Reducing unnecessary video meetings | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: In a remote work discussion, two adults decide when video meetings are needed and when written updates can replace them..

EN → FR / Level: B2

About This Lesson

Use Reducing unnecessary video meetings to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Je veux réduire autant que possible les visioconférences inutiles.

zhuh vuh ray-DWEER oh-TAHN kuh poh-SEE-bluh lay vee-zee-oh-kohn-fay-RAHNS ee-noo-TEEL I want to reduce unnecessary video meetings where possible.
B

Je comprends, même si, pour certaines discussions, il est utile de voir les réactions des participants.

zhuh kohm-PRAHN, mem SEE, poor sair-TEHN dee-skoo-SYOHN, eel ay oo-TEEL duh vwar lay ray-ak-SYOHN day par-tee-see-PAHN I understand, though some discussions benefit from visible reactions.
A

Les décisions complexes méritent une discussion en direct, mais ce n'est souvent pas le cas pour les mises à jour.

lay day-see-ZYOHN kohm-PLEX may-REET ahn dee-REKT, may suh nay soo-VAHN pah luh kah pooR lay meez ah ZHOOR Complex decisions deserve live discussion, but updates often do not.
B

Alors, nous devrions séparer les réunions de prise de décision du partage d'informations.

ah-LOR, noo duh-VRYOHN say-pah-RAY lay ray-oo-NYOHN duh preez duh day-see-ZYOHN doo par-TAHZH dan-for-mah-SYOHN Then we should separate decision meetings from information sharing.
A

Les mises à jour écrites permettraient aux gens de répondre de manière plus réfléchie.

lay meez ah ZHOOR ay-KREET pair-met-TRAY oh ZHAN duh ray-POHNDR duh mah-NYAIR ploo ray-flay-SHEE Written updates would let people respond more thoughtfully.
B

Elles laissent aussi une trace, ce qui sera utile plus tard.

el lay-SAY oon TRACE oh-SEE, suh kee suh-RAH oo-TEEL ploo TAR They also create records, which is useful later.
A

Pourrions-nous mettre cette approche à l'essai avec une réunion récurrente ?

poo-ree-YOHN noo MET-truh set ah-PROSH ah lay-SAY avek oon ray-oo-NYOHN ray-koo-RAHNT Could we pilot that approach with a recurring meeting?
B

Nous pouvons la tester et comparer la qualité des résultats.

noo poo-VOHN lah tes-TAY ay kohm-pah-RAY lah kah-lee-TAY day ray-zool-TAH We can test it and compare the quality of outcomes.

