🙅‍♂️

How to Say ‘I'd rather not.’ in French

Je préfère éviter.

zhuh pray-fair ay-vee-TAY

[zhuh pray-fair ay-vee-TAY]

🇫🇷 In France: This is a polite but firm no. You won't get a reason, and pushing further rarely changes it.

Phrase Breakdown

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

préfère

[pray-fair]

prefer

To like one thing or person better than others.

Example

Il préfère ce chemin.

He prefers this path.

éviter

[ay-vee-TAY]

to avoid

Infinitive: to keep away from doing something.

Example

Il faut éviter les bouchons.

We must avoid traffic jams.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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