Deciding whether to keep waiting | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

1. Excusez-moi, cette file avance lentement.

   Excuse me, this line has been moving slowly.

   Excusez-moi

   Excuse me

   cette

   this

   file

   line

   avance

   moves forward

   lentement

   slowly

   More detail

   Excusez-moi is a polite way to get someone’s attention or apologize briefly: “Excuse me.” It comes from excuser (“to excuse”); excusez is the present-tense or imperative form used with vous, and moi means “me.” The same expression can be used before a question or request. cette means “this” before a singular feminine noun. Here it agrees with file, which is feminine singular. The demonstrative forms contrast as ce/cet for masculine singular, cette for feminine singular, and ces for plural nouns. Example: cette porte means “this door.” file means “line” in the sense of a queue of people or vehicles. Its plural is files. In this sentence, it is the subject of avance, so the line is the thing moving forward. avance comes from avancer, “to move forward” or “to advance.” It is the present-tense third-person singular form, agreeing with cette file: la file avance. French present tense can describe an action currently in progress, so avance is naturally translated here as “is moving” or “has been moving.” Example: Le train avance lentement. — “The train is moving slowly.” lentement means “slowly.” It is an adverb describing how the line advances; it does not agree in gender or number with file. It is related to the adjective lent (“slow”), as in une file lente (“a slow line”), but the adverbial form is needed to describe the manner of movement. Together, cette file identifies this particular line, avance says that it is moving forward, and lentement specifies the manner. The complete utterance means: “Excuse me, this line has been moving slowly.”

2. Vous essayez de décider si cela vaut la peine de rester ?

   Are you trying to decide whether it is worth staying?

   Vous essayez

   you are trying

   de décider

   to decide

   si

   whether

   cela

   that; it

   vaut la peine

   is worth it

   de rester

   to stay

   More detail

   Vous essayez uses essayer in the present tense. essayez is the form used with vous, which can address one person formally or more than one person. The construction essayer de + infinitive means “to try to do something.” Example: J’essaie de comprendre. — “I’m trying to understand.” de décider contains the infinitive décider, “to decide.” After essayer, French uses de before the next infinitive: essayer de décider, “to try to decide.” The same pattern appears in Elle essaie de répondre. — “She is trying to answer.” si introduces an indirect question here: “whether.” It presents the matter being decided, rather than directly asking a question. For example, Je me demande si le train arrive. — “I wonder whether the train is arriving.” cela is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” or, in this context, “it.” It does not itself identify a particular noun; its precise referent is supplied by the situation. It is distinct from the demonstrative determiner in ce livre, “this book,” where ce accompanies a noun. vaut la peine is the fixed expression valoir la peine, literally “to be worth the trouble,” and here “to be worth it.” vaut is the present-tense third-person singular form of valoir; the base form is valoir. The noun peine is feminine, but the form vaut is determined by the singular subject cela, not by peine. Example: Ça vaut la peine. — “It’s worth it.” de rester contains the infinitive rester, “to stay.” In valoir la peine de + infinitive, the infinitive names the action considered worthwhile: Cela vaut la peine d’attendre. — “It is worth waiting.” Before a vowel sound, de is written d’, as in d’attendre. Together, Vous essayez de décider si cela vaut la peine de rester ? asks whether the person addressed is trying to decide if staying is worthwhile. The structure is essayer de + infinitive followed by décider si + clause; inside that clause, cela vaut la peine de + infinitive means “it is worth doing something.”

3. Oui. Vous savez si le guichet a du retard ?

   I am. Do you know if the service desk is running behind?

   Oui

   Yes

   Vous savez

   you know

   si

   if / whether

   le guichet

   the service desk

   a

   has

   retard

   delay

   More detail

   Oui is an affirmative word meaning “yes.” Here it confirms the preceding question. It is also reusable on its own: Oui, je reste. — “Yes, I’m staying.” Vous savez uses savoir (“to know”) in the present tense. savez is the form used with vous; the same verb has je sais (“I know”) and il/elle sait (“he/she knows”). In this sentence, the ordinary subject–verb order and question intonation, marked here by the question mark, give it the meaning “Do you know…?” si introduces an indirect yes-or-no question. Vous savez si… means “Do you know whether/if…?” This differs from a direct question such as Le guichet a-t-il du retard ? — “Is the service desk running behind?” le guichet is a masculine singular noun phrase meaning “the service desk” here. guichet can also refer to a service window or counter, depending on the setting. The article le marks this noun phrase as masculine singular; it does not by itself indicate a quantity. a is the third-person singular present form of avoir (“to have”). Its subject here is le guichet, so the form is a, not avez, which belongs with vous. French commonly uses avoir du retard for being delayed or running behind. retard is a masculine noun meaning “delay” in this expression. The complete expression is avoir du retard: literally “to have delay,” but naturally “to be running behind” or “to be delayed.” In this expression, du is the partitive form used before the mass noun retard; it is not necessary to analyze it here as de + le. Example: Le train a du retard. — “The train is running late.” The meaningful structure is Vous savez si + le guichet a du retard: “Do you know whether the service desk is running behind?” The first Oui answers the preceding question, and the following question asks whether the service desk is delayed. The question uses a neutral, everyday register.

