#34 Sending a Package at the Post Office｜French Travel Conversation
Izumi Curious French
#209 Asking About the Procedure for Requesting Leave｜French Business Phrases
Izumi
In workplaces abroad, the way employees take leave and the procedures for requesting it often differ from those in your own country.
For this reason, before taking leave, it is important for you to confirm how the request process works and how far in advance you need to submit the request.
In this section, I will explain useful French expressions that you can use in real business situations, based on the dialogue example.
Contents
Dialogue
Excusez-moi, j’aimerais vous poser une question concernant les congés.
（Excuse me, I would like to ask you a question regarding leave.）
D’accord. De quoi s’agit-il ?
（All right. What is it about?）
Je voulais savoir comment on fait pour demander des jours de congé ici
（I wanted to know how we request days off here.）
En général, il faut remplir un formulaire et l’envoyer au responsable.
（Generally, you need to fill out a form and send it to your supervisor.）
Combien de temps à l’avance faut-il faire la demande ?
（How far in advance do we need to submit the request?）
Idéalement au moins deux semaines à l’avance.
（Ideally, at least two weeks in advance.）
Merci pour ces informations.
（Thank you for the information.）
1. Asking About Leave
When you want to ask about leave in the workplace, you can begin with the following expression.
Example
- J’aimerais vous poser une question concernant les congés.
（I would like to ask you a question regarding leave.）
The phrase “J’aimerais …” is the present conditional form of “aimer.” It functions as a polite and indirect way to express a request.
The expression “poser une question à quelqu’un” means “to ask someone a question.” In this sentence, the indirect object pronoun “vous” indicates the person you are addressing.
The word “congé” means “leave” or “time off,” and it is usually used in the plural form “les congés” when referring to the general system of leave.
Points
- les congés
→ refers to the general leave system or vacation policy - un congé
→ refers to a single instance of leave
2. Asking How to Request Leave
Next, you may want to ask about the specific procedure for requesting leave.
Example
- Je voulais savoir comment on fait pour demander des jours de congé ici.
（I wanted to know how we request days off here.）
This sentence uses an indirect question introduced by “comment.”
In French indirect questions, the sentence follows normal statement word order: “comment + subject + verb”
Points
- Direct question
→ Comment on fait pour demander des jours de congé ?
（How do you request days off?） - Indirect question
→ Je voulais savoir comment on fait pour demander des jours de congé.
（I wanted to know how days off are requested.）
The structure “comment on fait pour + infinitive” means: “How do you do … ? / How can you … ?”
Related Expressions
- Comment on fait pour remplir ce formulaire ?
（How do you fill out this form?） - Comment on fait pour se connecter au système ?
（How do you log into the system?）
The verb “faire” is a very versatile verb in French and can be used to describe a wide range of actions.
The pronoun “on” is an indefinite pronoun used to refer to people in general. It can mean “people,” “one,” or “we in this company.”
Because “on” is treated as third-person singular, the verb “faire” becomes “fait.”
3. Confirming the Deadline and Rules for Leave Requests
When requesting leave, you should also confirm how far in advance the request must be submitted.
The required notice period can vary widely depending on the company, ranging from one week to several months.
Example
- Combien de temps à l’avance faut-il faire la demande ?
（How far in advance do we need to submit the request?）
The expression “Combien de temps” is commonly used to ask about the length of time.
By adding “à l’avance” (in advance), you can ask how far ahead something needs to be done.
Related Expressions
- Combien de temps faut-il attendre ?
（How long do we need to wait?） - Combien de temps à l’avance dois-je réserver ?
（How far in advance should I make a reservation?）
The expression “il faut …” is an impersonal construction using the verb “falloir.”
The verb “falloir” means “to be necessary” or “to have to,” but unlike most verbs in French, it is almost always used only with the subject “il.”
Related Expressions
- Il faut partir maintenant.
（We must leave now.） - Il faut remplir ce formulaire.
（You need to fill out this form.）
Using the impersonal structure “il faut” allows you to ask about general rules or requirements, rather than focusing on a specific individual.
Compare the following examples:
Points
- Quand dois-je faire la demande ?
（When should I submit the request?） - Combien de temps à l’avance faut-il faire la demande ?
（How far in advance does the request need to be submitted?）
The first question focuses on your personal situation, while the second asks about the general rule or policy.
In a workplace setting, the second expression is usually more appropriate.
Summary
Key French Phrases
- J’aimerais vous poser une question concernant les congés.
→ A polite way to ask about leave. - Comment on fait pour demander des jours de congé ?
→ Used to ask how to request leave. - Combien de temps à l’avance faut-il faire la demande ?
→ Used to confirm how far in advance a leave request should be submitted.
