Requesting a late checkout and storing luggage | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: At a hotel front desk, a guest asks for late checkout, then arranges suitcase storage when late checkout is unavailable..

EN → FR / Level: B1

About This Lesson

Use Requesting a late checkout and storing luggage to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Pourrais-je demander un départ tardif demain ?

poo-RAY zhuh duh-mahn-DAY uhn day-PAR tar-DEEF duh-MAN? Could I request a late checkout tomorrow?
B

Je peux vérifier les disponibilités. À quelle heure espériez-vous partir ?

zhuh puh vay-ree-fee-AY lay dee-spoh-nee-bee-lee-TAY. ah kel UHR es-pay-ree-AY voo par-TEER? I can check availability. What time were you hoping to leave?
A

J'espérais partir vers deux heures de l'après-midi.

zhess-pay-RAY par-TEER vair duh UHR duh la-preh-MEE-DEE. I was hoping to leave around two in the afternoon.
B

Je suis désolé, le départ tardif n'est pas possible parce que toutes les chambres sont réservées.

zhuh swee day-zoh-LAY, luh day-PAR tar-DEEF nay pah poh-SEEBL parss kuh toot lay SHAHM-bruh sohn ray-zair-VAY. I'm sorry, late checkout isn't available because the rooms are fully booked.
A

Pourrais-je laisser ma valise après avoir quitté la chambre ?

poo-RAY zhuh lay-SAY mah vah-LEEZ ah-PRAY ah-vwar kee-TAY lah SHAHM-bruh? Could I store my suitcase after I leave the room?
B

Vous pouvez la laisser à la réception.

voo poo-VAY lah lay-SAY ah lah ray-sep-SYON. You can leave it at the front desk.
A

Dans ce cas, je partirai à l'heure normale et je laisserai ma valise.

dahn suh KAH, zhuh par-tee-RAY ah LUHR nor-MAHL ay zhuh lay-seh-RAY mah vah-LEEZ. In that case, I'll check out normally and store my suitcase.
B

Nous la garderons derrière le comptoir jusqu'à votre retour.

noo lah gar-duh-ROHN deh-RYER luh kohm-TWAR zhoo-SKAH voh-truh ruh-TOOR. We'll keep it behind the desk until you return.
A

Ai-je besoin d'un ticket ou d'une étiquette pour la valise ?

ayzh buh-ZWAN duhn tee-KAY oo doon ay-tee-KET poor lah vah-LEEZ? Do I need a ticket or label for it?
B

Nous vous donnerons une étiquette pour vos bagages quand vous la déposerez.

noo voo doh-nuh-ROHN oon ay-tee-KET poor voh bah-GAHZH kahn voo lah day-poh-zuh-RAY. We'll give you a luggage tag when you drop it off.

