assistants turn your speech into text first, so a vowel or liaison you got wrong may be silently “heard” as the right word. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.
New to this? Read Practising speaking with an AI.
In short
- Opinion openers: à mon avis, je trouve que, je pense que, il me semble que, pour moi.
- After je trouve / je pense / il me semble que, use a normal indicative verb.
- Agree with je suis d'accord, tout à fait, c'est vrai (the verb is être d'accord).
- Disagree softly: je ne suis pas tout à fait d'accord, je vois les choses autrement.
- Ask back with et toi, t'en penses quoi ? (tu) or qu'en pensez-vous ? (vous).
Mastery check
Answer without looking back. Score 80% or more and the lesson is marked done. Your result is kept only in this browser.
Check yourself
Answer in your head first, then open the answer. Nothing is saved.
Give an opinion about cycling to work, using je trouve que.
Show answer
For example: Je trouve que c'est bon pour la santé.
How do you politely disagree?
Show answer
Je ne suis pas tout à fait d'accord. (or: Je vois les choses autrement.)
How do you ask a friend what they think?
Show answer
Et toi, t'en penses quoi ?
Further reading
- RFI, Journal en français facile, a free daily news bulletin in simple French: notice how guests give opinions.
- TV5MONDE, Apprendre le français, free exercises on giving an opinion, built on real TV clips.
Finished? Mark it done to fill in your leaf on the French map.