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Lesson 211 of 240

New here? This is lesson 211 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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Run the meeting in French

Claire has called a short meeting on the museum audio guide. She hates meetings that run long, so she asks Sam to keep the agenda tight.

You learn how to open, go around the table, check for extras, sum up, and send the minutes.

These are chairing lines for a small team, with vous for the group.

Keep it short. Claire will thank you if you do.

By the end of this lesson

Open, chair, and close a short work meeting.

  • Bon, on ouvre la réunion.Right, let's open the meeting.
  • Aujourd'hui, on a trois points à voir.Today we have three items to cover.
  • On fait un tour de table.Let's go around the table.
  • Quelqu'un veut ajouter quelque chose ?Does anyone want to add anything?
  • Je résume ce qu'on a décidé.I'll sum up what we decided.
  • Je vous envoie le compte rendu.I'll send the minutes round.

Scene — a short meeting

Same small office two metro stops from rue des Tilleuls. Desks, headphones, and museum-guide kits sit by a courtyard window.

Claire has her laptop under one arm still, then sets it down. She wants plans in plain words, and she does not want this to run long.

Sam has the three points ready.

Claire sets a laptop on the meeting table while Sam waits in the small office by the courtyard window.

Learn — open, go around, close

Six lines take you from opening the meeting to sending the minutes.

You also get a tour of the table and a last call for anything else.

  1. Sam leans in with both palms planted on the table to open the meeting, Claire seated opposite.

    Bon, on ouvre la réunion.

    Right, let's open the meeting.

    When to use it: Say this when you start a work meeting.

    On here means we, the usual spoken form for the group.

  2. Sam raises three fingers over a plain notepad at the meeting table, courtyard light behind one shoulder.

    Aujourd'hui, on a trois points à voir.

    Today we have three items to cover.

    When to use it: Use this to say how many agenda items you will cover.

    Points here are agenda items, not dots or scores.

  3. From behind Claire, Sam twists in the chair and sweeps an open arm around the table toward the empty seats.

    On fait un tour de table.

    Let's go around the table.

    When to use it: Use this when each person should speak in turn.

    Tour de table is one piece: everyone speaks, one after another.

  4. Claire turns in the chair with one open palm raised, checking whether anyone else at the table will speak.

    Quelqu'un veut ajouter quelque chose ?

    Does anyone want to add anything?

    When to use it: Ask this after the listed items, before you close.

    Quelqu'un means anyone in the room, not one named person.

    Say it: The un in Quelqu'un is a nasal sound.

  5. Sam half-stands and taps a stack of plain pages square while Claire watches from her seat.

    Je résume ce qu'on a décidé.

    I'll sum up what we decided.

    When to use it: Say this when you recap the decisions before you close.

    Qu'on is que plus on, written as one word after the elision.

  6. Claire's hands close the laptop on the meeting table beside the gathered stack of pages.

    Je vous envoie le compte rendu.

    I'll send the minutes round.

    When to use it: Promise this at the end so the team gets the minutes.

    Vous here is the whole team, not a polite singular.

    Say it: The s in vous links as z into envoie.

Story — claire wants it tight

Watch Sam chair a short meeting on the audio guide. Claire wants it done before it drifts.

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

  1. Claire sets her laptop on the table. The courtyard is grey behind the glass.
  2. ClaireBon, on a peu de temps. Sam, tu gères ?Right, we don't have much time. Sam, you run it?
  3. SamBon, on ouvre la réunion.Right, let's open the meeting.
  4. He looks at his notes, then at the table.
  5. SamAujourd'hui, on a trois points à voir.Today we have three items to cover.
  6. ClaireLe script, le son, et le retour du musée.The script, the sound, and the museum's reply.
  7. SamOn fait un tour de table.Let's go around the table.
  8. She looks at Sam, then at the others.
  9. ClaireMoi je reste sur la version courte.I'm sticking with the short version.
  10. SamPour le son, ça avance bien.On the sound, it's going well.
  11. ClaireEt le musée, j'attends encore leur retour.And the museum, I'm still waiting on their reply.
  12. SamQuelqu'un veut ajouter quelque chose ?Does anyone want to add anything?
  13. ClaireNon, je crois que c'est bon.No, I think that's fine.
  14. SamJe résume ce qu'on a décidé.I'll sum up what we decided.
  15. SamVersion courte, le son, et on attend le musée.Short version, the sound, and we wait on the museum.
  16. ClaireC'est noté.Noted.
  17. SamJe vous envoie le compte rendu.I'll send the minutes round.
  18. ClaireParfait. Merci, ça reste court.Perfect. Thanks, it stayed short.
  19. SamJe pense qu'on a fait le tour.I think we've covered it.
  20. She is already closing her laptop.

Practice — keep it tight

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

They stay short, like Claire's meetings.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    Bon, on ouvre la réunion.Drop the English here
    On fait un tour de table.Drop the English here
    Je vous envoie le compte rendu.Drop the English here

    English

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

  3. What do you say?

    You are chairing, and you need to tell the team you have three items to cover today.

  4. Fill the gap

    Today we have three items to cover.

    Aujourd'hui, on a ____ points à voir.

  5. What does it mean?

    On fait un tour de table.

  6. Pick the reply

    Claire says:

    Voilà, on a vu les trois points.

    Right, we've been through the three items. Check whether anyone has anything to add.

    And you reply with:

  7. Swap the word

    The items are done. Recap what the group decided.

    Je ____ ce qu'on a décidé.

  8. Build the line

    I'll send the minutes round.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  9. True or false?

    This is how you promise to send the meeting minutes.

  10. Fill the gap

    I think we've covered it.

    Je pense qu'on a fait le ____.

  11. What do you say?

    A teammate just recapped a decision. Show that you have written it down.

Say it — you have the floor

Now you're Sam in the meeting room. 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, on a peu de temps. Sam, tu gères ?Right, we don't have much time. Sam, you run it?
  2. Sam (you)Open the meeting for the team.

    Bon, on ouvre la réunion.

    Right, let's open the meeting.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Bon, on ouvre la réunion.Right, let's open the meeting.
Aujourd'hui, on a trois points à voir.Today we have three items to cover.
On fait un tour de table.Let's go around the table.
Quelqu'un veut ajouter quelque chose ?Does anyone want to add anything?
Je résume ce qu'on a décidé.I'll sum up what we decided.
Je vous envoie le compte rendu.I'll send the minutes round.
Next: lesson 212Say no kindly

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