Word by Word

Pourrais-je In Pourrais-je demander un départ tardif demain ?, this politely asks whether the speaker may make a request. It is the first-person form of pouvoir used in a polite question. A common reuse is this form followed by an infinitive when asking politely at a hotel or service desk.
demander In Pourrais-je demander un départ tardif demain ?, demander means to ask for or request something. It is an infinitive following Pourrais-je and introduces the service being requested. A common reuse is demander followed by the thing or service requested, such as a room service or a reservation.
un In un départ tardif, un introduces one unspecified masculine singular departure or checkout. It is the indefinite determiner before départ. A common reuse is un followed by a masculine singular noun when requesting or describing one item.
départ In un départ tardif, départ means departure and, in this hotel context, checkout. It names the departure arrangement the guest wants to change. The expression un départ tardif is useful when discussing a late checkout with hotel staff.
tardif In un départ tardif, tardif means late and describes the requested departure or checkout. Its form agrees with the masculine noun départ. A common reuse is a noun followed by tardif when describing something that happens later than usual.
demain In Pourrais-je demander un départ tardif demain ?, demain means tomorrow and places the requested checkout on the following day. It is a time word that can be placed at the end of a request. A guest can use it when arranging a service for the next day.
Je Je means I in Je peux vérifier les disponibilités and Je suis désolé; the lowercase form je also appears in je partirai and je laisserai. It identifies the speaker as the subject of the action or statement. A common reuse is Je followed by a verb when speaking about your own ability, plan, or situation.
peux In Je peux vérifier les disponibilités, peux means can or am able to and presents the staff member's ability to check. It is the first-person present form of pouvoir. A common reuse is Je peux followed by an infinitive when offering or stating what you can do for someone.
vérifier In Je peux vérifier les disponibilités, vérifier means to check or verify. It is an infinitive after peux and names the action the staff member can perform. A common reuse is vérifier followed by the information, booking, or availability being checked.
les In les disponibilités, les is the definite determiner before a plural noun and refers to the relevant availability information. It marks the noun as specific in this service context. A common reuse is les followed by a plural noun when discussing known options or items.
disponibilités In vérifier les disponibilités, disponibilités means availability, referring to whether the requested late checkout can be provided. The plural form is used for the available options or arrangements being checked. This expression is useful at a hotel, restaurant, or service desk when asking staff to check what is available.
À At the start of À quelle heure, À introduces the time being asked about; in à la réception, the lowercase form marks the location of the front desk. These two exact uses connect a question to a time and a person or object to a place. À quelle heure is a common way to ask when something is planned.
quelle In À quelle heure espériez-vous partir ?, quelle asks which or what time, together with the feminine noun heure. Its form agrees with heure. A common reuse is quelle followed by a feminine singular noun when asking someone to choose or identify one option.
heure In À quelle heure, heure means time or hour, and in deux heures it helps express two o'clock. It identifies the time of the guest's planned departure. A common reuse is a number followed by heures when giving a clock time.
espériez-vous In À quelle heure espériez-vous partir ?, espériez-vous means were you hoping and asks about the guest's intended departure time. It is the inverted question form of espérer used with vous. A common reuse is espérer followed by an infinitive when asking about someone's hoped-for action or plan.
partir In espériez-vous partir, partir means to leave or depart from the hotel. It is an infinitive after espériez-vous and names the action whose time is being discussed. A common reuse is partir followed by a time or place when explaining a departure plan.
J'espérais In J'espérais partir vers deux heures de l'après-midi, J'espérais means I was hoping and presents the guest's intended plan in a polite, less forceful way. It is the first-person form of espérer used with partir. A common reuse is J'espérais followed by an infinitive when stating what you had hoped to do.
vers In vers deux heures de l'après-midi, vers means around or approximately and shows that the time is not exact. It introduces the approximate time of departure. A common reuse is vers followed by a time when making a flexible appointment or plan.
deux In deux heures de l'après-midi, deux means two and specifies the number of hours in the stated time. It combines with heures to give the planned departure time. A learner can use it with a time noun when saying when an event will happen.
heures In deux heures de l'après-midi, heures means hours and, with deux, expresses two o'clock. The plural form follows the number deux. A common reuse is a number plus heures when stating a clock time.
de In deux heures de l'après-midi, de is part of the expression that identifies the time as belonging to the afternoon. It links the stated hour with l'après-midi rather than expressing a separate action. This pattern is useful when specifying a time of day.
l'après-midi In deux heures de l'après-midi, l'après-midi means the afternoon and clarifies which part of the day is meant. It completes the time expression with de. A common reuse is a clock time followed by de l'après-midi when arranging an afternoon appointment.
suis In Je suis désolé, suis means am and helps form the apology I am sorry. It is the first-person present form of être. A common reuse is Je suis followed by an adjective when describing your current state or responding politely.
désolé In Je suis désolé, désolé expresses an apology for disappointing the guest. Together with Je suis, it means I am sorry. A hotel employee can use this expression when politely explaining that a requested service is unavailable.
le In le départ tardif, le is the definite determiner before the specific hotel checkout arrangement being discussed. It marks départ as a masculine singular noun. A common reuse is le followed by a known masculine singular service or item.
n'est In n'est pas possible, n'est carries the meaning is and, together with pas, forms is not. It is the contracted form of ne with the present form of être. This exact combination is useful when politely stating that a service cannot be provided.
pas In n'est pas possible, pas is the negation marker that changes is possible into is not possible. It works together with n'est rather than expressing the whole negative meaning alone. A common reuse is a verb with pas when saying that an action or option is not available.
possible In n'est pas possible, possible means possible or feasible, while the full phrase says that late checkout cannot be provided. It describes the availability of the requested arrangement. Staff can use this wording when declining a request for practical reasons.
parce In parce que toutes les chambres sont réservées, parce begins the connector meaning because. It must be understood together with que to introduce the reason for the unavailable checkout. A common reuse is parce que followed by a full clause explaining why something is or is not possible.
que In parce que toutes les chambres sont réservées, que completes the connector parce que and introduces the reason clause. It does not express the whole meaning by itself here. This construction is useful when giving a clear explanation after an answer or decision.
toutes In toutes les chambres, toutes means all and refers to every room in the hotel. Its form agrees with the feminine plural noun chambres. A common reuse is toutes les followed by a feminine plural noun when referring to all items in a group.
chambres In toutes les chambres, chambres means rooms, specifically the hotel rooms that are already reserved. It is the plural form of chambre. This word is useful when discussing room availability, reservations, or checkout arrangements.
sont In sont réservées, sont means are and links toutes les chambres with their booked state. It is the third-person plural present form of être. A common reuse is sont followed by a description or state when reporting information about several items.
réservées In toutes les chambres sont réservées, réservées means reserved or booked and describes the rooms as unavailable. It is the feminine plural form related to réserver, agreeing with chambres. Hotel staff can use this form when explaining that no rooms are free.
laisser In laisser ma valise and la laisser, laisser means to leave the suitcase somewhere for safekeeping after checkout. The context makes it a storage action rather than simply departing. A common reuse is laisser followed by an object and, when useful, a place such as the front desk.
ma In ma valise, ma means my and identifies the suitcase as belonging to the speaker. It is the possessive determiner before the feminine singular noun valise. A common reuse is ma followed by a feminine singular item when describing something you own or are carrying.
valise In ma valise, valise means suitcase. It is the item the guest wants to leave at the hotel after leaving the room. A common reuse is valise with a possessive determiner or with a verb such as laisser when discussing luggage storage.
