Clarifying Priorities with a Dependency Map | Learn French in English

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Use Clarifying Priorities with a Dependency Map to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

La discussion est devenue tendue quand les gens ont commencé à classer les priorités de chacun.

lah dees-koo-SYOHN eh duh-vuh-NEW tahn-DYOO kahn lay zhahn ohn koh-mahn-SAY ah klah-SAY lay pree-yoh-ree-TAY duh shah-KAN. The discussion got tense once people started ranking everyone's priorities.

On aurait dit que certaines équipes avaient l'impression que leur travail était relégué au second plan.

ohn oh-RAY dee kuh sehr-TEN ay-KEEP ah-VAY lahm-preh-SYOHN kuh luhr trah-VAI eh-TAY ruh-LAY-gay oh suh-GOHN plahn. It sounded like some teams felt their work was being pushed aside.

Cela peut nuire à la confiance, même si personne ne le voulait.

suh-LAH puh nw-EER ah lah kohn-FYAHNS, mem see pair-SOHN nuh luh voo-LAY. That can hurt trust, even if nobody meant it that way.

Nous devrions peut-être distinguer les dépendances de l'importance avant la prochaine réunion.

noo duh-vree-YOHN puh-TETR dees-tan-GAY lay day-pahn-DAHNS duh lam-por-TAHNS ah-VAHN lah proh-SHEN ray-oo-NYOHN. Maybe we should separate dependencies from importance before the next meeting.

Certaines tâches doivent être réalisées en premier.

sehr-TEN TAHSH dwahv EH-truh ray-ah-lee-ZAY ahn pruh-MYAY. Some tasks need to happen first.

Mais cela ne leur donne pas plus de valeur.

may suh-LAH nuh luhr DON pah ploo duh vah-LUHR. But that does not make them more valuable.

Je peux préparer une carte des dépendances avant notre prochaine réunion.

zhuh puh pray-pah-RAY ewn kart day day-pahn-DAHNS ah-VAHN nohtr proh-SHEN ray-oo-NYOHN. I can put together a dependency map before we meet again.

Cela devrait permettre de garder la discussion concrète plutôt que personnelle.

suh-LAH duh-VRAY pair-METR duh gar-DAY lah dees-koo-SYOHN kohn-KRET ploo-TOH kuh pair-soh-NEL. That should keep the discussion concrete instead of personal.

Ainsi, les gens pourront fonder la discussion sur les mêmes informations, et pas seulement sur leurs frustrations.

an-SEE lay zhahn poor-OHN fohn-DAY lah dees-koo-SYOHN soor lay mem zahn-for-mah-SYOHN, ay pah sayl-MAHN soor luhr froos-trah-SYOHN. Then people can base the discussion on the same information, not just their frustrations.

Word by Word

La “La” means “the” here and introduces the singular feminine noun “discussion”. It is used before a specific discussion, such as one taking place at work.

discussion “discussion” means “discussion” and refers here to the workplace conversation about priorities. It can be used for a formal exchange of views or for a more general conversation.

est In “est devenue”, “est” helps express that the discussion became tense. It is used together with “devenue” to describe this change.

devenue “devenue” means “became” in “La discussion est devenue tendue”. Its form matches the feminine noun “discussion”. This pattern describes a situation changing into a new state.

tendue “tendue” means “tense” and describes the atmosphere of the discussion. Its feminine form matches “discussion”. It is useful when describing an interaction that has become uncomfortable or strained.

quand “quand” means “when” and introduces the point at which the discussion became tense. It commonly connects an event with the time or situation that triggered it.

les “les” means “the” before the plural noun “gens”. It introduces a specific group of people in the discussion.

gens “gens” means “people” and refers to the participants who began ranking priorities. It is commonly used for people considered as a group.

ont In “ont commencé”, “ont” helps express that the people started an action. The plural subject is “les gens”.

commencé “commencé” means “started” in “ont commencé à classer”. With “à” and an action, it shows that the people began doing something. This is a common way to describe the start of an activity.

