Updated 8 October 2026

Phrasebook

How to give constructive feedback to a colleague in French

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated 8 October 2026 · About the library

Give specific feedback in French: describe what happened, explain its effect and request a concrete change. Four scenes, 24 lines and practice questions.

B1
24 phrases
4 situations
Learn this in the B1 notebook →

In short

Use a specific event, its effect and a request: Hier, tu as modifié le planning après notre échange. J’ai donc préparé le mauvais dossier. Pourrais-tu me prévenir quand le planning change ? This page uses tu between colleagues who already address each other that way.

Two colleagues have a constructive conversation at an office desk. — A retour constructif links a specific observation to a useful next step. Illustration: Atelier

1 · Ask for a moment

Choose a quiet moment after a meeting.

YouTu aurais cinq minutes pour parler de la réunion d’hier ?Would you have five minutes to talk about yesterday’s meeting?

ColleagueOui, qu’est-ce que tu voulais me dire ?Yes, what did you want to tell me?

YouJ’aimerais revenir sur un point précis.I’d like to go back over one specific point.

ColleagueD’accord, je t’écoute.All right, I’m listening.

YouPendant ma présentation, tu as répondu avant que je termine mon explication.During my presentation, you answered before I finished my explanation.

YouJe voudrais t’expliquer l’effet que cela a eu.I’d like to explain the effect that had.

2 · Explain the effect

Describe the effect on the work and hear the other person.

YouJe n’ai pas pu présenter la dernière étape.I couldn’t present the final step.

YouEnsuite, deux personnes m’ont demandé des précisions sur cette étape.Afterwards, two people asked me for more details about that step.

ColleagueJe pensais que tu avais terminé.I thought you’d finished.

YouJe comprends mieux. Il me restait un exemple à donner.I understand better now. I still had an example to give.

ColleagueJe voulais surtout répondre à la question du client.I mainly wanted to answer the client’s question.

YouOui, cette question était utile. J’aimerais aussi pouvoir finir mon explication.Yes, that question was useful. I’d also like to be able to finish my explanation.

3 · Ask for one change

Make the request easy to recognise next time.

YouLa prochaine fois, pourrais-tu attendre que j’aie terminé ?Next time, could you wait until I’ve finished?

ColleagueComment saurai-je que tu as fini ?How will I know you’ve finished?

YouJe dirai clairement que je passe aux questions.I’ll say clearly that I’m moving on to questions.

ColleagueD’accord, je noterai mes questions en attendant.All right, I’ll note down my questions in the meantime.

YouEt si un point est urgent, tu peux me faire signe.And if something is urgent, you can signal to me.

ColleagueTrès bien, on essaie comme ça à la prochaine réunion.Very good, let’s try that at the next meeting.

4 · Check whether it helped

Return to the agreed behaviour after the next meeting.

YouMerci d’avoir attendu la fin de mon explication aujourd’hui.Thank you for waiting until the end of my explanation today.

ColleagueEst-ce que cela t’a aidé ?Did that help you?

YouOui, j’ai pu présenter toutes les étapes.Yes, I was able to present all the steps.

ColleagueJ’ai aussi trouvé le temps de questions plus clair.I also found the question time clearer.

YouOn garde ce fonctionnement pour la semaine prochaine ?Shall we keep working this way next week?

ColleagueOui, et on se dira si quelque chose doit changer.Yes, and we’ll tell each other if anything needs to change.

Turn a personal label into an observable event

Personal label	Specific observation
Tu es désorganisé.	Hier, le planning a changé après notre échange.
Tu ne m’écoutes jamais.	Pendant ma présentation, tu as répondu avant la fin.
Tu es toujours en retard.	Cette semaine, les deux comptes rendus sont arrivés après le délai prévu.

The observation gives your colleague something concrete to answer. Add the effect with j’ai donc… or cela a…, then one request with pourrais-tu… ? With a colleague you call vous, use pourriez-vous… ?