Making appointments is an important part of business. Whether you want to arrange a more formal business appointment by phone or mail or a more informal (business) lunch with a client or colleague, you need the right phrases! Here they are! Copy & paste them for your next conversation /mail.
- Does next Wednesday* suit you?
- What date/time suits you best (next week)?
- Is Tuesday 3p.m. suitable/convenient/fine for you?
- What date/time is most suitable/convenient for you?
- Are you available/free on Friday, let’s say** 9 a.m.?
- What/how about Monday for lunch?
Please note that 1-4 phrases are more formal than phrases 5 & 6. As part of the ping-pong conversation, maybe you want to say YES. Try these:
- Yes, Wednesday suits me fine? What time shall we say?
- Monday, between 3 and 5 would suit meet best.
- Yes, Tuesday 3p.m. is suitable/convenient/fine (for me).
- Either Monday morning or Thursday afternoon would be most suitable/convenient.
- Yes, Friday 9 a.m. sounds good to me.
- Yes, I’ve got nothing on then. Monday it is then. Whereabouts?
Or maybe NO !! too. Here you go.
- No, I’m afraid, Wednesday doesn’t really suit me (at all), Why not Thursday?
- Unfortunately, 3pm isn’t very suitable/convenient. Shall we say 5p.m instead?
- No, I’ve got a prior engagement/an appointment then, let’s make it an hour later? Is that o.k.?
- No, I’m afraid, I can’t make it then, but I could make it at 11 a.m.?
- Unfortunately, I’m really busy/running a tight schedule ***on Thursday, Friday would be better?
- No, I can’t I’ve got something else on, I’m meeting **** Frank.
***Thursday is chocka (-a-block)
to make an appointment/arrangement (einen Termin verabreden), to suit sb (jdm passen), to be convenient (passend, günstig), let’s say (sagen wir mal), to have (got) sth on (etw vohaben), whereabouts (wo etwa), to have (got) a prior engagement (ältere Verpflichtung), „I can’t make it“ („Ich schaffe es nicht“), to run a tight schedule (voller Zeitplan), to be chocka (-a-block) (rappelvoll)
*Days of the week, months of the year are written with a capital e.g. March, **More colloquial, **** we often use the present continuous form to talk about fixed future appointments/arrangements.
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Entertaining and educating at once – great start to our Thursday. I like that you show us phrases for all registers and thus prepare us perfectly for our everyday business. And on top there’s always as icing on the cake something to smile, you’re the best, Dave! Thank you.
Hi Jenny – thanx for the Kind words and best wishes from England.