à In “commencé à classer”, “à” links “commencé” to the action that began. The pattern describes starting to do something.

classer “classer” means “rank” here: the people were arranging the priorities in an order. It can be used with an object that is being arranged or categorized.

priorités “priorités” means “priorities” and refers to the matters each person considers most important. In “classer les priorités de chacun”, it is the object being ranked.

de In “les priorités de chacun”, “de” links the priorities to the people they belong to. It commonly introduces a relationship of belonging or association.

chacun “chacun” means “each person” or “everyone considered individually” in “de chacun”. It shows that the priorities belong separately to the different people.

On “On” refers generally to people or gives an impersonal viewpoint in “On aurait dit”. Here it makes the observation sound less direct and more like an impression.

aurait In “On aurait dit”, “aurait” contributes to a cautious or indirect impression: it sounded or seemed that way. This expression is useful when reporting an interpretation rather than stating an observation with complete certainty.

dit In “On aurait dit que”, “dit” contributes to the expression meaning “it sounded like” or “it seemed”. The expression introduces an impression about what the teams felt.

que “que” means “that” and introduces the content of the impression in “On aurait dit que certaines équipes...”. It commonly connects an observation or opinion to the situation being described.

certaines “certaines” means “some” or “certain ones” and refers to particular teams rather than all teams. Its feminine plural form matches “équipes”.

équipes “équipes” means “teams” and refers to groups whose work may have felt overlooked. It is used here as the subject of what follows.

avaient In “avaient l’impression”, “avaient” means “had” and expresses that the teams felt or held an impression. The pattern describes someone’s perception of a situation.

l'impression “l’impression” means “the impression” in “avaient l’impression que”, an expression meaning “had the feeling that”. It is commonly followed by “que” and a statement describing the perceived situation.

leur “leur” means “their” before “travail” and shows that the work belongs to the teams. It is used before a singular noun here.

travail “travail” means “work” and refers to what the teams were doing. In “leur travail”, it identifies the work associated with those teams.

était In “était relégué”, “était” helps describe the work as being placed in a lower-priority position. It connects the work with the state expressed by “relégué”.

relégué “relégué” means “pushed aside” or “relegated” in “était relégué au second plan”. It describes work treated as less important or given less attention. This wording is useful when something is moved away from the main focus.

au In “au second plan”, “au” means “to the” or “in the” as part of the expression describing a background position. It introduces “second plan” in the phrase meaning “in the background” or “of secondary importance”.

second “second” means “second” in “au second plan”. Together with “plan”, it describes a position behind the main focus rather than a second item in a sequence.

plan In “au second plan”, “plan” means “background” or “level of attention”, not a plan for an action. The expression describes something treated as less prominent.

Cela “Cela” means “that” or “this” and refers to the situation just described. It allows the speaker to comment on the consequences of that situation.

peut “peut” means “can” or “may” in “peut nuire”. It expresses the possibility that the situation could harm trust. It is commonly followed by an infinitive describing the possible action.

nuire “nuire” means “harm” or “undermine” in “nuire à la confiance”. It is used with “à” before the person or thing affected.

confiance “confiance” means “trust” in “nuire à la confiance”. It refers here to confidence between colleagues or teams. It is useful when discussing the quality of a working relationship.

même “même” means “even” and adds emphasis to the concession in “même si personne ne le voulait”. It highlights that the consequence can occur despite the absence of harmful intent.

si “si” means “if” and introduces the condition or concession in “même si personne ne le voulait”. With “même”, it means “even if” and acknowledges an exception to the main point.

personne “personne” means “nobody” or “no one” in “personne ne le voulait”. It identifies the people who did not intend the result. In this negative context, it works with the verb negation.

ne “ne” marks the negation in “personne ne le voulait”. With “personne” as the negative subject, it shows that nobody wanted the situation in question.

le “le” means “it” or “that” as the object of “voulait” in “personne ne le voulait”. It refers back to the way the situation affected the teams, so the object does not need to be repeated.

voulait “voulait” means “wanted” and, in “personne ne le voulait”, expresses that nobody intended the result. In this context, it is close to “meant it” rather than expressing a simple desire.

