Le stand-up quotidien
Running a stand-up · a free French immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Hier, j'ai terminé la revue du code pour la nouvelle fonctionnalité.
Yesterday, I finished the code review for the new feature.
Literal Yesterday, I have finished the review of the code for the new functionality.
Uses passé composé (j'ai terminé) to report a task completed the previous day — the standard way to open a stand-up update in French.
- Passé composé: avoir (conjugated) + past participle
- terminer → terminé (regular -er verb past participle)
Aujourd'hui, je vais travailler sur les tests unitaires.
Today, I'm going to work on the unit tests.
Literal Today, I am going to work on the unit tests.
Futur proche (aller + infinitive) is the most natural way to state today's plans in a stand-up — it conveys immediate intention.
- Futur proche: aller (conjugated) + infinitive
- je vais = I am going (to)
J'ai un blocage : je n'arrive pas à accéder à la base de données.
I have a blocker: I can't manage to access the database.
Literal I have a blockage: I do not arrive at accessing the database.
'Ne pas arriver à + infinitive' means 'to be unable to do something' — a natural, non-technical way to describe a stumbling block.
- ne pas arriver à + infinitive = to be unable to do something
- blocage = blocker (agile vocabulary adapted into French)
Est-ce que tu pourrais m'aider à résoudre ce problème ?
Could you help me solve this problem?
Literal Is it that you could help me to resolve this problem?
The conditional 'pourrais' softens a direct request into a polite one — essential for professional French communication.
- Conditional: pouvoir → pourrais (you could)
- m'aider = me aider (object pronoun attached before the verb)
Mon travail dépend de la réponse de l'équipe design.
My work depends on the design team's response.
Literal My work depends of the response of the team design.
'Dépendre de' (to depend on) is the key phrase for flagging dependencies. Note that in French, 'design' is borrowed as-is.
- dépendre de = to depend on (always followed by 'de')
- de + la = contracted when followed by a feminine noun
J'ai mis à jour la documentation technique ce matin.
I updated the technical documentation this morning.
Literal I have put up to date the technical documentation this morning.
'Mettre à jour' is the standard French expression for 'to update'. In passé composé, mettre has an irregular past participle: mis.
- mettre à jour = to update (literally: to put up to date)
- Irregular past participle: mettre → mis
Cet après-midi, je vais participer à la réunion avec le client.
This afternoon, I'm going to attend the meeting with the client.
Literal This afternoon, I am going to participate in the meeting with the client.
'Participer à' means 'to take part in / to attend'. Futur proche signals a planned event later in the same day.
- participer à = to attend / to take part in (requires 'à' after verb)
- futur proche: je vais + infinitive for same-day plans
Je suis bloqué en attendant la validation de mon responsable.
I'm blocked waiting for my manager's approval.
Literal I am blocked while waiting for the validation of my manager.
'En attendant' (while waiting) + noun explains the cause of a blocker concisely and naturally.
- en attendant = while waiting (gérondif construction: en + present participle)
- bloqué = blocked (past participle used as adjective, agrees with subject)
Serait-il possible de programmer une réunion de synchronisation ?
Would it be possible to schedule a sync meeting?
Literal Would it be possible to schedule a meeting of synchronization?
'Serait-il possible de + infinitive' is a polished, formal conditional structure for making suggestions in meetings.
- Conditional inversion: serait-il = would it be (être → serait)
- possible de + infinitive = possible to do (fixed structure)
En résumé, tout avance bien sauf ce point technique.
In summary, everything is progressing well except for this technical point.
Literal In summary, all advances well except this technical point.
'En résumé' is a useful linking phrase to wrap up a stand-up turn. 'Sauf' introduces the single exception clearly.
- en résumé = in summary (discourse marker to conclude an update)
- sauf = except (preposition introducing an exception)
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
le blocage
the blocker / blockage
J'ai signalé mon blocage lors du stand-up.
I flagged my blocker during the stand-up.
