Making shared figures easier to follow | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

1. Ton écran est visible, mais le texte du tableur paraît assez petit.

   Your screen is visible, but the spreadsheet text looks rather small.

   Ton

   your

   écran

   screen

   visible

   visible

   texte

   text

   tableur

   spreadsheet

   paraît

   looks / seems

   petit

   small

   More detail

   Ton is the possessive adjective meaning “your” for one person addressed informally. It agrees with the owned noun: ton écran uses masculine singular agreement because écran is masculine singular. With a feminine singular noun, the form is often ta, and with plural nouns the form is tes. écran means “screen.” It is a masculine noun, as shown by the masculine singular agreement in ton écran. Example: Mon écran est noir. — “My screen is black.” visible means “visible” or “able to be seen.” Here it is an adjective agreeing with masculine singular écran; its written form is also used with feminine singular nouns. Example: La fenêtre est visible. — “The window is visible.” texte means “text.” It is a masculine singular noun here. The phrase le texte means “the text.” tableur means “spreadsheet,” commonly referring to spreadsheet software or a spreadsheet document. In du tableur, du is the contraction of de and le, so this chunk means “of the spreadsheet.” Example: J’ouvre le tableur. — “I open the spreadsheet.” paraît is the third-person singular present form of paraître, “to appear” or “to seem.” With the singular subject le texte, le texte paraît means “the text looks/seems.” The infinitive is paraître; compare je parais (“I seem”) and ils paraissent (“they seem”). petit means “small.” It is the masculine singular form of the adjective, agreeing with texte. The feminine singular form is petite, and the plural forms are petits or petites according to gender. Example: La police paraît petite. — “The font looks small.” The first clause combines Ton écran (“your screen”) with est visible (“is visible”). Mais introduces a contrast: le texte du tableur paraît assez petit means “the spreadsheet text looks rather small.” Here assez modifies petit to express “rather/quite small,” while du tableur identifies the spreadsheet associated with the text. Together, the utterance means: “Your screen is visible, but the spreadsheet text looks rather small.”

2. Je peux quand même zoomer.

   I can zoom in, though.

   Je peux

   I can

   quand même

   though; nevertheless

   zoomer

   zoom in

   More detail

   Je peux means “I can” here. peux is the first-person singular present form of pouvoir (“to be able to”): je peux, tu peux, il/elle peut. The subject Je identifies the speaker, and peux agrees with that subject. Pouvoir is followed by an infinitive to express ability or permission. Example: Je peux attendre. — “I can wait.” quand même adds a concessive idea: “nevertheless,” “still,” or “though.” It indicates that the following action remains possible or relevant despite a consideration already present in the situation. It is a fixed expression, not a literal instruction to interpret each word separately. Example: Il pleut, mais je viens quand même. — “It’s raining, but I’m coming anyway.” zoomer means “to zoom in.” It is an infinitive verb, used after peux; its infinitive form does not show who performs the action. As a regular verb ending in -er, it has forms such as je zoome (“I zoom in”) and nous zoomons (“we zoom in”). Example: Tu peux zoomer sur le texte. — “You can zoom in on the text.” Together, Je peux + zoomer forms the reusable pattern Je peux + infinitive: “I can …”. In this utterance, quand même signals that the speaker can zoom in despite the preceding concern that the spreadsheet text looks small. The complete meaning is: “I can zoom in, though.”

3. Ça risque de faire sortir quelques colonnes de l’écran.

   It may push a few columns out of view.

   Ça risque de

   may / is likely to

   faire sortir

   push out

   quelques

   a few

   colonnes

   columns

   l’écran

   the screen

   More detail

   Ça risque de uses the neutral subject pronoun ça with risquer in the present tense. Here risquer de + infinitive expresses a possible or likely result, so it means “may” or “is likely to”; it does not necessarily suggest deliberate danger. Example: Ça risque de tomber. — “It may fall.” faire sortir is a causative pattern: faire + infinitive means “cause something to do something.” faire is the infinitive required after de, and sortir is also an infinitive. Together here they describe causing something to move outside the screen’s visible area. Example: Le zoom fait sortir le texte de l’écran. — “Zooming pushes the text off the screen.” quelques is a plural indefinite determiner meaning “a few” or “some.” It indicates more than one item without stating an exact number. It accompanies a plural form, as in quelques colonnes. colonnes is the plural of the feminine noun colonne, “column.” The final -s marks the plural in this form. Example: Les colonnes sont visibles. — “The columns are visible.” l’écran means “the screen.” écran is a masculine noun; l’ is the elided form of le before the vowel sound at the start of écran. The apostrophe is part of the written contraction. Taken together, Ça risque de presents a possible result, faire sortir describes causing something to move out of an area, and quelques colonnes identifies the affected items. de l’écran gives the area they move out of. The whole utterance therefore means: “It may push a few columns out of view.”

4. Ça me va tant que les chiffres clés restent visibles.

   That works as long as the key figures stay visible.

