Deciding Which Task to Do First | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: At work, two adults prioritize an urgent email before starting an important report due soon..

EN → FR / Level: A2

About This Lesson

Use Deciding Which Task to Do First to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

J'ai trop de tâches ce matin.

zhay TROH duh TAHSH suh mah-TAN. I have too many tasks this morning.
B

Classe-les d'abord par priorité.

klahs-LAY dah-BOR par pree-yor-ee-TAY. List them by priority first.
A

Cet e-mail est urgent.

SEHT ee-MEL eh uhr-ZHAHN. This email is urgent.
A

Le rapport est important.

luh rah-POR eh an-por-TAHN. The report is important.
B

Quand faut-il rendre le rapport ?

kahn foh-TEEL RAHN-druh luh rah-POR? When is the report deadline?
A

Il faut le rendre demain après-midi.

eel foh luh RAHN-druh duh-MAN ah-preh-mee-DEE. It is due tomorrow afternoon.
B

Alors, réponds d'abord à l'e-mail urgent.

ah-LOR, ray-PON dah-BOR ah lay-MEL uhr-ZHAHN. Then answer the urgent email first.
A

Après ça, je travaillerai sur le rapport.

ah-PREH sah, zhuh trah-vyuh-RAY sewr luh rah-POR. After that I will work on the report.
B

Ça devrait t'aider à te sentir moins stressé.

sah duh-VRAY tay-DAY ah tuh sahn-TEER mwan stray-SAY. That should help you feel less stressed.

Word by Word

J'ai “J'ai” means “I have” in “J'ai trop de tâches”. It is the first-person form of avoir and is reusable before a noun, as in “J'ai” plus something possessed or experienced.
trop “trop” means “too much” or “too many” in “trop de tâches”. With a noun, the reusable pattern is “trop de” plus the thing that is excessive.
de In “trop de tâches”, “de” links the quantity “trop” to what is being counted. This same pattern is useful after quantity expressions before a noun.
tâches “tâches” means “tasks” in “trop de tâches”. The singular citation form is “tâche”; here the plural form refers to several pieces of work.
ce “ce” means “this” in “ce matin”, pointing to the morning that is happening now. It is used before the noun in this time expression.
matin “matin” means “morning” in “ce matin”. The reusable expression “ce matin” refers to this morning, usually the current day’s morning.
Classe “Classe” tells one person to list or rank something in “Classe-les”. It is the command form used before the attached pronoun “les”.
les “les” means “them” in “Classe-les”, referring to the tasks already mentioned. In this command, it is attached to the verb with a hyphen: “Classe-les”.
d'abord “d'abord” means “first” in “Classe-les d'abord” and “réponds d'abord”. It marks the action that should happen before the others.
par “par” means “by” or “according to” in “par priorité”. It introduces the criterion used for organizing the tasks.
priorité “priorité” means “priority” in “par priorité”. The expression “par priorité” describes arranging things according to how urgent or important they are.
Cet “Cet” means “this” in “Cet e-mail”, identifying one particular email. It is the form used here before “e-mail” in this demonstrative expression.
e-mail “e-mail” means “email” in “Cet e-mail est urgent”. It can be used as the thing that is urgent, answered, or discussed in a work context.
est “est” means “is” in “est urgent” and “est important”. It is a form of être used to connect the subject with a description.
urgent “urgent” describes the email as needing attention quickly in “Cet e-mail est urgent”. The reusable pattern is a noun followed by “est urgent” when something requires prompt action.
Le “Le” means “the” in “Le rapport”, referring to the specific report under discussion. The same article appears in lowercase in “le rendre” before the pronoun refers to the report.
rapport “rapport” means “report” in “Le rapport est important”. The phrase “rendre le rapport” is used for submitting the report.
important “important” describes the report as significant in “Le rapport est important”. The reusable pattern is “être important” when explaining that something matters.
Quand “Quand” means “when” in “Quand faut-il rendre le rapport ?”. It introduces a question about the time of an action or deadline.
faut In “faut-il rendre le rapport ?”, “faut” expresses necessity as part of the impersonal expression “il faut”. The reusable pattern “il faut” plus an infinitive says that an action is necessary.
il “il” is the impersonal subject in “faut-il” and “Il faut le rendre”, so it does not refer to a particular person. It appears with “faut” to express necessity.
rendre “rendre” means “submit” or “hand in” in “rendre le rapport”. The reusable pattern is “rendre” plus the item being submitted.
demain “demain” means “tomorrow” in “demain après-midi”. It identifies the day after today when describing when the report must be submitted.
après-midi “après-midi” means “afternoon” in “demain après-midi”. Together with “demain”, it specifies the time of the deadline.
Alors “Alors” means “then” in “Alors, réponds d'abord”. It connects the deadline information to the next decision or instruction.
réponds “réponds” tells one person to answer or reply in “réponds d'abord à l'e-mail urgent”. It is used with “à” before the message or person receiving the reply.
à “à” means “to” in “réponds ... à l'e-mail urgent”. The verb “répondre” is used with “à” to identify what or whom someone answers.
Après “Après” means “after” in “Après ça”. It places the next action after the situation or action already mentioned.
ça “ça” means “that” or “that situation” in “Après ça” and “Ça devrait”. It points back to the action or situation being discussed.
je “je” means “I” in “je travaillerai”. It identifies the person who will carry out the following action.
travaillerai “travaillerai” means “will work” in “je travaillerai sur le rapport”. It is used with “sur” to say what someone will work on.
sur “sur” means “on” in “travaillerai sur le rapport”. The reusable pattern “travailler sur” introduces the task or subject receiving someone’s work.
devrait “devrait” means “should” in “Ça devrait t'aider”. Here it presents the help as an expected result rather than a direct command.
t'aider “t'aider” means “help you” in “Ça devrait t'aider à te sentir moins stressé”. It combines “t'” for “you” with the infinitive “aider”; the reusable pattern is “aider quelqu'un à” plus an infinitive.
te “te” refers to “you” in “te sentir”, the person experiencing the feeling. In “t'aider”, it appears in the shortened form “t'” before the vowel sound of “aider”.
sentir “sentir” means “feel” in “te sentir moins stressé”. After “à”, the infinitive introduces the feeling that the help is intended to produce.
moins “moins” means “less” in “moins stressé”. The reusable pattern “moins” plus a describing word indicates a reduced degree of that quality.
stressé “stressé” describes the state of feeling stressed in “te sentir moins stressé”. With “moins”, the expression describes a reduction in stress.