Agile teams use this for any impediment preventing progress
avancer
to progress / to move forward
Le projet avance bien cette semaine.
The project is progressing well this week.
la réunion
the meeting
La réunion commence à neuf heures.
The meeting starts at nine o'clock.
terminer
to finish / to complete
J'ai terminé la tâche hier soir.
I finished the task last night.
dépendre de
to depend on
Ce déploiement dépend de l'équipe infrastructure.
This deployment depends on the infrastructure team.
le responsable
the manager / person in charge
Mon responsable doit valider la demande.
My manager needs to approve the request.
Can be feminine: la responsable
mettre à jour
to update
J'ai mis à jour le tableau de bord.
I updated the dashboard.
Irregular past participle: mis (not metté)
prévu
planned / scheduled
Le déploiement est prévu pour vendredi.
The deployment is scheduled for Friday.
en résumé
in summary / to sum up
En résumé, le sprint se passe bien.
In summary, the sprint is going well.
A reliable closing phrase to wrap up your stand-up turn
signaler
to flag / to report
Il faut signaler tout problème dès que possible.
You need to flag any problem as soon as possible.
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Chaque matin, l'équipe de Sophie se retrouve pour un stand-up de quinze minutes. Hier, elle a terminé l'intégration de l'API et a mis à jour la documentation. Aujourd'hui, elle va tester les nouvelles fonctionnalités avec l'équipe qualité. Malheureusement, elle est bloquée en attendant la validation de son responsable pour déployer en production. Elle demande à son collègue Marc s'il pourrait l'aider à résoudre le problème en attendant.
Sentence by sentence
l'équipe de Sophie se retrouve
Sophie's team gathers
se retrouver is a reflexive verb meaning 'to meet up / to gather'. The reflexive pronoun 'se' signals that the action is mutual among team members.
elle a terminé l'intégration de l'API
she finished the API integration
Passé composé: avoir (a) + past participle (terminé). This is the standard tense for reporting completed work in a stand-up.
elle va tester les nouvelles fonctionnalités
she is going to test the new features
Futur proche: aller conjugated as 'va' + infinitive (tester). Used to describe plans for the current day.
elle est bloquée en attendant la validation
she is blocked waiting for the approval
'Bloquée' agrees in gender with Sophie (feminine). 'En attendant' (while waiting) explains the cause of the blocker using a gérondif.
s'il pourrait l'aider
if he could help her
Conditional 'pourrait' inside an indirect question introduced by 'si' (if). This structure is how French speakers report polite requests indirectly.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Futur proche: aller + infinitif
The futur proche (near future) is formed with the conjugated verb 'aller' followed by an infinitive. It expresses plans or near-future intentions and is the most natural tense for stating what you plan to do today — perfect for the stand-up context.
[sujet] + aller (conjugué) + [infinitif]
Je vais travailler sur le rapport.
I'm going to work on the report.
Elle va contacter l'équipe design.
She's going to contact the design team.
Nous allons déployer la mise à jour demain.
We're going to deploy the update tomorrow.
Ils vont résoudre le blocage cet après-midi.
They're going to resolve the blocker this afternoon.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to French: 'I'm going to participate in a meeting with the client this afternoon.'
Hint Use 'aller' + infinitive for the near future, and 'le client' for 'the client'.
Complete the sentence: 'Je suis _____ : je n'arrive pas à accéder à la base de données.'
Hint This word from the lesson vocabulary describes someone who is stuck or unable to proceed.
Translate to English: 'Hier, j'ai terminé la revue du code pour la nouvelle fonctionnalité.'
Hint Pay attention to the passé composé tense with 'avoir'.
Which sentence correctly uses 'aller + infinitive'?
Rewrite in the 'futur proche': 'Serait-il possible de programmer une réunion de synchronisation?'
Hint Convert the conditional question into a near-future statement using 'aller'.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
Nice work, you understood something real today. Come back tomorrow for a fresh one.
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