Dialogue
Avancer or progresser: a conversation about getting things done
Practise a French conversation about moving a chair, making headway on a project, improving your French and bringing a meeting forward to an earlier time.
- A2
- 12 lines
- Practice mode
- Learn this in the A2 notebook →
In short
Avancer means moving forward or getting on with a task: Avance ta chaise; J’avance dans mon dossier. Progresser means making progress, often in a skill: Je progresse en français. Both can describe a project moving ahead: Le travail avance / progresse.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learnRed watch out
Four uses to listen for
| Use | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| move an object | avancer une chaise | move a chair forward |
| make headway | avancer dans un dossier | get on with a piece of work |
| improve a skill | progresser en français | make progress in French |
| make a time earlier | avancer la réunion de 15 h à 14 h | bring the meeting forward from 3 pm to 2 pm |
A workspace ready for a presentation
Find:
Read the conversation, then use practice mode to hide Julien's lines. The English cues give his meaning. Say a French line, reveal it and compare the construction.
- Amira
Tu vois bien l’écran ?
English
Can you see the screen clearly?
- Julien
Pas très bien. Je vais avancer un peu ma chaise.
Say: Not very well. I’m going to move my chair forward a little.
English
Not very well. I’m going to move my chair forward a little.
- Amira
Voilà. Et ton dossier, ça avance ?
English
There. And how’s your project file coming along?
- Julien
Oui, j’avance bien. J’ai terminé l’introduction.
Say you are making headway and have finished the introduction.
English
Yes, I’m making good headway. I’ve finished the introduction.
- Amira
Il reste quoi à faire ?
English
What's left to do?
- Julien
Je dois encore écrire la conclusion et vérifier les chiffres.
Say you still have to write the conclusion and check the figures.
English
I still have to write the conclusion and check the figures.
- Amira
Tu vas présenter le projet en français ?
English
Are you going to present the project in French?
- Julien
Oui. Je progresse en français : j’explique mes idées plus facilement.
Say yes, and that your French is improving: you explain your ideas more easily.
English
Yes. My French is improving: I explain my ideas more easily.
- Amira
Tu veux t’entraîner avec moi demain matin ?
English
Do you want to practise with me tomorrow morning?
- Julien
Avec plaisir. Je suis libre à dix heures.
Accept and say you are free at ten.
English
I’d be happy to. I’m free at ten.
- Amira
Parfait. Attention, la réunion a ét’ avancée : elle est à quatorze heures au lieu de quinze heures.
English
Perfect. Be careful, the meeting has been brought forward: it is at two instead of three.
- Julien
D’accord, quatorze heures. Je serai prêt.
Confirm two o’clock and say you will be ready.
English
All right, two o’clock. I’ll be ready.
When can you use both avancer and progresser?
Le travail avance, mais la conclusion reste à écrire.
The work is moving ahead, but the conclusion still needs to be written.
Le travail progresse, mais la conclusion reste à écrire.
The work is progressing, but the conclusion still needs to be written.
Both sentences describe headway. For the skill itself, progresser en français is a useful phrase. For a physical object, avancer la chaise says you move it forward. In the present, watch the cedilla in nous avançons; write nous progressons with -ss-.