après In après avoir quitté la chambre, après means after and places the storage action after the guest has left the room. It introduces the completed action expressed by avoir quitté. A common reuse is après avoir followed by a past participle when one action happens after another.
avoir In après avoir quitté la chambre, avoir is the infinitive of avoir used to form the expression after having left. Together with quitté, it shows that leaving the room happens first. A common reuse is après avoir followed by a past participle to describe a prior completed action.
quitté In après avoir quitté la chambre, quitté means left or departed from the room. It is the past participle related to quitter and follows avoir in the completed-action expression. This form is useful when explaining that storage or another action happens after leaving a place.
la In la chambre, la is the definite article meaning the before the hotel room; in la laisser, it is an object pronoun referring back to the suitcase. These are two different functions of the same exact form. The phrase la laisser is useful when the object has already been mentioned.
chambre In quitté la chambre, chambre means room, specifically the guest's hotel room. It is the place the guest leaves before storing the suitcase. A common reuse is la chambre when referring to a known room in a hotel conversation.
Vous Vous means you in Vous pouvez la laisser, where it is the subject; the lowercase form vous appears in vous donnerons, where it refers to the guest receiving something. It can address one person formally or more than one person. Hotel staff commonly use vous in polite service interactions.
pouvez In Vous pouvez la laisser à la réception, pouvez means can or are able to and gives the guest permission or an available option. It is the vous form of pouvoir. A common reuse is Vous pouvez followed by an infinitive when giving polite instructions or permission.
réception In à la réception, réception means the hotel front desk or reception area. It identifies where the guest may leave the suitcase. A common reuse is à la réception when directing someone to the place where hotel staff provide assistance.
Dans In Dans ce cas, Dans means in and forms the expression in that case. The expression connects the guest's next decision to the information that late checkout is unavailable. A guest can use Dans ce cas when choosing an alternative after hearing an answer.
ce In Dans ce cas, ce means this or that and points to the situation just described. It is the masculine singular determiner before cas. The reusable expression Dans ce cas is useful when responding to new information and explaining what you will do next.
cas In Dans ce cas, cas means case or situation. Together with Dans ce, it refers to the current circumstances at the hotel. This expression is useful when drawing a practical conclusion from what another person has just said.
partirai In je partirai à l'heure normale, partirai means I will leave and states the guest's future checkout plan. It is the first-person future form related to partir. A common reuse is je partirai followed by a time or place when announcing a future departure.
l'heure In à l'heure normale, l'heure means the time or hour, referring here to the usual checkout time. The phrase contrasts the normal schedule with the unavailable late checkout without changing the plan. A common reuse is à l'heure followed by a description when specifying when something will happen.
normale In à l'heure normale, normale means normal or usual and describes the regular checkout time. Its form agrees with the feminine noun heure. A guest can use this word when accepting the standard time instead of a special arrangement.
et In je partirai à l'heure normale et je laisserai ma valise, et joins two actions in the guest's plan. It connects leaving at the normal time with storing the suitcase. A common reuse is et between two coordinated actions or decisions.
laisserai In je laisserai ma valise, laisserai means I will leave or store and states the guest's future action with the suitcase. It is the first-person future form related to laisser. A common reuse is je laisserai followed by the item that will be left somewhere.
Nous In Nous la garderons and Nous vous donnerons, Nous means we and identifies the hotel staff as the people responsible for the actions. It is a first-person plural subject pronoun. A common reuse is Nous followed by a verb when staff explain what they will do for a guest.
garderons In Nous la garderons derrière le comptoir, garderons means we will keep or store. It is the first-person plural future form related to garder and describes the staff's promise to hold the suitcase. A common reuse is garder followed by an object and a place when arranging storage.
derrière In derrière le comptoir, derrière means behind and gives the location where the suitcase will be kept. It introduces the place relative to the desk. A common reuse is derrière followed by a noun when describing the position of an object.
comptoir In derrière le comptoir, comptoir means counter or desk, referring to the hotel service desk. It is the landmark behind which the staff will keep the suitcase. This word is useful when describing locations or storage areas in a reception or shop.
jusqu'à In jusqu'à votre retour, jusqu'à means until and marks the endpoint of the storage period. It introduces the moment when the guest returns. A common reuse is jusqu'à followed by a noun or time expression to state how long an arrangement continues.
votre In votre retour, votre means your and refers politely to the guest's return. It is the possessive determiner before retour and can address one person formally or several people. A common reuse is votre followed by a singular noun in formal service communication.
retour In jusqu'à votre retour, retour means return and refers to the guest coming back to collect the suitcase. It names the endpoint of the storage arrangement. A common reuse is votre retour when discussing when someone will come back.
Ai-je In Ai-je besoin d'un ticket ou d'une étiquette pour la valise ?, Ai-je means do I have and begins an inverted question. Together with besoin de, it asks whether something is required. A common reuse is Ai-je besoin de followed by the item or service whose necessity is being checked.
besoin In Ai-je besoin de..., besoin expresses need, but the full construction avoir besoin de means to need. Here the guest asks whether a ticket or label is required for the suitcase. A common reuse is avoir besoin de followed by a noun or an infinitive.
d'un In besoin d'un ticket, d'un is the contraction of de and un before the masculine noun ticket. It introduces the item that may be needed. A common reuse is avoir besoin d'un followed by one masculine singular item.
ticket In d'un ticket ou d'une étiquette, ticket means a ticket or claim slip for identifying the stored suitcase. It is one of the two possible items the guest asks about. A common reuse is un ticket when asking whether a numbered or identifying slip is required.
ou In un ticket ou une étiquette, ou means or and presents two alternatives. It links the possible identification items in the guest's question. A common reuse is A ou B when asking someone to choose between two options.
d'une In besoin d'une étiquette, d'une is the contraction of de and une before the feminine noun étiquette. It introduces the other item the guest may need. A common reuse is avoir besoin d'une followed by one feminine singular item.
étiquette In une étiquette pour vos bagages, étiquette means a label or tag used to identify the stored luggage. It is the item the staff will provide when the suitcase is dropped off. A common reuse is une étiquette pour followed by the object being identified.
pour In pour la valise and pour vos bagages, pour means for and connects the ticket or label with the luggage it identifies. It marks the intended item rather than expressing the whole storage arrangement. A common reuse is étiquette pour followed by the luggage, package, or other item it belongs to.
donnerons In Nous vous donnerons une étiquette, donnerons means we will give and states what the staff will provide. It is the first-person plural future form related to donner. A common reuse is donner followed by the recipient and the item being given.
une In une étiquette, une introduces one unspecified feminine singular label or tag. It is the indefinite determiner before étiquette. A common reuse is une followed by a feminine singular noun when referring to one item.
vos In vos bagages, vos means your and refers politely to the guest's luggage. Its plural form agrees with the plural noun bagages and can address one person formally or several people. A common reuse is vos followed by a plural noun in service conversations.
bagages In vos bagages, bagages means luggage or bags, referring to the items being stored. The plural form is used for the guest's luggage as a group. A common reuse is déposer or récupérer vos bagages when arranging luggage handling.
quand In quand vous la déposerez, quand means when and introduces the time condition for giving the luggage tag. It links the staff's future action to the guest's drop-off action. A common reuse is quand followed by a full clause when explaining when something will happen.
déposerez In quand vous la déposerez, déposerez means you will drop off or leave the suitcase at the desk. It is the formal or plural future form related to déposer, with la referring to the suitcase. A common reuse is déposer an item at a desk or collection point when handing it over for storage or service.