   Ça me va

   That works for me

   tant que

   as long as

   chiffres

   figures

   clés

   key

   restent

   stay

   visibles

   visible

   More detail

   Ça me va means “That works for me” or “That suits me.” ça is a demonstrative pronoun referring to something understood from the situation; its specific referent is not identified by this sentence alone. va is the present-tense form of aller with a third-person singular subject: ça va. With me, the construction expresses how something suits the speaker. Example: Cette solution me va. — “This solution works for me.” tant que introduces a condition and means “as long as.” It sets the requirement that follows. Example: Je viendrai tant que le train circule. — “I’ll come as long as the train is running.” chiffres means “figures” or “numbers” here. Its singular base form is chiffre; chiffres is plural. In this sentence, it is the subject of restent and is the noun modified by clés. clés means “key” in the sense of important or central. It is the plural form of the adjective clé, agreeing with the plural noun chiffres: un chiffre clé, des chiffres clés. The combination chiffres clés means “key figures.” restent is the present-tense third-person plural form of rester, “to stay” or “remain.” The plural subject is chiffres clés, so the verb is plural. Example: Les informations restent disponibles. — “The information remains available.” visibles means “visible.” It is the plural form of visible, agreeing with chiffres in chiffres clés; the adjective describes the state in which the figures remain. Example: Les données restent visibles. — “The data remains visible.” Together, Ça me va gives the speaker’s acceptance, and tant que les chiffres clés restent visibles states the condition for that acceptance: the arrangement works for the speaker provided that the key figures remain visible. The whole utterance is therefore: “That works for me as long as the key figures stay visible.”

5. Dans ce cas, je mettrai d’abord la section des écarts.

   In that case, I'll put the variance section first.

   Dans ce cas

   in that case

   je mettrai

   I will put

   d’abord

   first

   section

   section

   écarts

   variances

   More detail

   Dans ce cas means “in that case.” ce is the demonstrative form used in this fixed expression, referring to a situation already established in the conversation. The same reusable pattern is dans ce cas, ... for stating what will happen under that situation. je mettrai combines the subject pronoun je (“I”) with mettrai, the first-person singular future form of mettre (“to put” or “place”). The future form presents the speaker’s planned action: Je mettrai le titre en haut. — “I’ll put the title at the top.” In this sentence, je is the one who will place the section. d’abord means “first” or “first of all” and marks the order of the action or arrangement. It is different from avant, which generally introduces something that happens earlier: Je lirai d’abord le rapport. — “I’ll read the report first.” section is a feminine singular noun meaning “section.” Its plural is sections. In the fixed sentence, the article la agrees with this feminine singular noun: une section importante — “an important section.” écarts is the plural of the noun écart. In this context, it means “variances,” referring to differences or deviations presented in a section. The singular is un écart; the plural form écarts marks plural number. For example, Nous analysons les écarts. — “We are analyzing the variances.” Together, la section des écarts means “the variance section”: des expresses the relation between the section and the variances. The complete sentence uses Dans ce cas to set the situation, je mettrai to state the speaker’s future placement, and d’abord to specify its order: “In that case, I’ll put the variance section first.”

6. Les chiffres appuient l’argument, mais l’explication a besoin de plus de contexte.

   The figures support the point, but the explanation needs more context.

   chiffres

   figures

   appuient

   support

   l’argument

   the point

   l’explication

   the explanation

   a besoin de

   needs

   plus de

   more

   contexte

   context

   More detail

   chiffres is the plural of chiffre, meaning a numeral or figure; here it means figures or numerical data. The plural noun is the subject of appuient. Example: Les chiffres sont clairs. — “The figures are clear.” appuient comes from appuyer and is the present-tense third-person plural form: ils/elles appuient. It agrees with the plural subject Les chiffres. In this sentence, appuyer un argument means to support an argument or point. Example: Ces résultats appuient la conclusion. — “These results support the conclusion.” l’argument is the masculine noun argument with the definite article le shortened to l’ before a vowel. Here it means “the point” in the sense of the point being supported; in other contexts, argument can mean “argument” or “reason.” l’explication is the feminine noun explication with la shortened to l’ before a vowel. It means “the explanation” here. The article’s gender is determined by the noun: une explication is feminine, while un argument is masculine. a besoin de is the reusable construction avoir besoin de, literally expressing that someone or something has a need for something. a is the present-tense third-person singular form of avoir, agreeing with l’explication. Example: Le rapport a besoin de détails. — “The report needs details.” plus de means “more” before a noun. The de belongs to this quantity construction: plus de contexte means “more context.” Example: Nous avons besoin de plus de temps. — “We need more time.” contexte is the masculine noun meaning “context.” With plus de, it appears without an article: plus de contexte. Example: Le contexte est important. — “The context is important.” The sentence first states that Les chiffres appuient l’argument: the figures support the point. mais then introduces a contrast, and l’explication a besoin de plus de contexte says that the explanation needs more context. Together: “The figures support the point, but the explanation needs more context.”

