Business Objectives - Vocabulary - Units 1-10

BUSINESS OBJECTIVES
UNIT 1: MEETING PEOPLE
Word
account
accountant
accountancy /
accounting
accounts
actually
apprentice
apprenticeship
architect
area
assistant
attend
Examples + remarks
I've opened an account with Barclay's Bank.
My sister is a qualified accountant.
Translation
compte
comptable
comptabilité
The accounts for last year showed a profit of $2
million. / To do or keep the accounts.
Profit and loss account : compte de pertes et profits
Labour costs have actually fallen.
[ "faux-ami" / actuellement : at present]
My brother works as an apprentice electrician.
He's serving an apprenticeship as a printer.
comptes, comptabilité
en fait, en réalité
apprenti
apprentissage
architecte
Only cheeses made in this area may be labelled
"Roquefort".
personal assistant [PA] : secrétaire de direction
I have just found a job as a shop assistant [vendeur].
Students have to attend classes [assister aux cours].
Only 12 people attended the meeting last night.
région, zone
assistant, auxiliaire
assister à
expert comptable,
commissaire aux comptes
bilan comptable
auditor
The auditor's report shows the company's accounts
have been kept properly.
balance sheet
It's a healthy company with a strong balance sheet.
be good at
I'm good at French, but bad at accounting.
≠ be bad at : être mauvais dans
être bon dans
be in
I am in the computer business.
travailler dans (un domaine
d'activité)
be responsible for
≈ to be in charge of / ≈ to deal with
He is responsible for recruiting and training new staff.
être responsable de
bike
business
business
administrator
business card
businessman
busy
buy, bought, bought
chief executive
officer
colleague
= a bicycle
to do business, to be in business
vélo
les affaires
James works as a hospital administrator.
business administration : gestion administrative
administrateur
He gave me his business card.
carte de visite
He was a successful businessman before becoming a
writer.
She's busy now - can you phone later ?
to be busy : être occupé
homme d'affaires
occupé
Robert bought that car for £2000.
acheter
The CEO is the person with the most important position
in a company.
PDG : président directeur
général
A colleague is a person you work with.
collègue
comic book
communicate
commuter
We communicate with each other by e-mail.
commuting
Commuting from Brighton to London every day is very
tiring.
company, companies
computer
construction
business
corporate (adj.)
corporate law
This train is packed with commuters every morning.
Which company do you work for ?
insurance company : compagnie d’assurance
The information is stored on computer.
I work in computers.
He is in the construction business : Il est dans la
construction (l'industrie du bâtiment).
We'll have to launch an advertising campaign to
reinforce our corporate identity.
corporate lawyer : juriste d'entreprise
BD, bande dessinée
communiquer
pendulaire, "banlieusard"
trajets réguliers,
migrations pendulaires
société, entreprise
ordinateur
construction (industrie du
bâtiment)
d'entreprise
droit des entreprises
currency, currencies
The local currency is the Swiss franc.
The Euro has replaced several European currencies.
devise, unité monétaire
data
It's possible to store a lot more data on a DVD.
données
deal with
We only deal with [ = to do business with]
companies which have a good credit record.
avoir affaire à, avec
describe
She describes the new apprentice as shy.
décrire
develop, developed
Corsica has developed its economy around the tourist
industry.
développer
I work in the sales division.
département, division
My father is a doctor.
médecin
earn one's living
What do you do for a living? I'm a secretary.
She earns a living as a music teacher.
gagner sa vie
employ
How many people does your company employ ?
employer
employee
The number of employees in the company has fallen
over the past decade.
employé (e)
The shoe factory is the largest employer in the area.
employeur
Steve's still looking for full-time employment.
emploi
ingénieur
division
doctor
employer
employment (Unc.)
engineer
enterprise
estate agent
executive
management
financial controller
find out about
fishing
foreign
forget, forgot
forgotten
formal
I am an engineer.
Don't forget this is a commercial enterprise - we're
here to make money.
