Demander des jours de congé
Asking for time off · a free French immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Je voudrais prendre quelques jours de congé la semaine prochaine, si cela vous convient.
I would like to take a few days off next week, if that suits you.
Literal I would want to take some days of leave next week, if that to-you suits.
A polite, formal way to open a leave request using the conditional mood. 'Si cela vous convient' softens the ask by acknowledging the other person's schedule.
- 'Je voudrais' is the conditional of 'vouloir' — softer and more polite than 'je veux' (I want).
- 'Si cela vous convient' (if that suits you) is a classic politeness formula added to formal requests.
Pourriez-vous couvrir mes responsabilités pendant mon absence ?
Could you cover my responsibilities during my absence?
Literal Could-you cover my responsibilities during my absence?
A respectful request to a colleague using inverted conditional form. The inversion 'pourriez-vous' marks a more formal register than 'est-ce que vous pourriez'.
- 'Pourriez-vous' is the conditional of 'pouvoir' in second-person plural — very polite and formal.
- Subject-verb inversion in a question (pourriez-vous) is characteristic of careful, professional French.
J'ai un rendez-vous médical jeudi matin et je dois m'absenter une demi-journée.
I have a medical appointment Thursday morning and I need to be away for half a day.
Literal I-have an appointment medical Thursday morning and I must myself-absent a half-day.
'S'absenter' is the reflexive verb for being absent or stepping away. 'Je dois + infinitive' expresses a firm necessity.
- 'Devoir + infinitive' (je dois m'absenter) conveys obligation or necessity.
- 'S'absenter' is reflexive — the pronoun changes with subject: je m'absente, tu t'absentes, il s'absente.
Je sais que la période est chargée, mais je pourrais rattraper mon travail avant de partir.
I know the period is busy, but I could catch up on my work before leaving.
Literal I know that the period is loaded, but I could catch-back-up my work before to leave.
Acknowledging workplace pressures while reassuring your manager. 'Je pourrais' softens the statement and signals initiative.
- 'Je pourrais' is the conditional of 'pouvoir', used here to express a polite possibility or offer.
- 'Avant de + infinitive' means 'before doing something' — a fixed and very common time expression.
Il faudrait que je prenne deux semaines en août pour des raisons familiales.
I would need to take two weeks in August for family reasons.
Literal It would-be-necessary that I take two weeks in August for reasons family.
Uses the subjunctive after 'il faudrait que', which is required whenever this impersonal necessity expression appears.
- 'Il faudrait que' (it would be necessary that) always triggers the subjunctive mood in the following clause.
- 'Prenne' is the irregular present subjunctive of 'prendre' — one of the most important subjunctive forms to memorize.
Je suis désolé de vous prévenir si tard, car j'ai eu un imprévu ce matin.
I'm sorry to notify you so late, as I had an unexpected issue this morning.
Literal I am sorry to you notify so late, because I-have had an unforeseen this morning.
Apologizing for short notice about an absence. 'Car' is a formal, written-register conjunction for 'because', giving the sentence a professional tone.
- 'Car' is a more formal synonym for 'parce que', typically preferred in written and professional communication.
- 'J'ai eu un imprévu' uses passé composé to describe a completed event that just occurred.
Serait-il possible de prendre un jour de congé vendredi prochain ?
Would it be possible to take a day off next Friday?
Literal Would-it be possible to take a day of leave Friday next?
An impersonal and very indirect way to make a request. By not saying 'je voudrais', the speaker avoids pressure and invites the listener to respond freely.
- 'Serait-il possible de + infinitive' is one of the most formal and polite request patterns in French.
- This impersonal structure avoids placing the request directly on the speaker — very useful in hierarchical settings.
Je vous enverrai un résumé de mes dossiers en cours avant mon départ.
I will send you a summary of my ongoing files before my departure.
Literal I to-you will-send a summary of my files in progress before my departure.
A commitment made using the simple future tense, reassuring the manager that work will be properly handed over.
- 'Enverrai' is the simple future of 'envoyer' — the stem changes to 'enverr-' in the future tense.
- 'Dossiers en cours' is a professional phrase meaning 'ongoing files' or 'current cases'.
Puisque j'ai accumulé beaucoup d'heures supplémentaires, je pense mériter quelques jours de repos.
Since I have accumulated many overtime hours, I think I deserve a few days of rest.
Literal Since I have accumulated a-lot of hours extra, I think to-deserve some days of rest.
'Puisque' introduces a reason treated as an acknowledged fact. It's a confident justification, subtly stronger than 'parce que'.
- 'Puisque' (since / given that) implies the listener already knows or accepts the underlying fact.
- 'Je pense mériter' = 'I think I deserve' — when subject is the same in both clauses, French uses infinitive directly after 'penser'.
N'hésitez pas à me contacter en cas d'urgence, même pendant mes congés.
Don't hesitate to contact me in case of an emergency, even during my leave.
Literal Not-hesitate not to me contact in case of-urgency, even during my leaves.
A warm, reassuring closing often used at the end of a leave-notification email. Signals availability while still taking time off.
- 'N'hésitez pas à + infinitive' (don't hesitate to do something) is a set phrase for polite offers or reassurances.
- 'En cas de + noun' (in case of) is a fixed professional expression — the article drops after 'de'.
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
le congé
leave / time off
Je voudrais prendre une semaine de congé.
I would like to take a week of leave.
