Returning to work after a break | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: After a break at work, two adults return to the desk and start the next task with a file..

EN → FR / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Returning to work after a break to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Tu te sens prêt à travailler à nouveau ?

tyoo tuh SAHN preh ah trah-vah-YAY ah noo-VOH Do you feel ready to work again?
B

Je me sens mieux maintenant.

zhuh muh SAHN myuh man-tuh-NAHN I feel better now.
A

On retourne au bureau ?

ohn ruh-TOORN oh bew-ROH Should we go back to the desk?
B

La pause est finie, alors on y va.

lah POHZ eh fee-NEE, ah-LOR ohn ee VAH The break is over, so let's get moving.
A

J'ai besoin du dossier pour la prochaine tâche.

zhay buh-ZWAN dew doh-SYAY poor lah proh-SHEN tash I need the file for the next task.
B

Il est sur le bureau.

eel eh syur luh bew-ROH It's on the desk.
A

Je peux mieux me concentrer maintenant.

zhuh puh MYUH muh kohn-sahn-TRAY man-tuh-NAHN I can focus better now.
B

Alors, on commence par le dossier.

ah-LOR ohn koh-MAHNS par luh doh-SYAY Then let's start with the file.

Word by Word

Tu “Tu” means “you” for the person being addressed in “Tu te sens prêt à travailler à nouveau ?”. It is used for one person in this informal question.
te “Te” marks that the feeling in “Tu te sens prêt à travailler à nouveau ?” concerns the person being addressed. It comes before “sens” as part of the expression for describing how someone feels.
sens “Sens” means “feel” in “Tu te sens prêt à travailler à nouveau ?”. Together with “te”, it describes the person’s state or condition; the same pattern appears with “Je me sens mieux maintenant.”
prêt “Prêt” means “ready” in “Tu te sens prêt à travailler à nouveau ?”. The pattern “se sentir prêt à” is useful when asking whether someone is ready to do an activity.
à “À” introduces the activity in “prêt à travailler”, meaning ready to work. It is placed before the infinitive “travailler” in this construction.
travailler “Travailler” means “to work” in “prêt à travailler à nouveau”. It is the activity that follows “à” after “prêt”, and the same infinitive can describe a work activity in other ready-to-act statements.
nouveau “Nouveau” contributes the meaning “again” in the expression “à nouveau”. In “Tu te sens prêt à travailler à nouveau ?”, this expression means returning to work once more after the break.
Je “Je” means “I” in “Je me sens mieux maintenant.” It identifies the speaker as the person describing their own condition.
me “Me” marks that the feeling in “Je me sens mieux maintenant” concerns the speaker. It appears before “sens” in the expression used to say how the speaker feels.
mieux “Mieux” means “better” in “Je me sens mieux maintenant.” It describes an improved condition, especially after something has changed or a person has rested.
maintenant “Maintenant” means “now” in “Je me sens mieux maintenant.” It places the improved feeling at the present moment and commonly appears at the end of a sentence like this.
On “On” means “we” in “On retourne au bureau ?” and “on y va”. In this dialogue it refers to the speaker and the other person together, and it is used as the subject before the verb.
retourne “Retourne” means “goes back” or “returns” in “On retourne au bureau ?”. It describes returning to the desk, and the destination follows in “au bureau”.
au “Au” means “to the” in “On retourne au bureau ?”. It is used directly before “bureau” to introduce the destination in “au bureau”.
bureau “Bureau” means “desk” in “On retourne au bureau ?” and “sur le bureau”. In this dialogue it identifies the place where the two people return and where the file is located.
La “La” means “the” in “La pause est finie”. It is the definite article placed before “pause” to refer to the specific break they have just taken.
pause “Pause” means “break” in “La pause est finie”. It refers to the period away from work, and the expression “la pause” is used for that specific break.
est “Est” means “is” in “La pause est finie”. It links “la pause” with the description “finie”, stating that the break is over.
finie “Finie” means “finished” or “over” in “La pause est finie”. It describes the break as having ended, which explains why the speakers return to work.
alors “Alors” or “alors” means “so” or “then” in “alors on y va” and “Alors, on commence par le dossier.” It connects what has just been said with the next action.
y “Y” points to a place or activity already understood in “on y va”. The whole expression “on y va” means “let’s go” or “let’s get moving”; “y” supplies the idea of going there without naming the place again.
va “Va” is the “go” element in “on y va”. The complete expression “on y va” is used when people decide to leave or start moving together.
J'ai “J’ai” means “I have” in “J’ai besoin du dossier”. It begins the expression used to state a need, and the apostrophe shows the written contraction in this exact form.
besoin “Besoin” means “need” in “J’ai besoin du dossier”. Together with “J’ai”, it expresses that the speaker requires the file, and the needed item follows in “du dossier”.
du “Du” means “of the” in “J’ai besoin du dossier”. Here it introduces the specific thing needed as part of “besoin du dossier”, and it comes directly before “dossier”.
dossier “Dossier” means “file” in “J’ai besoin du dossier”. It is the item needed for the next task and is later referred to by “Il” in “Il est sur le bureau.”
pour “Pour” means “for” in “pour la prochaine tâche”. It introduces the task that the file is intended for.
prochaine “Prochaine” means “next” in “la prochaine tâche”. It identifies the task that comes after the current one and appears directly before “tâche” in this phrase.
tâche “Tâche” means “task” in “la prochaine tâche”. It refers to the work the speakers are about to do after the break.
Il “Il” means “it” in “Il est sur le bureau”. It refers back to “dossier”, the file that was just mentioned, and serves as the subject before “est”.
sur “Sur” means “on” in “Il est sur le bureau”. It expresses the file’s location in relation to the desk and is followed by “le bureau”.
le “Le” means “the” in “le bureau” and “le dossier”. It is the definite article used before these specific nouns in the dialogue.
peux “Peux” means “can” in “Je peux mieux me concentrer maintenant”. It expresses the speaker’s ability to focus better now and is followed by the activity “me concentrer”.
concentrer “Concentrer” contributes the meaning “focus” or “concentrate” in “me concentrer”. The complete expression “me concentrer” describes directing the speaker’s attention to the work.
commence “Commence” means “starts” or “begins” in “on commence par le dossier”. It describes beginning the next task, with “par le dossier” identifying the item they start with.
par “Par” means “with” in “on commence par le dossier”. In this construction it introduces the first item used or handled when beginning an activity.