Grammar Points

Pourrais-je + infinitif… ?

Pourrais-je demander un départ tardif ?

poo-RAY zhuh duh-mahn-DAY uhn day-PAR tar-DEEF?

Could I request a late checkout?

This conditional form makes a request more polite than a direct question.

après avoir + participe passé

Après avoir quitté la réception, je partirai.

ah-PRAY ah-vwar kee-TAY lah ray-sep-SYON, zhuh par-tee-RAY.

After leaving the reception, I will leave.

Use avoir plus the past participle to express an action completed before another action.

French Vocabulary

après-midi noun
ah-preh-MEE-DEE afternoon
demander verb
duh-mahn-DAY to request; to ask for
départ tardif phrase
day-PAR tar-DEEF late checkout
disponibilités noun
dee-spoh-nee-bee-lee-TAY availability
espériez-vous verb
es-pay-ree-AY voo were you hoping
laisser verb
lay-SAY to leave; to store
partir verb
par-TEER to leave; to depart
possible adj
poh-SEEBL possible
Pourrais-je verb
poo-RAY zhuh Could I
réservées adj
ray-zair-VAY reserved; booked
vérifier verb
vay-ree-fee-AY to check; to verify
vers prep
vair around; toward

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to check; to verify

Show Answervérifier

to request; to ask for

Show Answerdemander

to leave; to depart

Show Answerpartir

around; toward

Show Answervers