French Phrase
On préférerait une augmentation de 15 % du budget.
Meaning
This sentence means “We would prefer a 15 % increase in the budget.” It uses the conditional mood to make a polite, hypothetical suggestion, typical in business meetings or formal negotiations.
When to use
Use it when you want to propose a budget raise in a professional setting, during board meetings, project planning sessions, or any discussion where you need to soften a request and sound diplomatic.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onpréféreraituneaugmentationde15%dubudget
On (impersonal pronoun)
Used like 'we' or 'people in general' to make statements less personal and more inclusive.
préférerait (conditional present)
Third‑person singular conditional of 'préférer', expresses a polite or hypothetical preference.
une augmentation (noun phrase)
Means 'an increase'; the article 'une' signals a single, unspecified increase.
de 15% (prepositional phrase of amount)
Introduces the quantitative measure; you can also say 'de quinze pour cent'.
du budget (de + le)
Contraction of 'de le budget', indicating the thing that will be increased.
🗨In Conversation
Quel est votre avis sur le financement du projet ?
What’s your opinion on the project’s financing?
On préférerait une augmentation de 15 % du budget.
We would prefer a 15 % increase in the budget.
✕Common Mistakes
On préfère une augmentation de 15 % du budget.
Do not use the indicative 'préfère' here; the conditional softens the request.
On préférerait une augmentation de 15 pour cent du budget.
You can also say 'de quinze pour cent du budget', but avoid mixing the symbol with the word 'pour cent'.
On préférerait une augmentation de 15 % budget.
Never drop the article; 'budget' needs the prepositional article 'du' (de le).
↔Alternatives
On voudrait augmenter le budget de 15 %.
We would like to increase the budget by 15 %.
Nous souhaiterions une hausse de 15 % du budget.
We would wish for a 15 % rise in the budget.
Il serait préférable d’ajouter 15 % au budget.
It would be preferable to add 15 % to the budget.
Cultural Tip
In French business culture, the conditional (préférerait, souhaiterait, serait préférable) is a key politeness strategy. It signals that you are open to discussion rather than demanding. Avoid sounding too direct; a phrase like 'On veut une augmentation de 15 %' can be perceived as aggressive.