Grammar Points

Il faut + infinitif

Il faut rendre le rapport demain.

eel FOH RAHN-druh luh rah-POR duh-MAN.

The report must be submitted tomorrow.

« Il faut » exprime l’obligation et se construit avec un verbe à l’infinitif.

Futur simple : je travaillerai

Après ça, je travaillerai sur le rapport.

ah-PREH sah, zhuh trah-vyuh-RAY sewr luh rah-POR.

After that, I will work on the report.

Le futur simple exprime une action prévue ou future. Pour « travailler », « je » devient « travaillerai ».

French Vocabulary

cet det
SEHT this Cet

Cet e-mail est urgent.

classer verb
klah-SAY to list; to arrange Classe

Classe-les d'abord par priorité.

d'abord adv
dah-BOR first

Classe-les d'abord par priorité.

e-mail noun
ee-MEL email

Cet e-mail est urgent.

important adj
an-por-TAHN important

Le rapport est important.

matin noun
mah-TAN morning

J'ai trop de tâches ce matin.

priorité noun
pree-yor-ee-TAY priority

Classe-les d'abord par priorité.

quand adv
KAHN when Quand

Quand faut-il rendre le rapport ?

rapport noun
rah-POR report

Le rapport est important.

tâche noun
TAHSH task tâches

J'ai trop de tâches ce matin.

trop de phrase
TROH duh too many

J'ai trop de tâches ce matin.

urgent adj
uhr-ZHAHN urgent

Cet e-mail est urgent.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I have too many tasks this morning.

Show AnswerJ'ai trop de tâches ce matin.

List them by priority first.

Show AnswerClasse-les d'abord par priorité.

This email is urgent.

Show AnswerCet e-mail est urgent.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to list; to arrange

Show AnswerClasse

morning

Show Answermatin

priority

Show Answerpriorité

task

Show Answertâches