7. Je mentionnerai les hypothèses qui sous-tendent chaque projection.

   I'll mention the assumptions behind each projection.

   mentionnerai

   will mention

   hypothèses

   assumptions

   sous-tendent

   underlie

   chaque

   each

   projection

   projection

   More detail

   mentionnerai is the first-person singular future of mentionner (“to mention”): je mentionnerai = “I will mention.” The ending -ai here marks the future with je; it is not the present form. Example: Je mentionnerai ce point demain. — “I will mention this point tomorrow.” hypothèses is the plural of hypothèse, “assumption” or “hypothesis.” In this sentence, the fixed translation selects “assumptions.” The final -s marks the plural in writing; the singular is hypothèse. sous-tendent comes from sous-tendre, “to underlie” or “to support.” Here it is in the present tense, third-person plural, agreeing with les hypothèses: the assumptions underlie something. The form is not derived from the nearby noun; sous-tendent is the inflected verb. Example: Ces principes sous-tendent la méthode. — “These principles underlie the method.” chaque means “each” and introduces a singular noun: chaque projection means “each projection.” Unlike a plural determiner such as toutes les, chaque presents the items one by one. projection is the singular noun “projection” here. Its plural is projections; after chaque, the singular form is required. Example: Chaque projection présente un résultat différent. — “Each projection presents a different result.” Together, Je mentionnerai les hypothèses means “I will mention the assumptions.” The clause qui sous-tendent chaque projection specifies which assumptions: they are the assumptions that underlie each projection. The whole utterance therefore means, “I’ll mention the assumptions behind each projection.”

8. Cela aidera les personnes qui ont manqué la discussion précédente.

   That will help listeners who missed the earlier discussion.

   Cela

   That

   aidera

   will help

   personnes

   people

   qui

   who

   manqué

   missed

   discussion

   discussion

   précédente

   earlier

   More detail

   Cela is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that” here. It is the subject of the sentence and points to an already identifiable situation or thing without naming it again; the supplied translation confirms this “that” reading. aidera comes from aider (“to help”). It is the third-person singular future form: aider → il/elle/on aidera. The future ending shows that the help is expected later. Example: Cette note aidera les lecteurs. — “This note will help the readers.” personnes is the plural noun “people” or “persons.” The preceding les makes the group definite in this sentence. In the supplied translation, these people are understood as listeners. Example: Les personnes arrivent. — “The people are arriving.” qui is a relative pronoun meaning “who” here. It introduces information about les personnes and functions as the subject of the following verb. In les personnes qui ont manqué..., the people are the ones who missed something. manqué comes from manquer (“to miss” in this construction). It is the past participle in the compound past construction ont manqué: ont is the third-person plural form of avoir, and manqué does not show that plural marking itself. Here, manquer means failing to attend or hear the discussion, not merely lacking an object. Example: Ils ont manqué le début. — “They missed the beginning.” discussion is the feminine noun “discussion.” With la in the full phrase la discussion, it is the object of ont manqué: the people missed the discussion. précédente is the feminine singular form of the adjective précédent, meaning “previous” or “earlier.” It agrees with the feminine singular noun discussion; the noun is not the adjective’s base form. A masculine singular noun takes précédent, while a feminine singular noun takes précédente. Example: la réunion précédente — “the previous meeting.” Together, Cela aidera means “That will help.” The definite group les personnes is narrowed by the relative clause qui ont manqué la discussion précédente: they are the listeners who missed the earlier discussion. The complete meaning is: “That will help listeners who missed the earlier discussion.”

9. Une courte note avant les projections devrait suffire.

   A short note before the projections should cover it.

   courte

   short

   note

   note

   avant

   before

   projections

   projections

   devrait

   should

   suffire

   be enough

   More detail

   courte means “short” here. It is the feminine singular form of court, agreeing with the feminine singular noun note: un court message but une courte note. The final -e marks this agreement; it is the adjective, not the noun, that changes form. note means “note” or “brief written message” here. Its plural is notes. Example: J’écris une note. — “I am writing a note.” avant introduces something that comes earlier in time or order: avant le départ — “before the departure.” In this sentence, avant les projections is a prepositional phrase specifying when or in relation to what the note comes. projections means “projections” here. It is the plural of projection; the plural marker is written -s, which is generally not pronounced in this form. With the definite plural article, les projections means “the projections,” referring to projections identified in the situation rather than asserting a number. devrait means “should” here. It is the third-person singular conditional form of devoir, used with the singular subject une courte note. The conditional presents the sufficiency as an expectation or likely result, rather than as a direct command. Compare doit suffire — “must be enough” — with devrait suffire — “should be enough.” suffire means “to be enough” or “to suffice.” It is an infinitive after devrait: devrait suffire is a reusable pattern meaning “should be enough.” The subject of suffire is still une courte note; French does not require a separate pronoun here. Example: Une explication devrait suffire. — “An explanation should be enough.” Together, Une courte note means “a short note.” avant les projections places that note before the projections, and devrait suffire says that it is expected to be enough for the purpose established by the context. Thus the whole utterance means: “A short note before the projections should cover it.”