Grammar Points

avoir besoin de + infinitif

J'ai besoin de travailler maintenant.

zhay buh-ZWAN duh trah-vah-YAY man-tuh-NAHN

I need to work now.

After avoir besoin de, use de before an infinitive: de travailler.

pouvoir + infinitif

Je peux travailler maintenant.

zhuh puh trah-vah-YAY man-tuh-NAHN

I can work now.

After peux, the second verb stays in the infinitive: peux travailler.

French Vocabulary

à nouveau adv
ah noo-VOH again

Tu te sens prêt à travailler à nouveau ?

aller verb
ah-LAY to go va

La pause est finie, alors on y va.

alors adv
ah-LOR so; then

La pause est finie, alors on y va. / Alors, on commence par le dossier.

bureau noun
bew-ROH desk; office

On retourne au bureau ? / Il est sur le bureau.

fini adj
fee-NEE over; finished finie

La pause est finie, alors on y va.

maintenant adv
man-tuh-NAHN now

Je me sens mieux maintenant.

mieux adv
myuh better

Je me sens mieux maintenant.

pause noun
pohz break

La pause est finie, alors on y va.

prêt adj
preh ready

Tu te sens prêt à travailler à nouveau ?

retourner verb
ruh-toor-NAY to go back retourne

On retourne au bureau ?

se sentir verb
suh sahn-TEER to feel te sens / me sens

Tu te sens prêt à travailler à nouveau ? / Je me sens mieux maintenant.

travailler verb
trah-vah-YAY to work

Tu te sens prêt à travailler à nouveau ?

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I feel better now.

Show AnswerJe me sens mieux maintenant.

Should we go back to the desk?

Show AnswerOn retourne au bureau ?

It's on the desk.

Show AnswerIl est sur le bureau.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

better

Show Answermieux

ready

Show Answerprêt

to go back

Show Answerretourne

to work

Show Answertravailler