Common mistakes
Solliciter or demander: four request mistakes to avoid
Ask for help, seek an opinion and write a clear request in French. Compare solliciter and demander, including question clauses and English false friends.
- B2
- 4 corrections
- Examples and fixes
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In short
Demander is the everyday verb for asking or requesting. Solliciter often means “seek” or “request” in formal wording: solliciter un avis, solliciter une autorisation. Use demander to introduce an indirect question such as où or si.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
- demanderto demand aggressivelyto ask; to request
Je voudrais vous demander un conseil.I’d like to ask you for some advice.
For an insistent demand, exiger may fit. A request with demander can be gentle.
- solliciter un avisan automatic replacement for every use of demanderto seek an opinion
Nous sollicitons votre avis sur cette proposition.We are seeking your opinion on this proposal.
In an ordinary conversation, say Nous vous demandons votre avis sur cette proposition.
- demander sisolliciter sito ask whether
Elle demande si la réunion est maintenue.She asks whether the meeting is still going ahead.
Use demander before si, où, quand or comment in an indirect question.
- solliciter la mémoireonly making a requestalso: to draw on a capacity
Cet exercice sollicite la mémoire et l’attention.This exercise draws on memory and attention.
Here, solliciter describes using a capacity. The subject is an activity rather than a person making a request.
What is the difference between solliciter and demander?
| Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| demander quelque chose à quelqu’un | Je demande un conseil à Nora. | I ask Nora for some advice. |
| demander à quelqu’un de faire quelque chose | Je demande à Nora de relire le texte. | I ask Nora to reread the text. |
| solliciter quelque chose | Je sollicite votre aide. | I am requesting your help. |
| solliciter quelqu’un pour quelque chose | Nous sollicitons Nora pour une relecture. | We are asking Nora to do a reread. |
| solliciter un report | Nous sollicitons un report de trois jours. | We are requesting a three-day postponement. |
- Nora
Dans mon message, j’ai écrit : « Je sollicite votre avis sur cette version. »
In my message, I wrote: “I am seeking your opinion on this version.”
- Samir
Oui. Tu peux aussi écrire : « Pourriez-vous me donner votre avis sur cette version ? »
Yes. You could also write: “Could you give me your opinion on this version?”
- Nora
Et pour savoir quand la personne est disponible ?
And to find out when the person is available?
- Samir
Tu peux demander : « Quand seriez-vous disponible pour en parler ? »
You can ask: “When would you be available to discuss it?”
Solliciter fits an application or a careful request for support. Demander also works in professional writing: Je vous demande de confirmer la date. To soften that wording, change the sentence: Pourriez-vous confirmer la date ? The conditional makes the request less direct.