French Phrase
Au final, on a décroché le nouveau contrat.
Meaning
Literally, “In the end, we have hooked the new contract.” It means that after negotiations or a competitive process, the speaker’s team succeeded in securing the new contract. The verb “décrocher” adds a colloquial, upbeat tone, suggesting the win was hard‑won.
When to use
Use this sentence after a business deal has been finalized, especially in informal meetings, team debriefs, or casual conversations with colleagues. It works well when you want to highlight the effort that led to the success.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Aufinal,onadécrochélenouveaucontrat.
Au final
An idiomatic expression meaning “in the end” or “ultimately”. It introduces a conclusion after a discussion or series of events.
on (impersonal pronoun)
Used like the English “we” or “one” in informal spoken French; it can refer to a specific group or to people in general.
décrocher (verb)
Literally “to unhook”, but idiomatically it means “to land, to secure, to win” (e.g., a job, a contract). It conveys a sense of effort and success.
le nouveau contrat
A noun phrase where the adjective “nouveau” agrees in gender and number with “contrat”.
🗨In Conversation
Alors, comment ça s’est passé avec le client ?
So, how did it go with the client?
Au final, on a décroché le nouveau contrat.
In the end, we secured the new contract.
✕Common Mistakes
En final, on a décroché le nouveau contrat.
Learners often confuse it with “en final” (which is incorrect). The correct idiom is “au final”.
On a obtenu le nouveau contrat.
In very formal contexts, “décrocher” sounds too colloquial; use “obtenir” or “signer”.
la nouvelle contrat
Remember the adjective must agree with the noun’s gender and number; “nouveau” is masculine singular.
↔Alternatives
Finalement, nous avons obtenu le nouveau contrat.
Finally, we obtained the new contract.
En fin de compte, on a signé le nouveau contrat.
All things considered, we signed the new contract.
On a finalement décroché le nouveau contrat.
We finally landed the new contract.
Cultural Tip
In French business environments, “décrocher” is common in spoken language and conveys a sense of achievement, but it is too informal for official written reports or legal documents. In those contexts, prefer “obtenir”, “signer” or “conclure”. Also, “au final” is more conversational; in formal writing you might use “en fin de compte”.