Word by Word

Je 'Je' means 'I' and identifies the speaker as the subject in 'Je veux' and 'Je comprends'. It is used before the verb when stating one's own intention or understanding.
veux 'veux' means 'want' in 'Je veux réduire'. It is the form of 'vouloir' used with 'Je'; a useful pattern is 'Je veux' followed by an infinitive.
réduire 'réduire' means 'to reduce' in 'Je veux réduire'. It follows 'veux' as the action the speaker wants to carry out; reuse 'réduire' with a quantity, cost, or activity.
autant 'autant' contributes the meaning 'as much' in 'autant que possible'. Together with 'que possible', the expression means 'as much as possible'. It is useful for stating the maximum degree intended.
que 'que' links 'autant' and 'possible' in 'autant que possible'. The whole expression means 'as much as possible', rather than 'que' carrying that meaning by itself.
possible 'possible' means 'possible' in 'autant que possible'. It completes the expression 'autant que possible', which can follow an action to indicate the greatest feasible degree.
les 'les' means 'the' before plural nouns in 'les visioconférences', 'les réactions', and 'les mises à jour'. It identifies a plural group already understood in the discussion.
visioconférences 'visioconférences' means 'video meetings' in 'les visioconférences inutiles'. It is the plural form related to 'visioconférence'; it can be used with 'réduire' when discussing a reduction in video meetings.
inutiles 'inutiles' means 'unnecessary' and describes 'les visioconférences' in 'les visioconférences inutiles'. It is the plural form related to 'inutile' and can follow a plural noun to identify activities that are not needed.
comprends 'comprends' means 'understand' in 'Je comprends'. It is the form of 'comprendre' used with 'Je'; it is useful for acknowledging another person's point before adding a qualification.
même 'même' contributes the meaning 'even' in 'même si'. Together with 'si', the expression means 'even though' and introduces a qualification to the preceding statement.
si 'si' helps form the conjunction 'même si' in 'même si, pour certaines discussions'. With 'même', the whole expression means 'even though'; 'si' alone is not the complete meaning here.
pour 'pour' means 'for' in 'pour certaines discussions'. It marks the discussions for which the following point is useful; reuse it before a person, group, or situation being considered.
certaines 'certaines' means 'some' in 'certaines discussions'. It is the feminine plural form related to 'certain' and comes before the plural noun it limits.
discussions 'discussions' means 'discussions' in 'certaines discussions'. It is the plural form related to 'discussion' and refers here to particular conversations or exchanges.
il 'il' is the impersonal subject in 'il est utile de voir'. It does not refer to a particular person; the construction evaluates the usefulness of the action that follows.
est 'est' means 'is' in 'il est utile'. It is the form of 'être' used in the impersonal expression 'il est utile de voir', which states that an action is useful.
utile 'utile' means 'useful' in 'il est utile de voir'. It describes the action introduced by 'de voir'; reuse 'il est utile de' before an action that has practical value.
de 'de' introduces the infinitive in 'de voir' after 'il est utile'. The construction 'il est utile de' means that doing the following action is useful.
voir 'voir' means 'to see' in 'de voir les réactions des participants'. It is an infinitive after 'de' and takes 'les réactions' as what is seen.
réactions 'réactions' means 'reactions' in 'les réactions des participants'. It is the plural form related to 'réaction' and refers here to visible responses during a discussion.
des 'des' means 'of the' in 'des participants'. Here it links the reactions to the participants and results from the combination of 'de' and 'les'.
participants 'participants' means 'participants' in 'les réactions des participants'. It is the plural form related to 'participant' and identifies the people whose reactions are being observed.
décisions 'décisions' means 'decisions' in 'Les décisions complexes'. It is the plural form related to 'décision' and refers to choices or conclusions that a group must make.
complexes 'complexes' means 'complex' in 'Les décisions complexes'. It is the plural form related to 'complexe' and describes decisions that require more than a simple exchange.
méritent 'méritent' means 'deserve' in 'Les décisions complexes méritent'. It is the form of 'mériter' used with the plural subject 'Les décisions complexes'; reuse it before something considered appropriate for a situation.
une 'une' means 'a' or 'one' before the feminine noun 'discussion' in 'une discussion en direct'. It introduces one live discussion as the appropriate setting for complex decisions.
discussion 'discussion' means 'discussion' in 'une discussion en direct'. The singular form refers to one exchange, and 'discussion en direct' is a useful pattern for a live discussion.
en 'en' contributes the meaning 'in' in 'en direct'. Together with 'direct', it forms the expression 'en direct', meaning that something happens live rather than only through a later written update.
direct 'direct' completes 'en direct', which means 'live' in 'une discussion en direct'. The expression is useful for describing a live broadcast, exchange, or event.
mais 'mais' means 'but' in 'mais ce n'est souvent pas le cas'. It contrasts live discussions for complex decisions with updates that often do not need them.
ce 'ce' means 'this' or 'that' in 'ce n'est souvent pas le cas'. It refers back to the situation just mentioned and introduces the statement about whether it is the case.
n'est 'n'est' means 'is not' as part of 'ce n'est souvent pas le cas'. It combines the negative element with the form of 'être'; the complete negation is expressed with 'pas' later in the sentence.
souvent 'souvent' means 'often' in 'ce n'est souvent pas le cas'. It indicates that the statement applies frequently, though not necessarily every time.
pas 'pas' completes the negation in 'ce n'est souvent pas le cas'. It helps say that the situation is often not the case; reuse it with the negative structure around a conjugated verb.
le 'le' means 'the' in 'le cas'. It introduces the noun in the fixed expression 'être le cas', used to say whether a situation applies.
cas 'cas' means 'case' in 'ce n'est souvent pas le cas'. Together, 'être le cas' means that a described situation applies; here it refers to needing a live discussion.
mises à jour 'mises à jour' means 'updates' in 'pour les mises à jour'. Together, 'mises', 'à', and 'jour' form this expression; it refers to written information about what has changed. It is a useful phrase for regular project or status updates.
Alors 'Alors' means 'then' in 'Alors, nous devrions'. It introduces a conclusion or proposal based on the preceding point; it is useful when moving from reasoning to a suggested action.