Plural 'les congés' often refers to a holiday period. 'Congé maladie' = sick leave, 'congé annuel' = annual leave.
s'absenter
to be absent / to take time away
Je dois m'absenter une demi-journée.
I need to be away for half a day.
Reflexive verb. More formal in professional contexts than 'je ne serai pas là' (I won't be here).
le rendez-vous
appointment / meeting
J'ai un rendez-vous médical jeudi matin.
I have a medical appointment Thursday morning.
Used for both professional meetings and personal appointments. Never takes an article after 'avoir un'.
couvrir
to cover (responsibilities)
Pourriez-vous couvrir mes responsabilités ?
Could you cover my responsibilities?
Irregular verb — je couvre, nous couvrons. In workplace French, 'couvrir' means to step in and handle someone's duties.
l'imprévu
unexpected event / unforeseen issue
J'ai eu un imprévu ce matin.
I had an unexpected issue this morning.
Useful for explaining last-minute absences without going into detail — vague but professional.
rattraper
to catch up / to make up for
Je pourrais rattraper mon travail avant de partir.
I could catch up on my work before leaving.
'Rattraper le travail' or 'rattraper son retard' are common phrases for compensating for missed time.
les heures supplémentaires
overtime hours
J'ai accumulé beaucoup d'heures supplémentaires.
I have accumulated many overtime hours.
Often shortened to 'les heures sup' in spoken French. Always used in the plural.
prévenir
to notify / to let someone know in advance
Je vous préviens à l'avance de mon absence.
I am notifying you in advance of my absence.
In professional French, 'prévenir' means to give advance notice — not just 'to warn'. Conjugates like 'venir'.
le départ
departure / leaving
Je réglerai tout avant mon départ.
I will sort everything out before my departure.
'Avant mon départ' is the formal equivalent of 'before I leave' — more polished in written communication.
chargé(e)
busy / heavy / packed
La période est très chargée pour toute l'équipe.
The period is very busy for the whole team.
The natural adjective for a busy workload or hectic schedule. Agrees in gender with the noun it modifies.
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Thomas travaille dans une grande entreprise à Lyon depuis trois ans. Un matin, il décide d'envoyer un email à sa responsable pour lui demander une semaine de congé en juillet. Il lui explique qu'il voudrait passer du temps avec sa famille à la mer, car il n'a pas pris de vacances depuis plus d'un an. Il précise aussi qu'il enverrait un résumé de ses dossiers en cours avant son départ, et qu'elle ne devrait pas hésiter à le contacter en cas d'urgence. Sa responsable lui répond rapidement : elle approuve sa demande, à condition qu'il finisse son rapport avant de partir.
Sentence by sentence
Thomas travaille dans une grande entreprise à Lyon depuis trois ans.
Thomas has been working at a large company in Lyon for three years.
'Depuis + present tense' describes an action that started in the past and is still ongoing — equivalent to 'has been doing' in English. French uses present tense where English uses present perfect continuous.
il lui explique qu'il voudrait passer du temps avec sa famille à la mer, car il n'a pas pris de vacances depuis plus d'un an
he explains to her that he would like to spend time with his family at the seaside, as he hasn't taken a vacation in over a year
'Il voudrait' is the conditional for polite desire. 'Car' introduces a formal written-register reason. 'Il n'a pas pris de vacances depuis plus d'un an' uses passé composé with negation + 'depuis' to express how long something hasn't happened.
elle ne devrait pas hésiter à le contacter en cas d'urgence
she shouldn't hesitate to contact him in case of an emergency
'Ne devrait pas' is the conditional of 'devoir' in the negative, expressing a polite suggestion. 'En cas d'urgence' is a set professional phrase — the article drops after 'de'.
à condition qu'il finisse son rapport avant de partir
on the condition that he finishes his report before leaving
'À condition que' (on the condition that) always triggers the subjunctive — 'finisse' is the present subjunctive of 'finir'. 'Avant de + infinitive' = before leaving.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Polite Requests with the Conditional Mood
In French professional settings, the conditional mood transforms direct statements into courteous requests. Using 'je voudrais' instead of 'je veux', or 'pourriez-vous' instead of 'pouvez-vous', signals respect and leaves the listener room to decline. The conditional is the essential tool for navigating workplace hierarchy politely.
Subject + conditional of vouloir / pouvoir / devoir + infinitive
Je voudrais prendre une semaine de congé en juillet.
I would like to take a week off in July.
Pourriez-vous couvrir mes responsabilités pendant mon absence ?
Could you cover my responsibilities during my absence?
Serait-il possible de reporter notre réunion de vendredi ?
Would it be possible to postpone our Friday meeting?
Je pourrais rattraper ce travail dès mon retour.
I could catch up on this work as soon as I'm back.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to French: "I would like to take a few days off next week, if that works for you."
Hint Use the conditional of 'vouloir' to sound polite.
Translate to English: "Puisque j'ai accumulé beaucoup d'heures supplémentaires, je pense mériter quelques jours de repos."
Complete the sentence: "J'ai un rendez-vous médical jeudi matin et je dois m'_____ une demi-journée."
Hint The verb means 'to be away' or 'to step out' — it's reflexive!
Which phrasing sounds most professionally polite when asking for a day off on Friday?
Rewrite this sentence using the conditional mood to make it more polite: "Est-ce que vous pouvez couvrir mes responsabilités pendant mon absence ?"
Hint Replace 'pouvez' with its conditional form.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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