Rescheduling safely in icy weather | Learn French in English

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Use Rescheduling safely in icy weather to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Les routes sont verglacées et la visibilité est mauvaise ce matin.

lay ROOT sohn vair-glah-SAY ay lah vee-zee-bee-lee-TAY eh moh-VEHZ suh mah-TAN The roads are icy, and visibility is poor this morning.

Aller en voiture à la réunion semble risqué.

ah-LAY ahn vwah-TÜR ah lah ray-ü-NYOHN sahmbl rees-KAY Driving to the meeting sounds risky.

Je n’aime pas changer nos plans, mais la sécurité doit passer en premier.

zhuh nem pah shahn-ZHAY noh plahn meh lah say-kyü-ree-TAY dwa pah-SAY ahn pruh-MYAY I hate to reschedule, but safety should come first.

Écris-leur maintenant et explique clairement l’état des routes.

ay-KREE-luhr man-tuh-NAHN ay ex-PLEEK klair-MAHN lay-TAH day ROOT Message them now and explain the road conditions clearly.

Est-ce que je devrais proposer de nous réunir en ligne au lieu d’annuler complètement ?

ess-kuh zhuh duh-VRAY proh-poh-ZAY duh noo ray-ü-NEER ahn LEEN oh LYUH duh-NAH-lay kohn-playt-MAHN Should I suggest meeting online instead of canceling completely?

Cela permettrait de continuer le travail sans que personne ne se déplace.

suh-LAH pair-meh-TRAY duh kohn-tee-NÜ-AY luh trah-VY sahn kuh pair-SON nuh suh day-PLAHSS That would keep the work moving without anyone traveling.

Je peux leur demander si participer en visioconférence leur conviendrait.

zhuh puh luhr duh-mahn-DAY see par-tee-see-PAY ahn vee-zee-oh-kohn-fay-RAHNS luhr kohn-vyan-DRAY I can ask whether joining by video would work for them.

Propose aussi de nous rencontrer en personne quand les routes seront plus sûres.

proh-POHZ oh-SEE duh noo rahn-kohn-TRAY ahn pair-SONN kahn lay ROOT suh-ROHN plü SÜR Offer to meet in person once the roads are safer, too.

S’ils préfèrent attendre, demain me convient aussi.

seel preh-FAIR ah-TON-druh duh-MAN muh kohn-VYAN oh-SEE If they would rather wait, tomorrow also works for me.

Des options claires devraient rendre ce changement plus facile à accepter.

day op-SYOHN klair duh-VRAY RAHN-druh suh shahnj-MAHN plü fah-SEEL ah ahk-sayp-TAY Clear options should make the change easier to accept.

Word by Word

Les “Les” means “the” in “Les routes” and refers to plural roads. It is used before a plural noun, as in “Les routes sont verglacées.”

routes “Routes” means roads here. It is the plural form of route and is used after “Les” in “Les routes”; a common pattern is “les routes sont…” followed by a description.

sont “Sont” means “are” in “Les routes sont verglacées.” It is a form of être used with a plural subject; the reusable pattern is “subject + sont + description.”

verglacées “Verglacées” describes the roads as icy or covered with ice. It agrees with the plural feminine noun “routes”; you can use “routes verglacées” when describing dangerous winter roads.

et “Et” connects the two weather statements in “Les routes sont verglacées et la visibilité est mauvaise.” Use it to join words, phrases, or complete ideas.

la “La” means “the” before the feminine singular noun “visibilité.” It is used before a singular feminine noun, as in “la visibilité est mauvaise.”

visibilité “Visibilité” means visibility, referring here to how clearly people can see on the road. It is used with “la” in “la visibilité”; a common pattern is “la visibilité est bonne” or “la visibilité est mauvaise.”

est “Est” means “is” in “la visibilité est mauvaise.” It is a singular form of être; the reusable pattern is “subject + est + adjective.”

mauvaise “Mauvaise” means poor or bad in “la visibilité est mauvaise.” It describes the feminine singular noun “visibilité”; use the pattern “la visibilité est mauvaise” to report poor visibility.

ce “Ce” means “this” in the time expression “ce matin.” Together, “ce matin” identifies the morning being discussed; it is a common way to refer to this morning.

matin “Matin” means morning in “ce matin.” The expression “ce matin” is used when describing something happening this morning.