4. Plusieurs demandes nécessitent une attention particulière, donc la file avance lentement.

   Several requests need extra attention, so the line is moving slowly.

   Plusieurs

   several

   demandes

   requests

   nécessitent

   need; require

   attention

   attention

   particulière

   extra; special

   donc

   so

   file

   line; queue

   avance

   moves forward

   lentement

   slowly

   More detail

   Plusieurs means “several” and indicates an unspecified number greater than one. It is a plural determiner, so the noun after it is plural; it does not state an exact count. Compare plusieurs demandes (“several requests”) with une demande (“one request”). demandes is the plural of the feminine noun demande, “request.” The ending -s marks the written plural here. The same noun can refer to a request in other contexts, but here the fixed translation supports “requests.” nécessitent comes from nécessiter, “to require” or “to need.” It is the present-tense third-person plural form, matching plusieurs demandes: plusieurs demandes nécessitent... means “several requests require...” The singular form is nécessite, as in Cette demande nécessite une réponse (“This request requires an answer”). attention is the feminine noun “attention.” In nécessiter une attention, it is the thing that is required: “to require attention.” The article une marks this noun as feminine singular; it does not by itself specify a numerical quantity in the English sense. particulière is the feminine singular form of the adjective particulier, “particular” or “special.” It agrees with the feminine singular noun attention, so une attention particulière literally means “particular/special attention,” naturally rendered here as “extra attention.” The masculine singular form is particulier, while the feminine plural form is particulières. donc is a connector meaning “so” or “therefore.” It links the need for extra attention to the result stated next: the line is moving slowly. file is the feminine noun “line” or “queue.” In this sentence, the translation supports the queue/line sense rather than a line in another context. The noun is singular here, as shown by la file. avance comes from avancer, “to move forward” or “to advance.” It is the present-tense third-person singular form, agreeing with la file: “the line moves forward.” The same form can also be an imperative addressed to tu in some contexts, but here it is a present-tense verb because la file is its subject. lentement is an adverb meaning “slowly.” It describes how avance happens. It is related to the adjective lent (“slow”), but the adverb modifies the verb rather than describing the line directly. Together, plusieurs demandes nécessitent une attention particulière means “several requests need extra attention.” Donc then introduces the consequence, la file avance lentement (“the line is moving slowly”). The complete utterance is therefore: “Several requests need extra attention, so the line is moving slowly.”

5. Je ne peux pas rester ici beaucoup plus longtemps.

   I cannot stay here much longer.

   Je ne peux pas

   I cannot

   rester

   stay

   ici

   here

   beaucoup plus longtemps

   much longer

   More detail

   Je ne peux pas means “I cannot” here. peux is the first-person singular present form of pouvoir (“to be able to, can”): je peux = “I can,” while je ne peux pas = “I cannot.” In a standard negative clause, ne and pas surround the conjugated verb. The following infinitive names the action that is not possible: Je ne peux pas venir means “I cannot come.” rester means “to stay” and is an infinitive. After pouvoir, French uses an infinitive without à: je peux rester means “I can stay.” The subject of rester is understood to be the same as the subject of `peux,” namely “I.” ici means “here.” It is an invariable location adverb, so it does not change for the person, number, or gender of anything in the sentence. For example, Je travaille ici means “I work here.” beaucoup plus longtemps means “much longer.” longtemps means “for a long time”; plus longtemps is its comparative form, “for longer,” and beaucoup strengthens that comparison: “much longer.” This is a duration expression, not a noun phrase. For example, Elle reste plus longtemps means “She stays longer.” Together, Je ne peux pas rester ici beaucoup plus longtemps forms a negative ability statement: the speaker says that staying here for much longer is not possible. The order is subject + negated form of pouvoir + infinitive rester + location ici + duration expression beaucoup plus longtemps, giving the fixed meaning “I cannot stay here much longer.”

6. Vous pouvez continuer à attendre ou laisser votre demande au guichet.

   You can keep waiting, or leave your request at the desk.