Nous “Nous” means “we” and identifies the speakers and their colleagues as the group considering a solution. It is used when making a shared proposal.

devrions “devrions” means “should” or “ought to” and presents a recommendation in “Nous devrions peut-être...”. It is useful for suggesting a sensible action without making it sound like a strict order.

peut-être “peut-être” means “maybe” or “perhaps” and softens the proposal. The components “peut” and “être” combine here to express possibility rather than certainty. It is useful when offering an idea for consideration.

distinguer “distinguer” means “distinguish” or “separate” in “distinguer les dépendances de l’importance”. It presents two ideas as different things that should not be confused. A common reuse pattern is to distinguish one thing from another.

dépendances “dépendances” means “dependencies” and refers to tasks or conditions that determine what needs to happen first. It is one of the two concepts being separated from importance.

d'importance “d’importance” means “of importance” in “distinguer les dépendances de l’importance”. It identifies importance as a separate criterion from task dependency. This wording is useful when comparing two different ways of evaluating work.

avant “avant” means “before” and places the proposed separation earlier than the next meeting. It commonly comes before a noun phrase naming a future event.

prochaine “prochaine” means “next” or “upcoming” and describes the meeting that will follow. Its feminine singular form matches “réunion”.

réunion “réunion” means “meeting” and refers to the next workplace discussion. It can be used for a planned gathering where people discuss an issue together.

tâches “tâches” means “tasks” and refers to the pieces of work whose order is being considered. The plural form reflects multiple items that may depend on one another.

doivent “doivent” means “must” or “need to” and expresses necessity in “doivent être réalisées”. The subject is “certaines tâches”, so the form is plural.

être In “doivent être réalisées”, “être” means “be” and helps describe the tasks as being carried out. It follows “doivent” as part of the expression of necessary action.

réalisées “réalisées” means “carried out” or “completed” in “être réalisées”. Its feminine plural form matches “tâches”. It is useful for describing tasks that need to be completed.

en In “en premier”, “en” is part of the expression meaning “first”. Together with “premier”, it indicates the required order of the tasks.

premier In “en premier”, “premier” means “first” and identifies the position a task must occupy in the sequence. This expression is useful when explaining what should happen before other actions.

Mais “Mais” means “but” and introduces a qualification to the idea that some tasks must happen first. It signals that sequence does not automatically determine value.

donne “donne” means “gives” in the statement about giving something more value. Here it describes assigning or attributing value, not physically handing something over.

pas “pas” completes the negation around “donne” in the statement that being first does not give a task more value. It is used to reject the result expressed by the verb.

plus “plus” means “more” in “plus de valeur”. It refers to a greater amount of value, while the surrounding negation says that this greater value does not follow.

valeur “valeur” means “value” and refers to how worthwhile or important the tasks are considered. In “plus de valeur”, it is measured separately from the order in which tasks must happen.

Je “Je” means “I” and identifies the speaker who offers to prepare the dependency map. It is used when taking responsibility for an action.

peux “peux” means “can” and expresses the speaker’s ability or willingness to prepare the map. It is commonly followed by an infinitive describing the offered action.

préparer “préparer” means “prepare” or “put together” and refers to creating the dependency map before the next meeting. It can be used with a document, plan, or other organized material.

une “une” means “a” or “one” before the feminine singular noun “carte”. It introduces one dependency map that the speaker can prepare.

carte “carte” means “map” in “une carte des dépendances”. Here it refers to an organized representation of how the tasks relate to one another, not necessarily a geographical map.

des In “carte des dépendances”, “des” means “of the” and links the map to the dependencies it represents. It introduces the plural noun “dépendances” as the content of the map.

notre “notre” means “our” and describes the next meeting as shared by the speakers and their colleagues. It is used before the singular noun “réunion”.