An estate agent is someone whose business is to buy
and sell houses.
entreprise
agent immobilier
Executive management : a group of people who have
the power to make decisions.
organe de direction,
comité directeur
I need to find out more about that foreign firm.
contrôleur financier
se renseigner, découvrir
pêcher, aller à la pêche
My dad loves to go fishing along the river.
Can you speak any foreign languages ?
[ ≠ stranger: inconnu / to go abroad : aller à
l'étranger]
étranger, d’un autre pays
Let me write down that date before I forget it.
oublier
≠ informal
formel ≠ informel
free time (Unc.)
fridge
get bored
grow, grew, grown
hate +-ing
He writes poetry in his free time.
= refrigerator
The film was so uninteresting [= boring] that I got
bored and left.
I grow my own vegetables in my garden.
I hate having to wait for people.
head office
≈ headquarters
The head office is the main office of a company.
headquarters
≈ head office
The company's headquarters are in London.
health and safety
hobby, hobbies
home town
including
information (Unc.)
inside
interest
international
introduce
introduce oneself to
someone
invest in
jeweller
job
journey
health and safety at work = santé et sécurité au
travail
Susan's hobbies include reading and cooking.
Geneva was Jean-Jacques Rousseau's home town.
The price is £25.50, including postage and packing.
Ask me if you need further information.
Her car was locked and the keys were inside.
Ben has shown an interest in learning French.
temps libre
réfrigérateur
s'ennuyer
croître, cultiver
détester
siège social, bureau
principal
siège social, bureau
principal
santé et sécurité
hobby, passe-temps
ville d’origine
y compris
information
dedans
intérêt
June, let me introduce you to Bob.
international
présenter (quelqu'un)
May I introduce myself ? My name is Bob Wilson.
se présenter à quelqu’un
Oliver made a fortune by investing in antique furniture.
investir dans
bijoutier, joaillier
CNN brings you all the latest international news.
I bought this bracelet at the local jeweller's (shop).
Mary got a job as a waitress at the local restaurant.
It's a 15-minute journey by car or by train.
emploi
trajet
know, knew, known
There are instructions telling you everything you need
to know.
well-known ↔ unknown: bien connu, célèbre ↔inconnu
connaître
late
Sorry I'm late for school - I overslept.
en retard
lawyer
learn
leave, left, left
let's + verb
liaise
listen to
love + -ing
lovely
main
make sure
manager
I want to see my lawyer [ = attorney US] before I say
anything.
law firm : étude d'avocat
law suit : poursuite judidiciaire
What's the best way to learn a language ?
≠ teach, taught, taught : enseigner
avocat, juriste
apprendre
I left work at four o'clock last Friday.
partir, quitter
Let's go ! : Allons-y !
impératif (1ère pers. plur.)
≈ to be in contact with, to work with
She liaises with health and safety representatives.
collaborer, être en contact
I love listening to rock music.
écouter
aimer (beaucoup)
You look lovely in that dress, Jessica.
charmant
I'll meet you outside the main entrance.
Our main objective is to raise the firm's productivity.
principal
I wanted to make sure you had received my mail.
s'assurer de
She's one of our regional sales managers.
directeur, gérant
What kind of music do you like listening to ?
managing director
manufacture (v + n)
MD / A managing director is in charge of a large
company or organization. [ = chief executive officer
(CEO)]
Deputy managing director : directeur adjoint, sousdirecteur
[ ≠ directeur d'école : headmaster]
He works for a small firm manufacturing watches.
The firm is engaged in the manufacture of computer
software.
manufacturer : un fabricant
directeur, directeur
général
fabriquer (v), fabrication
(n)
marketing and sales
He chose a career in marketing and sales.
Marketing et ventes
match
Match the words on the left with the pictures on the
right.
relier, faire correspondre
meet
/ meeting
- Nice to meet you.
- Fifty people attended the meeting.
rencontrer, faire la
connaissance de / réunion
erreur
mistake
We have made a mistake in our calculations.
name
first name: prénom / Christian name : prénom
surname / last name : nom de famille
Prénom, nom et prénom
nationality
opposite
organize
person (singular),
people (plural)
personal stereo
He has British nationality.
nationalité
The chemist's is opposite the bank.