   Vous pouvez

   you can

   continuer à

   keep doing

   attendre

   wait

   laisser

   leave

   demande

   request

   guichet

   desk or counter

   More detail

   Vous pouvez combines vous (“you,” plural or formal singular) with pouvez, the present form of pouvoir (“can; be able to”) for vous. Here it expresses permission or an available option: “you can.” The same verb appears as je peux, il/elle peut, and nous pouvons; these forms must not be confused with the infinitive pouvoir. Example: Vous pouvez entrer. — “You can come in.” continuer à is a reusable pattern meaning “to continue to” followed by an infinitive. continuer is the infinitive; à links it to the following action. Example: Elle continue à lire. — “She keeps reading.” attendre is the infinitive “to wait.” After continuer à, it names the activity that continues: continuer à attendre — “to keep waiting.” In another tense or with another subject, the verb can be conjugated, as in J’attends. — “I am waiting.” laisser is the infinitive “to leave” or “to let,” with the intended sense here being to leave something at a place. It is coordinated with the preceding option by ou (“or”): continuer à attendre ou laisser.... Example: Je vais laisser le document ici. — “I am going to leave the document here.” demande is a feminine noun meaning “request” here. Its usual singular form is une demande; the plural is des demandes. In this sentence, votre demande means “your request”: votre marks the request as belonging or relating to the addressee, without itself indicating whether the addressee is singular or plural. guichet means a service window, counter, or desk where a person handles requests. With au, it appears in the location phrase au guichet, literally “at the counter/desk.” au is the contraction of à and le; it is a location expression, not part of the noun guichet. Together, Vous pouvez continuer à attendre gives one available option, “You can keep waiting.” ou laisser votre demande au guichet gives the alternative, “or leave your request at the desk.” The complete utterance is therefore: “You can keep waiting, or leave your request at the desk.”

7. Laisser la demande m'aiderait si quelqu'un pouvait l'examiner plus tard.

   Leaving the request would help if someone can review it later.

   Laisser

   leaving; to leave

   la demande

   the request

   m'aiderait

   would help me

   si

   if

   quelqu'un

   someone

   pouvait

   could

   examiner

   examine; review

   plus tard

   later

   More detail

   Laisser is the infinitive “to leave.” Here it acts as the subject of the sentence: Laisser la demande means “leaving the request.” The infinitive can be used this way before a verb: Partir serait difficile. — “Leaving would be difficult.” la demande means “the request.” demande is a feminine noun, so the definite article is la; its plural is les demandes. In this sentence, it refers to the request already mentioned in the surrounding context. m'aiderait means “would help me.” The verb is aider, “to help”; aiderait is its conditional form, and m' is the shortened object pronoun me, “me,” before a vowel. The conditional presents the help as dependent on the condition that follows. Cette solution m'aiderait. — “This solution would help me.” si introduces the condition “if.” A useful French pattern is si + imperfect, followed by the conditional: si quelqu'un pouvait... m'aiderait... — “if someone could..., ...would help...” quelqu'un means “someone.” It is an indefinite pronoun referring to an unspecified person. It is written as one word and does not identify who that person is. Quelqu'un arrive. — “Someone is arriving.” pouvait is the imperfect form of pouvoir, “to be able to” or “can.” In this conditional pattern, the imperfect marks the condition, while the main clause uses the conditional: si quelqu'un pouvait examiner... — “if someone could review...” examiner is the infinitive “to examine” and, here, “to review.” After pouvait, the following verb remains in the infinitive: pouvait examiner, “could examine/review.” plus tard means “later.” It is a time expression; plus here contributes to the comparison with a later point in time, rather than describing a noun. Together, Laisser la demande gives the subject “leaving the request,” and m'aiderait says that this would help the speaker. The condition si quelqu'un pouvait l'examiner plus tard means “if someone could review it later.” The complete meaning is: “Leaving the request would help me if someone could review it later.”

8. Le guichet peut vous contacter quand il y aura du nouveau.

   The desk can contact you when they have an update.

