Working on a Close Deadline | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

1. La date limite approche ?

   Is the deadline coming up soon?

   date

   date

   limite

   limit

   approche

   is approaching

   More detail

   date means “date.” It is a feminine noun, as shown by la date. Here it occurs in the reusable noun phrase la date limite, meaning “the deadline,” not simply a calendar date. limite means “limit” here and helps specify the relevant date. In date limite, it is an adjective placed after the noun. In this use, limite has the same singular form with masculine and feminine nouns: for example, un cas limite and une date limite. It is not the feminine form of limité; those are different adjective forms and meanings. approche comes from approcher, “to approach” or “to come closer.” It is the present-tense form used with a third-person singular subject. Thus la date limite approche means “the deadline is approaching.” The verb form does not show feminine gender; it agrees with the singular subject in person and number. For example, Le train approche. means “The train is approaching.” Together, la date limite approche says that the deadline is getting near. The question mark presents this word order as a question, so the whole utterance asks whether the deadline is coming up soon.

2. La date limite est proche.

   The deadline is close.

   date

   date

   limite

   limit

   proche

   close

   More detail

   date means “date” here and is a feminine singular noun, as shown by la. On its own, it commonly refers to a calendar date: Quelle est la date ? — “What is the date?” In date limite, it refers to the date by which something must be done. limite modifies date in the reusable expression date limite, meaning “deadline” or “cutoff date.” Here it is the feminine singular form of the adjective limite; this form has the same spelling in masculine and feminine singular, while the plural is limites. Do not treat limite here as a separate noun meaning “limit.” proche is an adjective meaning “close” or “near.” It agrees in number: proche is singular, and proches is plural. Its spelling is the same for masculine and feminine singular. For comparison, use plus proche (“closer”) and le/la plus proche (“the closest”). Example: La gare est proche. — “The station is close.” The pattern être + adjective describes a state or condition. est is the third-person singular present form of être (“to be”): La date limite est proche literally presents the deadline as being near. This differs from approche in La date limite approche, which uses approcher and presents the deadline as approaching. Together, la date limite means “the deadline,” and est proche means “is close/near.” The complete utterance therefore means “The deadline is close.”

3. Alors, commençons par la partie principale.

   So let's start with the main part.

   Alors

   so; then

   commençons

   let’s start

   partie

   part

   principale

   main

   More detail

   Alors is a discourse connector meaning “so” or “then” here. It links this utterance to what has just been said and introduces the next step. Its meaning can change with context, so it is not always a time word. commençons means “let’s start.” It is the first-person plural imperative of commencer (“to start”): nous commençons = “we start,” while commençons ! invites “us” to start. The imperative ending expresses a suggestion or invitation involving the speaker and the addressee; it is not a command to an unspecified person. partie means “part” or “section.” It is a feminine noun: une partie, la partie. It can refer to one section of a larger whole, as in la première partie (“the first part”). principale means “main” or “principal” here. It is the feminine singular form of the adjective principal, agreeing with the feminine singular noun partie: la partie principale. The masculine form is principal, as in le point principal (“the main point”); the feminine form is principale. Together, commençons par is a reusable pattern meaning “let’s start with.” The preposition par introduces the thing chosen as the starting point. Thus commençons par la partie principale means “let’s start with the main part,” and Alors gives the complete utterance the sense “So, let’s start with the main part.”

4. Tu veux t'en occuper maintenant ?

   Do you want to take that on now?