nous 'nous' means 'we' in 'nous devrions séparer'. It identifies the speakers together as the people responsible for the proposed action.
devrions 'devrions' means 'should' in 'nous devrions séparer'. It is the form of 'devoir' used with 'nous' to present a recommendation; reuse 'nous devrions' before an infinitive.
séparer 'séparer' means 'to separate' in 'séparer les réunions de prise de décision du partage d'informations'. It follows 'devrions' and takes two things to be distinguished, commonly in the pattern 'séparer A de B'.
réunions 'réunions' means 'meetings' in 'les réunions de prise de décision'. It is the plural form related to 'réunion' and identifies the meetings being classified.
prise 'prise' contributes the noun meaning 'taking' or 'making' in 'prise de décision'. Together with 'de décision', it forms the expression for decision-making meetings. It is the feminine form related to 'prise' as a noun from 'prendre'.
décision 'décision' means 'decision' in 'prise de décision'. In this construction it identifies what is being made; reuse 'prise de décision' when referring to the process of making decisions.
du 'du' means 'of the' in 'du partage d'informations'. It is the contracted form of 'de le' and links the meetings to the activity of information sharing.
partage 'partage' means 'sharing' in 'du partage d'informations'. It names the activity connected with 'd'informations'; reuse it before something that is being shared.
d'informations 'd'informations' means 'of information' in 'du partage d'informations'. It specifies what is being shared, and the apostrophe joins 'de' to 'informations' before a vowel sound.
écrites 'écrites' means 'written' in 'les mises à jour écrites'. It describes the updates as being in written form; it is related to the verb 'écrire' and agrees with the plural feminine expression it modifies.
permettraient 'permettraient' means 'would allow' in 'Les mises à jour écrites permettraient'. It is the form of 'permettre' used with the plural subject 'Les mises à jour écrites'; reuse 'permettre à quelqu'un de' before an action.
aux 'aux' means 'to the' in 'aux gens'. It is the contracted form of 'à les' and marks the people who would be enabled to respond.
gens 'gens' means 'people' in 'aux gens de répondre'. It identifies the people receiving the opportunity to respond; the reusable construction is 'permettre aux gens de' followed by an infinitive.
répondre 'répondre' means 'to respond' in 'aux gens de répondre'. It is the infinitive introduced by 'de' after 'permettre à'; it can be used for replying to a message, question, or proposal.
manière 'manière' means 'way' or 'manner' in 'de manière plus réfléchie'. Together with the following words, it describes how people would respond; reuse 'de manière' before an adjective describing the manner of an action.
plus 'plus' means 'more' in 'plus réfléchie' and contributes to the meaning 'later' in 'plus tard'. In the first expression it increases the degree of thoughtfulness; in the second, the whole phrase means 'later'.
réfléchie 'réfléchie' means 'thoughtful' in 'de manière plus réfléchie'. It describes the manner of responding as involving more consideration; the phrase is useful when contrasting a considered response with a rushed one.
Elles 'Elles' means 'they' in 'Elles laissent aussi une trace'. It refers back to the feminine plural 'mises à jour écrites' and serves as the subject of the next sentence.
laissent 'laissent' means 'leave' and, in 'Elles laissent aussi une trace', conveys the idea of creating a record. It is the form of 'laisser' used with 'Elles'; reuse it before something that remains after an action.
aussi 'aussi' means 'also' in 'Elles laissent aussi une trace'. It adds another benefit of written updates to the benefit already mentioned.
trace 'trace' means 'record' or 'trace' in 'laisser une trace'. Together, 'laisser une trace' means to leave something that can be consulted later; it is useful for describing documentation or evidence that remains.
sera 'sera' means 'will be' in 'ce qui sera utile'. It is the future form of 'être' used to predict a later usefulness; reuse 'sera utile' when saying that something will be useful.
tard 'tard' contributes to the meaning 'later' in 'plus tard'. The whole expression refers to a future time, as when a written record is consulted after the discussion.
Pourrions-nous 'Pourrions-nous' means 'could we' in 'Pourrions-nous mettre cette approche à l'essai'. It is a polite proposal formed from 'pouvoir' with inversion; reuse it before an infinitive when suggesting a possible action.
mettre à l'essai 'mettre à l'essai' means 'to put to the test' or 'to pilot'. Within the expression, 'mettre' means 'put', 'à' links the action to the test, and 'l'essai' means 'the test'; together they describe trying an approach in practice. It is useful for proposing a limited trial before wider adoption.
cette 'cette' means 'this' before the feminine noun 'approche' in 'cette approche'. It points to the approach just proposed and can introduce a specific idea under discussion.
approche 'approche' means 'approach' in 'cette approche'. It refers to the proposed method of replacing some meetings with written updates; reuse it for a method or way of handling a problem.
avec 'avec' means 'with' in 'avec une réunion récurrente'. It introduces the setting or means used for the pilot, here one recurring meeting.
récurrente 'récurrente' means 'recurring' in 'une réunion récurrente'. It describes a meeting that happens repeatedly; it is the feminine form related to 'récurrent' and follows the noun it modifies here.
pouvons 'pouvons' means 'can' in 'Nous pouvons la tester'. It is the form of 'pouvoir' used with 'Nous' to express ability or a feasible plan; reuse 'nous pouvons' before an infinitive.
la 'la' means 'it' in 'la tester' and refers to 'cette approche'. It is placed before the infinitive because the approach is the object being tested.
tester 'tester' means 'to test' in 'la tester'. It follows 'pouvons' and takes 'la' as its object; reuse 'tester une approche' when evaluating a method in practice.
et 'et' means 'and' in 'la tester et comparer'. It links two actions in the same plan: testing the approach and comparing the results.
comparer 'comparer' means 'to compare' in 'comparer la qualité des résultats'. It is coordinated with 'tester' after 'pouvons'; reuse 'comparer A et B' when evaluating two or more things.
qualité 'qualité' means 'quality' in 'la qualité des résultats'. It identifies the characteristic being assessed; reuse 'la qualité de' before the thing whose standard or value is being evaluated.
résultats 'résultats' means 'outcomes' or 'results' in 'la qualité des résultats'. It is the plural form related to 'résultat' and refers to what comes from testing the approach.

