French course

Lesson 154 of 240

New here? This is lesson 154 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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The meeting runs long in French

Sam's meeting on the museum audio guide has already run over. Claire hates long meetings, and she wants the demo, not another speech.

You'll flag that you're behind, count what's left, skip a point, park one item, and stop for today.

Claire will cut the long bit and tell Sam to finish the rest by message.

By the end of this lesson

Move a meeting along and say what is still left to cover.

  • On est un peu en retard sur l'ordre du jour.We're a bit behind on the agenda.
  • Il reste trois points à voir.There are still three items to cover.
  • On passe au suivant, d'accord ?Let's move on to the next one, all right?
  • On garde ça pour plus tard.We'll leave this for later.
  • Il nous reste cinq minutes.We have five minutes left.
  • On s'arrête là pour aujourd'hui.Let's stop there for today.

Scene — the meeting overruns

Claire's small office looks onto the courtyard. Headphones and museum-guide kits sit on the desks. The meeting on the new audio guide has already gone long.

Sam still has a point open. Claire checks the time and wants the demo, not another speech.

Wide view of Claire's small office over a sunlit courtyard, with Sam and Claire still in a long audio-guide meeting.

Learn — behind and still to cover

These six lines keep a meeting moving: you're behind, what's left, skip, park it, five minutes, and stop for today.

Use them when the clock is tight, not when you chair a whole meeting.

  1. Low-angle view of Claire at the office table checking the time, impatient that the meeting has slipped.

    On est un peu en retard sur l'ordre du jour.

    We're a bit behind on the agenda.

    When to use it: Say this when the meeting has already slipped past the plan.

    On here means we, the people in the room.

    Say it: The t in est is pronounced before un.

  2. Profile of Sam leaning far forward over leftover papers, still treating an open point as unfinished.

    Il reste trois points à voir.

    There are still three items to cover.

    When to use it: Use this to name how many agenda items are still left.

    Il reste names what is still left to cover.

  3. Over Sam's shoulder, Claire points toward the demo headphones, pushing the meeting onward.

    On passe au suivant, d'accord ?

    Let's move on to the next one, all right?

    When to use it: Say this to skip ahead to the next item.

    D'accord at the end checks that the others are with you.

    Say it: The s in passe stays /s/ before au.

  4. Claire slides a thick folder to the far edge of the desk, setting the open point aside.

    On garde ça pour plus tard.

    We'll leave this for later.

    When to use it: Park a point when it is taking too long.

    Ça is the point you just cut, kept for a later time.

  5. The bright courtyard window fills the view, with Claire and Sam soft in the office as Claire checks how little time is left.

    Il nous reste cinq minutes.

    We have five minutes left.

    When to use it: Say this when the clock is almost gone.

    Nous here is the group sitting in the meeting.

    Say it: The s in nous links into reste as a z.

  6. Claire stands and gathers a headset kit to end the meeting while Sam stays seated with leftover papers.

    On s'arrête là pour aujourd'hui.

    Let's stop there for today.

    When to use it: Close the meeting when you will not finish the rest today.

    Là marks this stopping point, not a place on a map.

    Say it: The apostrophe in s'arrête stands for the e of se.

Story — she cuts it short

Watch Claire cut a long point and skip to the demo. Sam still has items left.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. The courtyard window is bright. Headset kits sit in a pile. The meeting has already run long.
  2. ClaireBon. On est un peu en retard sur l'ordre du jour.Right. We're a bit behind on the agenda.
  3. SamIl reste trois points à voir.There are still three items to cover.
  4. Sam opens a long note on the voice script. Claire lifts a hand.
  5. SamAlors, pour le texte de la salle deux...So, for the text in room two...
  6. ClaireOn passe au suivant, d'accord ?Let's move on to the next one, all right?
  7. SamD'accord.Okay.
  8. She nods at the demo headphones on the desk.
  9. ClaireOn va à la démo.Let's go to the demo.
  10. SamEt le point sur la durée ?And the point about the length?
  11. ClaireOn garde ça pour plus tard.We'll leave this for later.
  12. SamBon.Right.
  13. ClaireIl nous reste cinq minutes.We have five minutes left.
  14. Sam runs the short demo. Claire watches, then shuts her laptop.
  15. ClaireOn s'arrête là pour aujourd'hui.Let's stop there for today.
  16. SamJe t'envoie un message.I'll send you a message.
  17. ClaireMerci. Le reste, par message.Thanks. The rest, by message.
  18. SamÀ plus tard.See you later.

Practice — skip or stop

Ten quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay short, so the round moves fast.

0 of 10 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    On est un peu en retard sur l'ordre du jour.Drop the English here
    Il nous reste cinq minutes.Drop the English here
    On s'arrête là pour aujourd'hui.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    Your point on the script is eating the clock. Skip ahead to the next item.

  4. Fill the gap

    There are still three items to cover.

    Il reste ____ points à voir.

  5. What does it mean?

    On garde ça pour plus tard.

  6. Build the line

    We have five minutes left.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Pick the reply

    Claire says:

    On n'aura pas le temps pour le reste.

    We won't have time for the rest.

    And you reply with:

  8. Swap the word

    A point is eating the clock. Move the room on to the next item.

    On passe au ____, d'accord ?

  9. True or false?

    Say this to close a meeting for the day.

  10. What do you say?

    The meeting is over. Tell Claire you will send the leftover points.

Say it — move it along

Now you're Sam in Claire's meeting. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. ClaireBon. Où est-on ?Right. Where are we?
  2. Sam (you)Tell her you are a bit behind on the agenda.

    On est un peu en retard sur l'ordre du jour.

    We're a bit behind on the agenda.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
On est un peu en retard sur l'ordre du jour.We're a bit behind on the agenda.
Il reste trois points à voir.There are still three items to cover.
On passe au suivant, d'accord ?Let's move on to the next one, all right?
On garde ça pour plus tard.We'll leave this for later.
Il nous reste cinq minutes.We have five minutes left.
On s'arrête là pour aujourd'hui.Let's stop there for today.
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A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your meeting lines ready when the clock is tight.

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