🙋5️⃣📈❓

How to Say ‘I'd like a five percent raise, if possible.’ in French

J'aimerais une augmentation de cinq pour cent, si possible.

zhay em-ray ewn ohg-mahn-tah-SYOHN duh sank poor sahn see poh-SEE-bluh

[zhay em-ray ewn ohg-mahn-tah-SYOHN duh sank poor sahn see poh-SEE-bluh]

Phrase Breakdown

J'aimerais une augmentation

zhay em-ray ewn ohg-mahn-tah-SYOHN

I would like a raise

'J'aimerais' is the polite conditional of 'aimer', and its ending sounds like 'ray'. Link 'une' smoothly to 'augmentation', which sounds like 'og-mahn-ta-syon'.

Example

J'aimerais une augmentation cette année.

I would like a raise this year.

Words in this phrase

[zhay]

Pronoun used by the speaker to refer to himself or herself.

Example

J'aime les bonbons.

I like candies.

aimerais

[em-ray]

would like

Conditional form of 'aimer'; a polite way to express a wish or interest.

Example

J'aimerais rencontrer votre équipe après la conférence.

I would like to meet your team after the conference.

une

[ewn]

Indefinite article, feminine singular.

Example

Elle veut une pomme.

She wants an apple.

augmentation

[ohg-mahn-tah-SYOHN]

raise / increase

Feminine noun; at work it means a pay rise.

Example

Une augmentation de salaire, c'est rare.

A salary increase is rare.

de cinq pour cent,

duh sank poor sahn

of five percent

'De' introduces the amount. Pronounce the K sound at the end of 'cinq'.

Example

Une baisse de cinq pour cent.

A decrease of five percent.

Words in this phrase

[duh]

Expressing the relationship between part and a whole.

Example

Un verre de lait.

A glass of milk.

cinq

[sank]

five

The number 5.

Example

J'ai cinq montres.

I have five watches.

pour

[poor]

per

In 'pour cent' it means 'per', forming 'percent'.

Example

Dix pour cent des employés.

Ten percent of employees.

cent

[sahn]

hundred

With 'pour' it forms 'pour cent', meaning percent.

Example

Deux pour cent, c'est peu.

Two percent is little.

si possible.

see poh-SEE-bluh

if possible

A polite closing expression. Say 'si' as 'see' and stress the last syllable lightly: 'po-SSEEBL'.

Example

Rappelez-moi demain, si possible.

Call me back tomorrow, if possible.

Words in this phrase

[see]

A condition or supposition.

Example

Si tu le vois, dis-lui bonjour.

If you see him, say hello.

possible

[poh-SEE-bluh]

possible

Adjective meaning something can be done.

Example

Ce n'est pas possible aujourd'hui.

It's not possible today.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.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.

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