Grammar Points

même si + indicatif

Même si la discussion est complexe, la visioconférence est utile.

mem SEE lah dee-skoo-SYOHN ay kohm-PLEX, lah vee-zee-oh-kohn-fay-RAHNS ay oo-TEEL

Even if the discussion is complex, the video conference is useful.

même si introduces a condition or concession and is followed by a verb in the indicative.

permettraient de + infinitif

Ces mises à jour permettraient de réduire les réunions.

say meez ah ZHOOR pair-met-TRAY duh ray-DWEER lay ray-oo-NYOHN

These updates would make it possible to reduce meetings.

The conditional expresses a possible result; permettraient agrees with the plural subject ces mises à jour.

French Vocabulary

autant que possible phrase
oh-TAHN kuh poh-SEE-bluh as much as possible

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comprendre verb
kohm-PRAHNDR to understand comprends

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décision noun
day-see-ZYOHN decision décisions

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discussion noun
dee-skoo-SYOHN discussion discussions

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inutile adj
ee-noo-TEEL unnecessary inutiles

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même si conj
mem SEE although; even if

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participant noun
par-tee-see-PAHN participant participants

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réaction noun
ray-ak-SYOHN reaction réactions

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réduire verb
ray-DWEER to reduce

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utile adj
oo-TEEL useful

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visioconférence noun
vee-zee-oh-kohn-fay-RAHNS video conference visioconférences

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voir verb
vwar to see

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Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

useful

Show Answerutile

to reduce

Show Answerréduire

to understand

Show Answercomprends

to see

Show Answervoir