Text conversation
Telling your child's teacher they're ill, in French
Your child has a temperature and won't be at school. Message the French teacher on the school app: who, why, how long, and catching up on homework.
- A2
- 3 replies to choose
- Phone-style thread
- Learn this in the A2 notebook →
In short
French school messages are polite and brief, always with vous: Madame, Tom est malade (fièvre) et ne viendra pas à l'école aujourd'hui. Add how long you expect, ask about homework and sign with your name. Primary schools use le cahier de liaison or an app; secondary schools use Pronote or similar.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
- Bonjour Madame, Tom a de la fièvre depuis cette nuit, il ne viendra pas à l'école aujourd'hui.Hello Madame, Tom has had a temperature since last night, he won't come to school today.
- Bonjour, merci de m'avoir prévenue. Prompt rétablissement à Tom !Hello, thank you for letting me know. Get well soon to Tom!
Say how long
Ask about homework
- Bien sûr, je mets les fiches dans son casier, son frère pourra les récupérer.Of course, I'll put the worksheets in his pigeonhole, his brother can collect them.
Thank and sign off
Phrases from the conversation
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Il ne viendra pas à l'école. | He won't come to school. |
| prévenir | to let someone know |
| Prompt rétablissement ! | Get well soon! |
| rattraper | to catch up |
| un justificatif / un mot d'absence | a note justifying an absence |
| le cahier de liaison | the home–school notebook |
French schools expect absences to be reported the same morning, and on return the child brings un mot explaining the absence. School levels have their own names: CE2 is the third year of primary, about age 8. The teacher is la maîtresse / le maître to young children, but parents write Madame or Monsieur.
- Tom est malade, il ne va pas venir. Bises.Tom est malade et ne viendra pas aujourd'hui. Bonne journée.
No bises with a teacher.
- Bonjour Mme Dupuis,Bonjour Madame,
In French letters, Madame alone is more natural.