Negotiations in English: Useful Phrases for Terms, Concessions, and Agreements

English for negotiations is useful in situations where it is not enough just to discuss a topic, but necessary to agree on terms: price, deadlines, scope of work, discounts, priorities, and mutual commitments. In business negotiations, precision, politeness, and the ability to state your position without sounding too harsh are especially important. This page brings together useful English phrases for negotiations, key vocabulary, and a dialogue that help you speak more confidently about offers, concessions, objections, and final agreements.

You start with the core vocabulary for negotiations, then move on to ready-made phrases for proposing terms, responding to objections, discussing price, and confirming agreement, and after that reinforce everything with a dialogue and flashcards. This structure helps you join business negotiations in English faster and speak more professionally in situations where results matter more than small talk.

Word list to learn

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Word
term [tɜːm]
agreement [əˈɡriːmənt]
proposal [prəˈpəʊzl]
counteroffer [ˈkaʊntərəʊfə]
concession [kənˈseʃn]
compromise [ˈkɒmprəmaɪz]
price point [praɪs pɔɪnt]
discount [ˈdɪskaʊnt]
margin [ˈmɑːdʒɪn]
deadline [ˈdedlaɪn]
scope [skəʊp]
objection [əbˈdʒekʃn]
requirement [rɪˈkwaɪəmənt]
condition [kənˈdɪʃn]
contract [ˈkɒntrækt]
clause [klɔːz]
commitment [kəˈmɪtmənt]
leverage [ˈliːvərɪdʒ]
vendor [ˈvendə]
buyer [ˈbaɪə]
flexibility [ˌfleksəˈbɪləti]
final terms [ˈfaɪnl tɜːmz]
mutual benefit [ˈmjuːtʃuəl ˈbenɪfɪt]
finalize [ˈfaɪnəlaɪz]
deal /diːl/
offer /ˈɒfə(r)/
price /praɪs/
rate /reɪt/
payment terms /ˈpeɪmənt tɜːmz/
renewal /rɪˈnjuːəl/
settlement /ˈsetlmənt/
bargaining power /ˈbɑːɡənɪŋ ˌpaʊə(r)/
non-negotiable /ˌnɒn nɪˈɡəʊʃəbəl/
revision /rɪˈvɪʒən/
approval process /əˈpruːvəl ˈprəʊses/
delivery date /dɪˈlɪvəri deɪt/
penalty clause /ˈpenəlti klɔːz/
legal review /ˈliːɡəl rɪˈvjuː/
final offer /ˈfaɪnəl ˈɒfə(r)/
long-term partnership /ˌlɒŋ tɜːm ˈpɑːtnəʃɪp/
purchase volume /ˈpɜːtʃəs ˌvɒljuːm/
minimum order /ˈmɪnɪməm ˈɔːdə(r)/
lead time /ˈliːd taɪm/
warranty /ˈwɒrənti/
service level /ˈsɜːvɪs ˌlevəl/
cancellation term /ˌkænsəˈleɪʃən tɜːm/
mutual agreement /ˈmjuːtʃuəl əˈɡriːmənt/
acceptable range /əkˈseptəbəl reɪndʒ/
sign-off /ˈsaɪn ɒf/
renewal option /rɪˈnjuːəl ˈɒpʃən/

Useful phrases

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Phrase
We’d like to discuss the terms of the agreement.
The current price is above our budget.
Could you be more flexible on the price?
We can offer a discount if the order volume increases.
That would be difficult on our side.
We’re willing to be flexible on the timeline.
We would need a stronger commitment on delivery.
Let’s look for a solution that works for both sides.
We can accept those terms under one condition.
That sounds like a reasonable compromise.
So we’re agreed on the final terms.
Let’s finalize the agreement by Friday.
We are looking for more flexible payment terms.
Could you improve your offer on volume?
This price is above our budget.
We are willing to make a concession here.
Let’s focus on the final terms of the contract.
That condition is non-negotiable for us.
Can we find a middle ground?
I think we are close to an agreement.

Dialogue

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Buyer
Thank you for the proposal. We’d like to discuss the price and delivery timeline.
Vendor
Of course. Which terms would you like to revisit?
Buyer
The current price point is a bit high for our budget.
Vendor
We could offer a lower price if the contract term is extended to twelve months.
Buyer
That sounds reasonable, but we would need more flexibility on the delivery deadline.
Vendor
We’re willing to be flexible if we can finalize the agreement this week.
Buyer
In that case, I think we’re close to a final agreement.
Buyer
If we increase the order size, can you offer a better price?
Vendor
Yes, we can lower the price by five percent for a larger volume.
Buyer
That sounds reasonable, but we would also need a shorter delivery time.
Vendor
Let me check with logistics and confirm the final terms by tomorrow.
Buyer
Great, then we can move forward with the contract draft.

Common mistakes

Avoid these common mistakes

Wrong We are agree with these terms
Correct We agree to these terms

In business English, people do not say "We are agree." In negotiations and agreements, use "We agree" or "We can agree to ..."

Wrong Your price is too much expensive
Correct Your price is too high

"Too much expensive" sounds unnatural. In price negotiations, "too high" is the cleaner and more natural phrase.

About This List

Most useful phrases for negotiations in English

In negotiations, you usually need short and precise phrases: state your position, suggest a term, respond to an objection, discuss price, make a concession, and confirm agreement. Tone and control matter a lot here: you need to sound professional, calm, and still firm enough.

Typical business negotiation situations

  • proposing terms: We can offer a lower price if...
  • objections and limits: That would be difficult on our side.
  • concessions and compromise: We're willing to be flexible on...
  • final agreement: So we're agreed on the final terms.

How to use this page

Start with the key vocabulary for negotiations so you can understand the language of terms, pricing, deadlines, and commitments more easily. Then review the phrases and the dialogue to remember how to propose terms, respond to objections, and move the negotiation toward a concrete result. This structure helps you negotiate more confidently in English and discuss business terms more professionally.

Who this page is for

This page is especially useful for people who discuss contracts, pricing, commercial offers, discounts, deadlines, or scope of work. It focuses not on general business English, but specifically on the language of real business negotiations in English.

Frequently Asked Questions

The most useful phrases are the ones used to propose terms, discuss price, answer objections, make concessions, and confirm agreement. Core lines such as "We can offer ...", "That would be difficult on our side", and "We're willing to be flexible on ..." cover many real situations.

Instead of saying a direct "No", you can use phrases like "That would be difficult for us", "We're not in a position to ...", or "We would need to reconsider that point." These sound more professional and keep the tone constructive.

Common phrases include "Could you be flexible on the price?", "We can offer a discount if ...", and "That price point is above our budget." These help you talk about price directly without sounding too sharp.

The most useful ones are term, proposal, counteroffer, concession, objection, discount, margin, clause, flexibility, and final terms. This is core vocabulary for business negotiations and commercial discussions.

At the end, people often use phrases like "So we're agreed on ...", "Let's confirm the final terms", and "I think we're close to a final agreement." These help you move carefully from discussion to a concrete result.

This page is useful for discussing price, discounts, deadlines, contracts, scope of work, and commercial terms. It focuses specifically on the language of business negotiations in English rather than general business English.

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