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Mission: answer a wedding invitation

The set phrases for inviting, thanking, accepting, refusing and apologising, in friendly and polite messages.

FrenchA2 · Exam levelAbout 6 min: 3 reading, 3 practiceUpdated

After this lesson you can
  • Thank for an invitation
  • Accept with enthusiasm or refuse politely with a reason
  • Apologise and suggest something else
  • Ask a practical question
  • Choose a friendly or a polite tone, greeting and closing
A2 exam skills: lesson 2 of 5
  1. A2 · Exam level
  2. Mission: write to a friend about your weekend away 4 min
  3. Mission: answer a wedding invitation 6 min
  4. Mission: hold a 7-minute conversation in French 5 min
  5. Mission: deal with your post after a week away 4 min
  6. Mission: get to your gate with the announcements 4 min

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Level Level A2 (around the DELF A2 exam). Real French: replying to invitations by email and message.

What it is

Your mission: your friends Camille and Romain are getting married in June and have sent you an invitation. Reply (at least 60 words): thank them, congratulate them, say whether you can come, and ask one practical question. Then write a second short reply to your boss's invitation to a work dinner you can't attend.

Phrases by purpose:

  • Thank: Merci pour ton invitation ! (friendly) · Je vous remercie de votre invitation. (polite)
  • Congratulate: Félicitations ! (friendly) · Toutes mes félicitations. (polite)
  • Accept: Je viens avec plaisir ! / Je serai là ! (friendly) · Je serai ravi(e) de venir. (polite)
  • Refuse: Malheureusement, je ne peux pas venir… (friendly) · Malheureusement, je ne pourrai pas être présent(e)… (polite)
  • Apologise: Je suis vraiment désolé(e). (friendly) · Je vous prie de m'excuser. (polite)
  • Give a reason: parce que je travaille ce jour-là (friendly) · car je serai en déplacement (polite)
  • Ask: Est-ce que je peux apporter quelque chose ? (friendly) · Pourriez-vous me dire…? (polite)
  • Close: Bises, À très vite ! (friendly) · Cordialement, Bien à vous (polite)

Quick check

Tap an answer to check it.

  1. Refusing your manager's invitation politely:

    Show answer

    Malheureusement, je ne pourrai pas être présent(e).. Polite refusal: malheureusement + je ne pourrai pas.

Why it matters

The second DELF A2 writing task is typically a short message like this: write to invite, thank, apologise, accept or refuse. In real life it's just as common, from party invitations to work events. Getting the tone right (friendly or polite) matters as much as the grammar.

Worked example

To Camille and Romain:

Chers Camille et Romain,

Merci beaucoup pour votre invitation, et toutes mes félicitations ! Je suis tellement heureuse pour vous. Bien sûr, je serai là le 14 juin avec plaisir. Est-ce que je peux venir avec mon copain, Tom ? Et est-ce qu'il y a une liste de mariage ? Dites-moi si je peux vous aider pour la préparation.

Grosses bises, à très vite ! Julie

To the manager (polite, refusing):

Madame Leroy,

Je vous remercie de votre invitation au dîner du 3 mars. Malheureusement, je ne pourrai pas être présente, car je serai en déplacement à Lyon ce jour-là. Je vous prie de m'excuser et je vous souhaite une très bonne soirée.

Cordialement, Julie Martin

Real French: with friends, short replies by message are normal: Trop bien, je viens !. With a manager or someone you don't know, Madame / Monsieur and Cordialement are the safe choice.

Common mistake

Mixing tones: Salut Madame Leroy or Bises to a manager, or Je vous prie de m'excuser to a close friend. Decide first: friend → tu, Salut / Cher, Bises; work or stranger → vous, Madame / Monsieur, Cordialement.

And don't forget to give a reason when you refuse: it's polite, and tasks often ask for one.

Quick check

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  1. Which greeting for an email to a manager you don't know well?

    Show answer

    Madame Leroy,. Polite: Madame / Monsieur + surname.

Key terms

merci pour ton / votre invitation
thanks for your invitation
je serai ravi(e) de venir
I'll be delighted to come
malheureusement
unfortunately
je ne pourrai pas
I won't be able to
je vous prie de m'excuser
please accept my apologies (formal)
en déplacement
away on business
Cordialement
Kind regards
à très vite
see you very soon

Practise the key terms

Tap a card to turn it over. 8 cards.

FrontBack
merci pour ton / votre invitationthanks for your invitation
je serai ravi(e) de venirI'll be delighted to come
malheureusementunfortunately
je ne pourrai pasI won't be able to
je vous prie de m'excuserplease accept my apologies (formal)
en déplacementaway on business
CordialementKind regards
à très vitesee you very soon

Practice

Sort it

Friendly or polite?

  1. Bises !

    Show answer

    Friendly. between friends

  2. Cordialement

    Show answer

    Polite. work, strangers

  3. Merci pour ton invitation !

    Show answer

    Friendly. ton = tu

  4. Je vous remercie de votre invitation.

    Show answer

    Polite. vous, formal verb

  5. Je vous prie de m'excuser.

    Show answer

    Polite. formal apology

Quick quiz

Tap an answer to check it.

  1. Accepting a friend's party invitation enthusiastically:

    Show answer

    Super ! Je viens avec plaisir.. Je viens avec plaisir = I'd love to come.

  2. « Je ne peux pas venir … je travaille. »

    Show answer

    parce que. parce que gives the reason.

Build the sentence

Build a polite refusal.

Show answer

Je vous remercie de votre invitation. Malheureusement, je ne pourrai pas venir, car je serai en déplacement. Cordialement,. Thanks, refusal, reason, closing.

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 (writing practice out loud). Play two people at level A2: first Camille, my French friend, who tells me about her wedding on 14 June and asks if I'm coming (tu); then Madame Leroy, my manager, who invites me to a work dinner on 3 March (vous). For each, I will "write" my reply out loud, sentence by sentence. After each sentence, tell me in English if there's a mistake or if the tone is wrong for that person, and let me try again. When both replies are finished, check that each thanked, accepted or refused with a reason, and closed correctly. If they did, 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

  • Thank, then accept or refuse (with a reason), then ask or suggest, then close.
  • Friends: tu, Salut / Cher, Bises. Work and strangers: vous, Madame / Monsieur, Cordialement.
  • Refuse politely: Malheureusement, je ne pourrai pas…, car…
  • Apologise: Je suis désolé(e) / Je vous prie de m'excuser.
  • At least 60 words in the DELF A2.

Mastery check

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Check yourself

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  1. How do you congratulate a friend on their wedding?

    Show answer

    Félicitations !

  2. Which closing for a manager?

    Show answer

    Cordialement (or Bien à vous).

  3. Translate: "Unfortunately, I won't be able to come."

    Show answer

    Malheureusement, je ne pourrai pas venir.

Further reading