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French meeting minutes: phrases for proposals, decisions and actions

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Write neutral French minutes with precise phrases for proposed, decided and pending actions. Work from meeting notes and check who is doing what.

In short

Use propose for a proposal, décide for a decision and a named person plus an action for the follow-up. Keep the scope: pour la prochaine séance means the next session. Record an absent deadline as non précisée.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A colleague takes minutes during a small meeting.
Clear actions belong in le compte rendu. Illustration: Atelier

How do you write meeting minutes in French?

Inès propose d’avancer l’atelier au mardi. Marc demande de consulter les participants. Le groupe décide de conserver le jeudi pour la prochaine séance. Inès accepte d’envoyer une question sur les disponibilités.

Inès proposes moving the workshop to Tuesday. Marc asks for participants to be consulted. The group decides to keep Thursday for the next session. Inès agrees to send a question about availability.

1

Record the proposal and the decision

The first line reports an idea; the third records what the group agreed.

YouInès propose de déplacer l’atelier au mardi.Inès proposes moving the workshop to Tuesday.
Chair or colleaguePour la prochaine séance, nous gardons le jeudi.For the next session, we are keeping Thursday.
YouLe groupe décide de maintenir le jeudi pour la prochaine séance.The group decides to keep Thursday for the next session.
2

Name the action owner

Use the person who accepted the work.

Chair or colleagueJ’enverrai une question aux participants sur leurs disponibilités.I will send participants a question about their availability.
YouInès se charge d’interroger les participants sur leurs disponibilités.Inès takes responsibility for asking participants about their availability.
YouÉchéance : non précisée.Deadline: not specified.
3

Clarify a gap before completing the record

These questions are for the person checking your draft.

YouQui se charge de cette action ?Who is taking responsibility for this action?
YouUne date limite a-t-elle été fixée ?Has a deadline been set?
Chair or colleagueAucune date n’a été fixée pendant la réunion.No date was set during the meeting.
YouJe note que l’échéance reste à préciser.I will note that the deadline still needs to be specified.
The compact record supported by the notes
StatusWording
ProposalPassage de l’atelier au mardi proposé par Inès.
DecisionMaintien du jeudi pour la prochaine séance.
ActionInès interrogera les participants sur leurs disponibilités.
DeadlineNon précisée dans les notes.
  • Le groupe adopte le mardi pour les prochaines séances.Le groupe maintient le jeudi pour la prochaine séance.

    The notes give Thursday for one session. Preserve both the day and the time span.

  • Marc bloque inutilement la décision.Marc demande de consulter les participants.

    Demande reports his contribution. Inutilement adds the writer’s judgement.

  • Inès enverra le questionnaire vendredi.Inès enverra une question sur les disponibilités ; l’échéance reste à préciser.

    The owner and action are recorded. Friday would add a deadline absent from the notes.

Question 1No account needed
Which sentence records the actual decision?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

La prochaine séance reste fixée au jeudi.. Only the next session is covered. Toujours would extend the decision to every later session.

Question 2No account needed
Who owns the consultation action?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Inès. Inès explicitly accepts the sending task. Marc requests consultation but is not assigned the action.

Question 3No account needed
Which status fits a future reconsideration of Tuesday?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

To clarify: the notes give no agreement to reconsider.. Consulting participants and committing to a later decision are different steps. The notes record only the consultation action.

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