Aller “Aller” means “to go” in “Aller en voiture à la réunion.” It is an infinitive used as the subject of “semble”; a reusable pattern is “aller + en + transport + à + destination.”

en “En” means “by” in “en voiture,” describing travel by car. Use “en” before a means of transport in expressions such as “en voiture.”

voiture “Voiture” means car in “en voiture.” The expression “aller en voiture” describes going by car; “en voiture” is a common transport expression.

à “À” means “to” in “à la réunion,” indicating the destination of going. Use “à” before a destination such as “la réunion” in this pattern.

réunion “Réunion” means meeting here. It appears in “à la réunion,” meaning to the meeting; a common pattern is “aller à une réunion.”

semble “Semble” means “seems” in “Aller en voiture à la réunion semble risqué.” It is the form of sembler used with the infinitive phrase as its subject; the pattern is “something semble + adjective.”

risqué “Risqué” means risky in “semble risqué.” It describes the proposed drive to the meeting; use “sembler risqué” when an action appears unsafe.

Je “Je” means “I” and identifies the speaker in “Je n’aime pas changer nos plans.” It is commonly placed before the verb when stating a personal opinion or intention.

n’aime “N’aime” contributes “do not like” in “Je n’aime pas changer nos plans.” It combines the negative “n’” with a form of aimer; the reusable pattern is “je n’aime pas + infinitive.”

pas “Pas” completes the negation in “Je n’aime pas changer nos plans.” With “ne” or its shortened form “n’,” it makes the statement negative; use “ne…pas” around the verb.

changer “Changer” means to change or reschedule in “changer nos plans.” It is an infinitive after “n’aime pas”; a useful pattern is “changer + possessive determiner + plans.”

nos “Nos” means “our” before the plural noun “plans.” It shows that the plans belong to the speaker and others; use “nos” before a plural noun.

plans “Plans” means plans in “changer nos plans.” It refers to the arrangements for the meeting; “changer ses plans” is a common way to talk about changing arrangements.

mais “Mais” means “but” and contrasts reluctance to reschedule with the importance of safety. Use it to connect two ideas that differ or oppose each other.

sécurité “Sécurité” means safety in “la sécurité doit passer en premier.” It names the priority in this situation; a common pattern is “la sécurité d’abord” or “la sécurité doit…”.

doit “Doit” means “must” or “has to” in “la sécurité doit passer en premier.” It is a form of devoir used with a singular subject; the pattern is “subject + doit + infinitive.”

passer “Passer” means “to pass” in the expression “passer en premier.” The whole expression means to come first or be the first priority; it is useful when stating what should have priority.

premier “Premier” means “first” in “passer en premier.” Together with “passer en,” it expresses priority; use “passer en premier” when saying that something must come first.

Écris “Écris” means “write” as a direct instruction in “Écris-leur maintenant.” It is an imperative form of écrire addressed to one person; the pattern is “Écris + recipient + message.”

leur “Leur” means “to them” in “Écris-leur maintenant.” It identifies the people who should receive the message; use “écrire à quelqu’un” or the pronoun pattern “écris-lui/écris-leur.”

maintenant “Maintenant” means now and tells the listener when to write. It can be placed after the verb, as in “Écris-leur maintenant,” to give an immediate time reference.

explique “Explique” means “explain” as a direct instruction in “explique clairement l’état des routes.” It is an imperative form of expliquer addressed to one person; a useful pattern is “expliquer quelque chose clairement.”

clairement “Clairement” means clearly and describes how the road conditions should be explained. It commonly follows the verb, as in “expliquer clairement…”.

l’état “L’état” means the condition or state in “l’état des routes.” It is the contracted form of “le état” before a vowel; the pattern “l’état de + noun” describes the condition of something.

des “Des” means “of the” in “l’état des routes,” linking the condition to the roads. Here it is used before the plural noun “routes”; the pattern is “l’état des + plural noun.”

que “Que” is part of “Est-ce que je devrais proposer…”, which introduces a yes-or-no question. In this dialogue it does not independently mean “that”; it helps form the question structure.

devrais “Devrais” means “should” in “je devrais proposer…” and expresses a question about the advisable action. It is a form of devoir; the reusable pattern is “je devrais + infinitive.”

proposer “Proposer” means to suggest or offer in “proposer de nous réunir en ligne.” It is used with “de” before the suggested action; a common pattern is “proposer de + infinitive.”

de “De” introduces the action being suggested in “proposer de nous réunir en ligne.” It links “proposer” to an infinitive; the reusable pattern is “proposer de + infinitive.”

