En avance sur demain
The classic French workplace excuse, upgraded.
Le Mot - the original
“Je ne suis pas en retard, je suis en avance sur mon planning de demain.”
Sens - the meaning
I'm not late, I'm just early for tomorrow's schedule.
Décryptage - the breakdown
Vocabulary
- en retard - late
- en avance - early / ahead of schedule
- le planning - the schedule, the plan (a French office staple)
- demain - tomorrow
Grammar
- être en avance sur (quelque chose) - to be ahead of or early for something. The preposition 'sur' here means 'relative to'.
- Je ne suis pas en retard - the ne...pas negation wraps the verb 'suis'.
Slang & style
- 'Le planning' is a borrowed English word that French offices use constantly. It's a running joke that French business French is half English.
Cultural context
- Punctuality is a soft spot in French culture. Arriving late is common enough that the excuse has become a meme, and office workers love to joke about it.
Why it's funny
- The logic is absurd: you can't be 'early for tomorrow'. The joke reframes a real flaw (lateness) as an impossible virtue, and everyone recognizes the excuse.
À retenir - takeaways
Tap each card to flip it and check the meaning.
Quick practice
Quick practice
How would you say 'I'm early for the meeting'?