How To Ask Someone Out on a Date in French

Finding the courage to ask someone out on a date is not easy… let alone trying to find the right words in French. Here is my lesson on asking someone out in French.

1 – How To Say “Would You Like To Go Out With me” in French?

To say “would you like to go out with me”, we say:

• Tu veux sortir avec moi ?

Watch out though that “sortir” has the same double meaning as in English: it can mean to go out socially or romantically. The context will make the difference… or can lead to misunderstanding…

• Tu veux sortir avec nous – go out with “us”, so group of friends going out socially.
• Tu sors avec elle ? – Are you going out with her ? Probably talking about romance here…

Now, there are some very important differences between dating in France and dating in the US for example. I wrote a whole article named French Women don’t date – make sure you read it should you intend to date in France.

2 – How to Say Boyfriend / Girlfriend in French?

Actually, here we run in our first problem. Even saying girlfriend/boyfriend is problematic in French!

• The typical word for a boyfriend in French is “un petit-ami/ un petit-copain”.
• The typical word for a girlfriend in French is “une petite-amie / une petite-copine.”

That’s fine when you are a teen, or when it’s a new and casual relation. But just as in English, the French wouldn’t use this to describe a long-lasting relationship. We are more likely to use:

• Un ami, une amie (strong N liaison/gliding “Nami”) – a friend, or a boyfriend/girlfriend.

This is not specific however, but is the word grown-ups would use. So how to know whether we’re talking romantic friend? Most of the time, it’s the context. We often add a possessive adjective – mon amie(e). But really, if you wanted to make it clear, you’d say:

• Je te présente Pierre, un de mes amis – Let me introduce you to Pierre, one of my friends
• Je te présente mon ami Pierre – let me introduce you to my friend Pierre – it’s not set in stone, but likely to be romantic, especially among not-married people. (I mean I’m married, so it’s Ok to introduce my friends using a possessive adjective, no one would wonder whether they are romantic friends or not…)

For homosexual relationships, we tend to use “mon/ma partenaire”.

The French sometime use the word “un compagnon / une compagne” for long-term adult relationships.

If you are engaged, it’s “mon fiancé, ma fiancée”.

And if you are married “mon mari” (husband – or sometimes “mon époux” for spouse) and “ma femme” (wife – pronounced “fam” – sometimes “mon épouse” for spouse)

3 – What Does “Être Célibataire” Means in French?

Not what you think!

It means to not be in a relationship. It doesn’t mean to be celibate.

It’s also the marital status of someone who is not married.

4 – How to Ask Someone to be Your Girlfriend / Boyfriend in French

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If you want to be more specific, you’ll ask

• Tu veux être ma petite-copine / mon petit-copain ? would you like to be my girlfriend/boyfriend?

But only young teens would use that line… Adults would use more standard pick-up lines.

5 – Common French Pick-up Lines

T’as d’beaux yeux, tu sais

Ah… the pick-ups lines… Of course we have some traditional ones, like the actor Jean Gabin saying “T’as d’beaux yeux, tu sais” (Tu as de beaux yeux, tu sais = you know you have gorgeous eyes) in the movie “Quai des Brumes”.

This line became a classic, and French people use this pick-up line in a humoristic kind of way – but still paying you a compliment of course.

Bonjour Belle Blonde

I have no idea where this one comes from. It means “hi pretty blond” but can be used with a brunette… it doesn’t matter. It’s humorous as well, it is to be said with an exaggerated seducing look, kind of “hey gooooorgeous” or “how you’ doing?”… and is a smooth way to make fun of yourself and actually pay a compliment to “la belle”.

Now of course, we have our shares of terrible pick-up lines:

1. Pour toi bébé, je décrocherai la lune – for you baby, I’ll get the moon
2. La beauté a ses limites, mais tu les a dépassées – beauty has limits, but you went over them
3. J’aimerais être une de tes larmes pour naître dans tes yeux, vivre sur tes joues et mourir sur tes lèvres – I’d like to be one of your tears to be born in your eyes, live on your cheeks and die on your lips.
4. Tes yeux sont comme des étoiles – your eyes are like stars…. pleeeease!

6 – Typical French Sentences Used To Flirt in France

1. Excuse-moi, tu as l’heure ? Excuse me, do you have the time?
2. Pardon, tu aurais du feu/une cigarette ? Sorry, would you have a lighter/ a smoke (yep, a lot of people smoke in France)
3. Tu es avec quelqu’un ? Are you with someone ?
4. Tu veux (aller) boire un verre ? Would you like (to go for) a drink?
5. Je peux t’offrir un verre ? May I buy you a drink ?
6. Tu viens souvent ici ? Do you come here often ?
7. Tu veux aller faire un tour ? Do you want to get out of here ?
8. On pourrait peut être aller… au cinéma/au restaurant/faire une balade… Maybe we could go… to the movies/to a restaurant/take a walk
9. Tu es libre pour le dîner samedi ? Are you free for dinner on Saturday?
10. Tu me donnes ton numéro ? Could you give me your phone number ?
11. On peut peut-être échanger nos numéros ? Maybe we can exchange phone numbers

7 – French Flirting Vocabulary

1. Draguer – to seduce/to flirt (common slang)
2. Un dragueur – a seducer (common slang)
3. La drague – seduction (common slang)
4. Séduir – to seduce
5. Un séducteur, une séductrice – a seducer
6. La séduction – seduction
7. Flirter – to flirt
8. Un beau-parleur – someone who speaks to seduce you
9. Un tombeur – a (very successful) seducer – often said of someone who has a lot of success with the ladies
10. Aborder/accoster quelqu’un – to address someone in order to flirt
11. Un Kéké – a seducer – young adult vocabulary – a seducer
12. Un macho – a macho guy
13. Une pétasse – a skank

8 – French Video About Flirting

Here are a slap-stick videos about flirting.  “Samantha”, a popular TV sketch featuring a guy dressed as a woman (French people find that very funny for some reason).

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If you liked this article, I may also like:

1. French Women Don’t Date – the French Dating System Explained
2. French Sex Vocabulary (watch out, explicit content)
3. French Valentine’s day
4. How to Nuance “je t’aime” in French
5. All About French Kissing
6. French love nicknames (with audio)

I post new articles every week, so make sure you subscribe to the French Today newsletter – or follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.