   Tu veux

   Do you want

   t'en occuper

   take that on

   maintenant

   now

   More detail

   Tu veux uses vouloir (“to want”) in the present tense, second-person singular: tu veux. The same form can appear in a statement (Tu veux...), while rising intonation and the question mark make this a question here. A useful contrast is je veux (“I want”) versus tu veux (“you want”). t'en occuper contains the reusable expression s'occuper de quelque chose, meaning “to deal with” or “to take care of something.” Here, occuper is an infinitive because it follows veux; the full pattern is Tu veux t'occuper de... ? The reflexive pronoun is te, whose form becomes t' before the vowel sound in occuper. en replaces the complement introduced by de; with the fixed translation, it refers to the task being discussed: “that.” Thus t'en occuper means “take that on,” not simply “occupy yourself.” maintenant means “now” and places the proposed action in the present time. It can be reused in a simple sentence such as Je commence maintenant. — “I’m starting now.” Together, Tu veux asks about willingness, t'en occuper identifies taking care of the discussed task, and maintenant specifies the time. The whole utterance means: “Do you want to take that on now?”

5. Je peux commencer pendant que tu vérifies le fichier.

   I can start while you check the file.

   Je peux

   I can

   commencer

   to start

   pendant que

   while

   tu vérifies

   you check

   fichier

   file

   More detail

   Je peux uses the present-tense form peux of pouvoir with the subject pronoun je. Here it expresses present ability or possibility: “I can.” The form changes with the subject; for example, tu peux means “you can,” while je peux is the first-person singular form. commencer is the infinitive “to start.” After pouvoir, French normally uses an infinitive: Je peux commencer means “I can start.” Example: Je peux venir. — “I can come.” pendant que is a conjunction meaning “while.” It introduces an action happening during the time of another action. Example: Je lis pendant que tu écris. — “I read while you write.” tu vérifies uses vérifies, the present indicative form of vérifier for the second-person singular subject tu. In this sentence it means “you check.” The final -s belongs to this conjugated form; the infinitive is vérifier. With vous, the corresponding present form is vous vérifiez, used for plural or formal “you.” fichier is a noun meaning “file.” In the full sentence it appears with the masculine singular definite article le: le fichier, “the file.” The noun itself is not the form carrying the verb’s person or tense. Together, Je peux commencer means “I can start,” and pendant que tu vérifies le fichier adds the simultaneous activity “while you check the file.” The complete utterance is: “I can start while you check the file.”

6. Qu'est-ce que je dois chercher d'abord ?

   What should I look for first?

   Qu'est-ce que

   what ...?

   je dois

   I must / I need to

   chercher

   look for

   d'abord

   first

   More detail

   Qu'est-ce que introduces a direct question about an object or piece of information. In this pattern, it is followed by the subject and verb: Qu'est-ce que tu cherches ? means “What are you looking for?” The qu' spelling is the shortened form of que before a vowel sound; preserve the apostrophe in this expression. je dois is the first-person singular present form of devoir, followed here by an infinitive. It expresses what the speaker needs to or must do: Je dois partir. means “I have to leave.” The form dois belongs to je; with tu, the form is dois as well, while il/elle doit uses doit. chercher is the infinitive meaning “to look for” or “to search for.” After devoir, the second verb remains in the infinitive: Je dois chercher le fichier. means “I need to look for the file.” Chercher presents the activity of looking; trouver means “to find,” the result of locating something. d'abord means “first” or “to begin with.” It marks the action that should come before other actions: Je vais d'abord lire les notes. means “I will read the notes first.” Together, Qu'est-ce que asks for the object of the search, je dois chercher says that the speaker needs to look for it, and d'abord places that search first in the intended order. The whole utterance therefore means “What should I look for first?” It is a reusable question pattern for asking which thing or information to seek before the rest.

7. Vérifie que les notes correspondent à la demande.

   Make sure the notes match the request.