nous “Nous” means “us” in “de nous réunir en ligne.” It identifies the people who would meet; here it appears before the infinitive in the pattern “nous réunir.”

réunir “Réunir” contributes the idea of meeting or gathering in “nous réunir en ligne.” With “nous,” the expression refers to the group meeting; use “se réunir” or “nous réunir” when describing people coming together.

ligne “Ligne” means line, but in “en ligne” it contributes to the meaning “online.” The whole expression “en ligne” describes a meeting held through the internet; it is commonly used with “se réunir” or “réunion.”

au “Au” is the contraction of “à” and “le” in “au lieu d’annuler.” Together with “lieu de,” it forms the expression “au lieu de,” meaning instead of.

lieu “Lieu” means place in “au lieu d’annuler.” The whole expression “au lieu de + infinitive” means instead of doing something; use it to present an alternative action.

d’annuler “D’annuler” means “to cancel” after the expression “au lieu de.” It is the contracted form of “de annuler”; the reusable pattern is “au lieu de + infinitive.”

complètement “Complètement” means completely in “annuler complètement.” It indicates that the cancellation would be total; it can be placed after the verb to describe the extent of an action.

Cela “Cela” refers to the proposed online meeting in “Cela permettrait de continuer le travail.” It means “that” or “this” as a subject pronoun; a common pattern is “Cela + verb” when referring to a previously mentioned idea.

permettrait “Permettrait” means “would allow” in “Cela permettrait de continuer le travail.” It is a conditional form of permettre; the reusable pattern is “cela permettrait de + infinitive.”

continuer “Continuer” means to continue in “continuer le travail.” It is the infinitive after “permettrait de”; use it before an activity or task that carries on.

le “Le” means “the” before the masculine singular noun “travail.” It identifies the specific work being continued; use “le” before a singular masculine noun.

travail “Travail” means work in “continuer le travail.” It refers to the ongoing task or project; “continuer le travail” is a useful expression for keeping work going.

sans “Sans” means without and introduces the condition avoided by the online option. In “sans que personne ne se déplace,” it introduces a clause describing what does not happen.

personne “Personne” means no one in “sans que personne ne se déplace.” With “ne,” it expresses that nobody travels; the reusable pattern is “personne ne + verb.”

ne “Ne” helps form the negative meaning with “personne” in “personne ne se déplace.” It appears before the verb in the pattern “personne ne + verb,” meaning no one does something.

se “Se” is the reflexive pronoun in “se déplace,” where it forms the expression for someone moving or traveling. It is placed before the verb; a common pattern is “se + verb” for a reflexive action.

déplace “Déplace” means moves or travels in “personne ne se déplace.” With “se,” the expression “se déplace” means travels or moves from one place to another; the citation form is déplacer.

peux “Peux” means “can” in “Je peux leur demander…”. It is a form of pouvoir used with “je”; the reusable pattern is “je peux + infinitive.”

demander “Demander” means to ask in “Je peux leur demander si…”. It is an infinitive after “peux” and is followed here by the people asked and a question introduced by “si.”

si “Si” means “whether” in “demander si participer en visioconférence leur conviendrait.” It introduces the question being asked; use “demander si + clause” to ask whether something is suitable or possible.

participer “Participer” means to participate or take part in “participer en visioconférence.” It is an infinitive describing the proposed activity; a common pattern is “participer à + activity,” while “en visioconférence” describes the format here.

visioconférence “Visioconférence” means video conference in “participer en visioconférence.” It identifies the online format for participating; use it when discussing attendance through a video call.

conviendrait “Conviendrait” means “would suit” or “would be suitable” in “leur conviendrait.” It is a conditional form of convenir; French commonly uses “convenir à quelqu’un,” represented here by “leur.”

Propose “Propose” means “offer” or “suggest” as a direct instruction in “Propose aussi de nous rencontrer en personne.” It is an imperative form of proposer; the pattern is “proposer de + infinitive.”

aussi “Aussi” means also or too in “Propose aussi…”. It adds another suggestion to the online option; it commonly appears after the verb or at the end of a sentence.

rencontrer “Rencontrer” means to meet in “nous rencontrer en personne.” It is an infinitive after “propose de”; a common pattern is “rencontrer quelqu’un” or “se rencontrer” when people meet.

quand “Quand” means when and introduces the time condition in “quand les routes seront plus sûres.” Use it to connect an action with the time at which it will happen.

seront “Seront” means “will be” in “les routes seront plus sûres.” It is a future form of être used with the plural subject “les routes”; the pattern is “quand + subject + seront + adjective.”

plus “Plus” means more in “plus sûres,” forming the comparison “safer.” Use “plus + adjective” to describe a greater degree of a quality.

sûres “Sûres” means safe in the comparative expression “plus sûres,” meaning safer. It agrees with the feminine plural noun “routes”; use “routes sûres” when describing safe roads.

