Culture(s) / Suggesting an outing

A1 Breakthrough

In your country, what do you say to a colleague to invite them? To invite a friend? Can a woman invite a man? What are the usual phrases used in letters or in email invitations?

Approaching someone for the first time

Clover, the young woman, has a very direct approach to striking up a conversation and getting invited. This occurs among adolescents and students. A woman can make the first move in a relationship.
However, even in an overt invitation, the conditional verb form must be used ("dirait" for "dire", "laisserais" for "laisser") in order to keep with the rules of etiquette.

Clover likes people to buy her drinks, even though she initiates the invitation. Nowadays, when a person issues an invitation, he or she pays the bill, but some codes of gentlemanly conduct in which the man pays for the woman still remain.

The "vous" form is used to address a stranger or a passing acquaintance, or someone to whom one wishes to express respect (an older person, a professor, someone higher-up in the company hierarchy).

Writing to someone

A letter or email of invitation usually opens with a more formal address if writing to a stranger or a passing acquaintance "Madame"; "Monsieur"; "Mademoiselle".
If you know the person who will be receiving the mail, phrases such as this will be enough: "Chère Anita", "Cher Jean", "Bonjour", "Coucou", "Salut",...

An invitation in the form of a letter or an email usually ends with a signature, preceded by a parting phrase, adapted to the person it is addressed to: "Bien à vous" to maintain a certain distance and respect; and "A bientôt", "Salut", "Bises", "Bisous", to maintain a friendly or affectionate relationship.