   Vérifie

   make sure; check

   notes

   notes

   correspondent à

   match

   demande

   request

   More detail

   Vérifie is the second-person singular imperative of vérifier, “to check” or “to make sure.” The subject tu is understood rather than stated, so this form gives a direct instruction to one person. The same verb appears in other forms such as je vérifie (“I check”) and il/elle vérifie (“he/she checks”). notes means “notes” here. It is the plural of the feminine noun note; the plural is marked by the final -s, which is not normally pronounced. In this sentence, les notes is the subject of the clause introduced by que. correspondent à means “match” or “correspond to.” correspondent is the third-person plural present form of correspondre, chosen because its subject is plural: les notes. The preposition à introduces what the notes match. Example: Ces informations correspondent à la réalité. — “This information matches reality.” demande means “request” here. It is the feminine noun demande, and la in à la demande marks it as a specific feminine singular noun. The phrase à la demande therefore means “the request” as the thing with which the notes correspond. The structure is Vérifie que ...: “Make sure that ...” or “Check that ...”. Inside the que clause, les notes is the subject and correspondent à la demande says that they match the request. Together, Vérifie que les notes correspondent à la demande. means “Make sure the notes match the request.”

8. Ensuite, j'écrirai une courte mise à jour.

   Then I'll write a short update.

   Ensuite

   then

   j'écrirai

   I will write

   courte

   short

   mise à jour

   update

   More detail

   Ensuite means “then” or “next” and places this action after an earlier one. It commonly introduces the next step in a sequence. j'écrirai is the first-person singular future form of écrire (“to write”): j'écris = “I write/I am writing,” j'écrirai = “I will write.” The apostrophe is part of the written form of je before a vowel: je becomes j'. courte means “short” here and agrees with the feminine singular noun mise. The masculine singular form is court; for example, un message court means “a short message,” while une note courte means “a short note.” mise à jour is the feminine noun phrase meaning “update.” It is a fixed expression commonly used for an updated piece of information, document, or status. For example, Je prépare une mise à jour. means “I am preparing an update.” Together, j'écrirai une courte mise à jour means “I will write a short update”: une introduces the noun phrase, courte describes mise, and mise à jour names what will be written. With Ensuite at the beginning, the complete utterance means “Then I'll write a short update.”

9. Quand elle sera prête, nous pourrons la partager.

   When it's ready, we can share it.

   Quand

   when

   elle

   it

   sera

   will be

   prête

   ready

   nous

   we

   pourrons

   will be able to; can

   la

   it

   partager

   share

   More detail

   Quand introduces the time condition: “when.” For a future event, French commonly uses the future tense after quand: Quand elle sera prête means “When it is ready,” although English normally uses the present form “is” in this type of clause. elle is a third-person singular feminine pronoun. In this sentence, the fixed translation identifies its intended meaning as “it”; the feminine form reflects French grammatical agreement, but the supplied text does not identify the noun that it refers to. French also uses elle for “she” when the referent is a feminine person. sera is the future form of être (“to be”) for a third-person singular subject: elle sera = “it/she will be.” The base form is être; compare present elle est (“it/she is”) with future elle sera. prête is the feminine singular form of the adjective prêt (“ready”). It agrees with elle: elle est prête = “she/it is ready.” The masculine singular form is prêt, as in il est prêt; the feminine form adds -e in writing. nous is the first-person plural subject pronoun, “we.” It identifies the group that will be able to share the item; it does not by itself specify how many people are in that group. pourrons is the first-person plural future form of pouvoir (“to be able to; can”): nous pourrons = “we will be able to” or, naturally here, “we can.” Compare present nous pouvons (“we can”) with future nous pourrons (“we will be able to”). la is a feminine singular direct-object pronoun meaning “it” here. Its specific noun referent is not identified by the supplied sentence. It appears before the infinitive, so la partager means “to share it.” Do not confuse this object pronoun with the feminine singular definite article la, as in la mise à jour (“the update”); the article comes before a noun, whereas this la replaces the object of partager. partager is the infinitive “to share.” After a conjugated form of pouvoir, French uses an infinitive: nous pouvons partager (“we can share”) and nous pourrons partager (“we will be able to share”). With the object pronoun, the reusable pattern is pouvoir + le/la/les + infinitive, as in Je peux le lire = “I can read it.” Together, Quand elle sera prête gives the future time condition “When it is ready.” nous pourrons la partager gives “we can share it,” with pourrons expressing future ability and la placed before partager as its direct object. The complete utterance is: “When it’s ready, we can share it.”