What phrases help maintain politeness during debates in French

In French debates, maintaining politeness can be achieved with several key phrases used to show respect and consideration even when disagreeing. Here are some useful phrases to maintain politeness:

• Je comprends votre point de vue, mais… (“I understand your point of view, but…”) is a polite way to introduce a differing opinion.
• Permettez-moi d’ajouter que… (“Allow me to add that…”) helps to politely insert your argument.
• Je vous remercie pour cette remarque, cependant… (“Thank you for this remark, however…”) acknowledges the other person’s input before giving a counterpoint.
• Avec tout le respect que je vous dois… (“With all due respect…”) signals respect before disagreeing.
• Using phrases like Pardon, mais je ne suis pas d’accord. (“Sorry, but I disagree.”) softens the disagreement.
• Pourriez-vous clarifier ce point ? (“Could you clarify this point?”) encourages dialogue without confrontation.

These expressions help to keep the debate courteous by recognizing opposing views and communicating disagreement respectfully, which is valued in French discourse etiquette. Such polite forms prevent the debate from becoming confrontational while allowing different opinions to be shared effectively. This approach aligns with French cultural norms of politeness in verbal interactions. ^{1, 3}

References

• Prière, remerciement et politesse en ancien français : vostre merci, multes merciz, merci !

• “Do you wanna talk about impoliteness? How rude!”. Introduction

• Impoliteness, pseudo-politeness, strategic politeness? On the nature of communicative behaviour in electoral debates

• The Handshake Layer Cake: Meeting and Regreeting Difficulties for a Non-French Surgeon in France.