devrait “devrait” means “should” and expresses an expected result in “Cela devrait permettre...”. It presents the outcome as likely rather than guaranteed.

permettre “permettre” means “allow” or “enable” in “devrait permettre de garder”. It introduces the result that the proposed map is expected to make possible. It commonly links an action to a following infinitive.

garder “garder” means “keep” or “maintain” in “garder la discussion concrète”. It describes maintaining the discussion in a particular state. This pattern can be used when an action helps something remain a certain way.

concrète “concrète” means “concrete” or “practical” and describes a discussion focused on observable dependencies and information. Its feminine form matches “discussion”.

plutôt In “plutôt que personnelle”, “plutôt” means “rather” or “instead”. Together with “que”, it contrasts a concrete discussion with a personal one.

personnelle “personnelle” means “personal” and describes a discussion based on individual feelings or conflicts rather than the work itself. Its feminine form matches “discussion”.

Ainsi “Ainsi” means “thus” or “in this way” and connects the dependency map to its expected effect on the discussion. It is useful for introducing a result or consequence.

pourront “pourront” means “will be able to” and expresses the participants’ future ability to base the discussion on shared information. It is used here for the expected result of the proposed preparation.

fonder “fonder” means “base” or “ground” in “fonder la discussion sur les mêmes informations”. It describes using information as the foundation for a discussion. The common pattern places the discussion before “sur” and the supporting basis after it.

sur In “fonder la discussion sur les mêmes informations”, “sur” means “on” or “based on”. It introduces the information that supports the discussion.

mêmes “mêmes” means “same” and emphasizes that everyone should use identical information. Its plural form matches “informations”.

informations “informations” means “information” and refers to the shared facts or material on which the discussion should rest. It is used here as the basis of the discussion.

et “et” means “and” and connects the shared information with the contrasting point about frustrations. It joins two parts of the speaker’s explanation.

seulement “seulement” means “only” or “just” in “pas seulement”. It limits the role of frustrations by saying they should not be the sole basis of the discussion.

leurs “leurs” means “their” before the plural noun “frustrations”. It shows that the frustrations belong to the people involved in the discussion.

frustrations “frustrations” means “frustrations” and refers to the participants’ personal feelings of dissatisfaction. Here it is contrasted with using the same information as the basis for discussion.

Grammar Points

être + participe passé

Le travail est relégué au second plan.

luh trah-VAI eh ruh-LAY-gay oh suh-GOHN plahn.

The work is relegated to the background.

French passive voice uses être followed by a past participle. The participle agrees with the subject.

tâches réalisées

Les tâches réalisées en premier ont de la valeur.

lay TAHSH ray-ah-lee-ZAY ahn pruh-MYAY ohn duh lah vah-LUHR.

The tasks completed first have value.

The past participle used as an adjective agrees with the feminine plural noun: réalisées.

French Vocabulary

chacun pron

shah-KAN each person; everyone

les priorités de chacun

classer verb

klah-SAY to rank; to sort

Les gens ont commencé à classer les priorités.

confiance noun

kohn-FYAHNS trust

nuire à la confiance

dépendances noun

day-pahn-DAHNS dependencies

les dépendances

discussion noun

dees-koo-SYOHN discussion

La discussion est devenue tendue.

distinguer verb

dees-tan-GAY to distinguish; to separate

distinguer les dépendances de l'importance

importance noun

an-por-TAHNS importance

de l'importance

nuire verb

nw-EER to harm; to damage

Cela peut nuire à la confiance.

priorités noun

pree-yoh-ree-TAY priorities

classer les priorités de chacun

relégué au second plan phrase

ruh-LAY-gay oh suh-GOHN plahn relegated to the background; pushed aside

leur travail était relégué au second plan

tendue adj

tahn-DYOO tense

La discussion est devenue tendue.

travail noun

trah-VAI work

leur travail

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

work

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travail

to harm; to damage

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nuire

to rank; to sort

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classer

discussion

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discussion