S’ils “S’ils” means “if they” at the start of “S’ils préfèrent attendre.” It is the contraction of “si” and “ils” before a vowel; use it to introduce a condition about what they prefer.

préfèrent “Préfèrent” means prefer in “S’ils préfèrent attendre.” It is a form of préférer used with “ils”; the reusable pattern is “préférer + infinitive.”

attendre “Attendre” means to wait in “préfèrent attendre.” It is an infinitive after “préfèrent”; use “préférer attendre” when someone would rather wait.

demain “Demain” means tomorrow in “demain me convient aussi.” It identifies the alternative day; it can be placed at the beginning or end of a sentence about a future time.

me “Me” means “to me” in “demain me convient.” It identifies the person for whom tomorrow is suitable; the pattern is “[time or option] me convient.”

convient “Convient” means suits or is convenient in “demain me convient.” It is a form of convenir used with “me” for the person affected; use “cela me convient” to say that something works for you.

options “Options” means options in “Des options claires.” It refers to the different choices offered for the meeting; a common pattern is “proposer plusieurs options.”

claires “Claires” means clear in “Des options claires.” It agrees with the feminine plural noun “options”; use it to describe choices that are easy to understand.

devraient “Devraient” means “should” in “Des options claires devraient rendre…”. It is a conditional form of devoir used with the plural subject “options”; the pattern is “subject + devraient + infinitive.”

rendre “Rendre” means “to make” in “rendre ce changement plus facile à accepter.” It introduces the result that clear options are expected to produce; a useful pattern is “rendre + object + adjective.”

changement “Changement” means change in “ce changement.” It refers to changing the meeting arrangement; use “un changement” when talking about an alteration to a plan or situation.

facile “Facile” means easy in “plus facile à accepter,” meaning easier to accept. It describes the change after “rendre”; a common pattern is “facile à + infinitive.”

accepter “Accepter” means to accept in “plus facile à accepter.” It is the infinitive after “à” and identifies what becomes easier; use “facile à accepter” for an option or change that people can agree to.

Grammar Points

Le conditionnel pour proposer une solution

Une visioconférence conviendrait.

ün vee-zee-oh-kohn-fay-RAHNS kohn-vyan-DRAY

A video conference would work.

Le conditionnel en -rait sert à formuler une proposition de façon polie et moins directe.

au lieu de + infinitif

Nous préférons nous réunir en ligne au lieu de nous rencontrer en personne.

noo pruh-fay-ROHN noo ray-ü-NEER ahn LEEN oh LYUH duh noo rahn-kohn-TRAY ahn pair-SONN

We prefer to meet online instead of meeting in person.

Après « au lieu de », on utilise l’infinitif pour exprimer une alternative.

French Vocabulary

aller en voiture phrase

ah-LAY ahn vwah-TÜR to go by car; to drive

Driving to the meeting sounds risky.

ce matin phrase

suh mah-TAN this morning

The roads are icy this morning.

changer ses plans phrase

shahn-ZHAY say plahn to change one's plans; to reschedule

I hate to reschedule.

mauvais adj

moh-VEH bad; poor mauvaise

Visibility is poor.

passer en premier phrase

pah-SAY ahn pruh-MYAY to come first; to take priority

Safety should come first.

réunion noun

ray-ü-NYOHN meeting

Driving to the meeting sounds risky.

risqué adj

rees-KAY risky

Driving to the meeting sounds risky.

route noun

ROOT road routes

The roads are icy.

sécurité noun

say-kyü-ree-TAY safety

Safety should come first.

sembler verb

sahn-BLAY to seem; to sound semble

The journey sounds risky.

verglacé adj

vair-glah-SAY icy verglacées

The roads are icy.

visibilité noun

vee-zee-bee-lee-TAY visibility

Visibility is poor this morning.

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

meeting

Show Answer

réunion

visibility

Show Answer

visibilité

risky

Show Answer

risqué

icy

Show Answer

verglacées