   guichet

   desk or service counter

   peut

   can

   vous

   you

   contacter

   contact

   quand

   when

   il y aura

   there will be

   du nouveau

   an update

   More detail

   guichet means a service desk or counter. It is a masculine noun, as shown by le. In this sentence it names the service point or office that may make contact, not necessarily a physical counter. Example: Le guichet est ouvert. — “The service desk is open.” peut is the third-person singular present form of pouvoir (“to be able to,” “can”). The subject here is le guichet, so the singular form is used. Pouvoir is followed by an infinitive: peut contacter means “can contact.” vous is the object pronoun “you.” It can refer to one person addressed formally or to more than one person; the fixed sentence does not specify which. Here it is the person or people receiving the contact. Example: Je peux vous aider. — “I can help you.” contacter is an infinitive meaning “to contact.” After a conjugated form of pouvoir, the following verb remains in the infinitive: peut contacter, not a second conjugated verb. quand introduces a time clause meaning “when.” It links the possible contact to a future condition or event. Example: Appelez-moi quand vous arriverez. — “Call me when you arrive.” il y aura means “there will be.” It is the future form of the expression il y a (“there is/are”), built from avoir; aura is the third-person singular future form of avoir. The il here is impersonal: it does not refer back to le guichet or to a person. In a future time clause, French commonly uses the future for the event that is expected to occur: quand il y aura.... du nouveau means “something new” or, in this context, “an update.” Nouveau is an adjective used substantively here, with du marking an unspecified amount or presence of new information. It does not state a particular number of updates. Example: Je vous écrirai s’il y a du nouveau. — “I will write to you if there is any news.” Together, Le guichet peut vous contacter says that the service desk is able to contact you. quand il y aura du nouveau sets the time: this contact can happen when there is new information, giving the whole meaning “The desk can contact you when they have an update.”

9. Cela me donne un choix clair.

   That gives me a clear choice.

   Cela

   That

   me

   me

   donne

   gives

   choix

   choice

   clair

   clear

   More detail

   Cela is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” here. It points to something already understood from the situation, without the sentence itself identifying a more specific referent. A useful contrast is ce/cet/cette before a noun, as in cette décision (“this decision”); cela stands on its own. me is the unstressed object pronoun “me.” It appears before the conjugated verb and marks the person receiving the effect of the action. For example, Cela me plaît means “I like that” literally in the sense “That pleases me”; the pronoun remains me because the affected person is the speaker. donne is the present-tense form of donner (“to give”) for il, elle, or cela. In this sentence, Cela me donne... means “That gives me...” or “That provides me with...”. The verb agrees with Cela, not with me: Cela me donne, while Cela nous donne changes only the object pronoun. A reusable pattern is X me donne Y (“X gives me Y”). choix is a masculine noun meaning “choice.” Its plural is choix as well: un choix (“a choice”) and des choix (“choices”). The article un introduces the noun phrase; here it does not by itself need to be understood as asserting a numerical count. clair is an adjective meaning “clear” in this noun phrase. It is masculine singular because it describes the masculine singular noun choix: un choix clair. Its base form is clair; a feminine singular form is claire, as in une réponse claire. The adjective follows the noun here. Together, Cela me donne un choix clair combines the demonstrative subject Cela, the object pronoun me, and the present-tense verb donne with the noun phrase un choix clair. The whole utterance means “That gives me a clear choice.”

10. Alors, il vaut peut-être mieux la laisser si votre prochain engagement ne peut pas attendre.

    Then leaving it may be better if your next commitment cannot wait.

    Alors

    then; so

    il vaut peut-être mieux

    it may be better

    laisser

    to leave; to let

    prochain

    next

    engagement

    commitment

    ne peut pas attendre

    cannot wait

    More detail

    Alors commonly links what follows to the preceding situation. Here it means “then” or “so,” introducing a conclusion or recommendation. il vaut peut-être mieux is the impersonal French pattern il vaut mieux + infinitive, meaning that one option is preferable. vaut is the third-person singular present form of valoir (“to be worth”); the impersonal il does not identify a person here. peut-être means “perhaps,” so the utterance presents the recommendation as possible rather than certain. For example: Il vaut mieux attendre. — “It is better to wait.” laisser is the infinitive “to leave” or “to let.” In this sentence, la laisser means “to leave it”: la is a feminine-singular direct-object pronoun, while laisser remains an infinitive after il vaut mieux. The translation identifies the object as “it,” but does not specify what that object is. For example: Il vaut mieux la garder. — “It is better to keep it.” prochain means “next” in votre prochain engagement. It is the adjective modifying engagement, and it is masculine singular here because engagement is masculine singular. Its feminine singular form is prochaine, as in la prochaine réunion — “the next meeting.” engagement means “commitment” here. The same noun can have other context-dependent uses, but the fixed translation selects the sense of an obligation or scheduled commitment. For example: J’ai un engagement demain. — “I have a commitment tomorrow.” ne peut pas attendre means “cannot wait.” peut is the third-person singular present form of pouvoir (“can”); ne ... pas surrounds the conjugated verb to form the negation, and attendre is the infinitive “to wait.” The subject is the singular votre prochain engagement, so pouvoir appears as peut. For example: Cette décision ne peut pas attendre. — “This decision cannot wait.” Together, il vaut peut-être mieux la laisser says “it may be better to leave it,” and si votre prochain engagement ne peut pas attendre gives the condition “if your next commitment cannot wait.” With Alors at the beginning, the complete utterance means: “Then leaving it may be better if your next commitment cannot wait.”