The course was organized by a training company.
vis-à-vis, en face de
organiser
There is only one person at the reception desk and so
many people waiting for their tickets !
une personne, des
personnes
personnel matters
The personnel manager deals with personnel matters.
position
What's his position in the company?
He's a sales representative.
He's the deputy managing director.
There were four candidates for the position of
manager.
practise
You must practise speaking English regularly.
practice : expérience, pratique, entraînement
prefer +-ing
I prefer working in the morning.
private company
A private (limited) company is a business that may not
offer its shares [= actions] for sale to the public.
produce
product
production
production facilities
profile
property
development
reception desk
receptionist
recruit
recruitment (Unc.)
remind
We produce 100 cars per hour.
That new product sells very well.
Wine production has risen this year.
≈ factory, plant
baladeur, Walkman
questions relatives au
personnel
poste, emploi, situation,
fonction
s'exercer, s'entraîner,
mettre en pratique
préférer
compagnie privée
produire, fabriquer
produit
production
usine
She has the right profile for the job.
Write a personal profile.
profil, portrait
Someone who makes money by buying land and building
on it is a property developer [promoteur immobilier].
promotion immobilière
Please leave your key at the reception desk.
I used to work as a hotel receptionist.
We'll have to recruit a receptionist.
Remind me to phone that customer tomorrow.
[≠ to remember : se rappeler, se souvenir]
(guichet de) réception
réceptionniste
recruter, embaucher
recrutement
rappeler
representative
Someone who travels around, usually within a particular
area, selling their company's products is a sales
representative.
représentant
Research and
development
All our profits are re-invested in research and
development to try and launch new products.
Recherche et
développement
responsibility, -ies
responsible
retirement
right-hand side
secretary
sell, sold, sold
shipbuilding
shipping
single
skill
skilled
solicitor
specialize in
spend
staff (Unc.)
take
It's your responsibility to ensure the project finishes
on time. [≈ duty, duties; tasks]
Mills is responsible for a budget of over $5 million.
Ministers are directly responsible to the President.
She took early retirement ( = She retired at an earlier
age than usual) last year.
responsabilité
responsable
retraite
≠ left-hand side
sur le côté droit, à droite
My secretary will phone you to arrange a meeting.
I sold him my car for £600.
secrétaire
vendre
Belfast was famous for its shipbuilding industry.
construction navale
The cost is $205 plus $3 for shipping.
The fruit is picked and artificially ripened before
shipping. [ = sending goods by ship, land or air]
He's been single for so long now, I don't think he'll
ever marry. [≠ married /≠ divorced /≠ widowed: veuf]
The four basic skills are reading, writing, listening and
speaking.
transport /
(frais de) transport
célibataire
capacité(s), compétence(s)
The company has highly skilled workers.
qualifié, formé
I'm a solicitor. I specialize in corporate law.
notaire, avoué, avocat (Br)
se spécialiser en
- dépenser (argent)
- passer (du temps)
le personnel
prendre
That lawyer specializes in divorce cases.
How much money do you spend on clothes?
How many hours a week do you spend studying?
I'd like to welcome a new member of staff.
It takes her 20 minutes to go to work.
talk (v + n)
- to talk to : parler à
- to give a talk : faire une présentation
parler, conférence
tie
I have to wear a shirt and tie at work.
cravate
toss a coin
Let's toss a coin to decide who will go first.
[heads : face / tails : pile]
jouer à pile ou face
toy
trading, trade
traffic
trainee
training (Unc.)
training course
travel
trip
unavoidably
unusual
Trade in ivory has been banned since 1990.
jouet
commerce, trafic (de)
There wasn't much traffic on the roads.
trafic
Mark is our new trainee accountant.
[fellow trainee : camarade stagiaire]
stagiaire
We received training in every aspect of the job.
formation
They're going away on a training course next week.
stage de formation
voyager, aller
Most toys are produced in China.
She travels to work by car.
The boss is away on a business trip and won't be back
until next week.
How was your trip ? Not bad, thanks !
[a one-day trip : excursion]
≠ avoidably : qui peut être évité
I was actually on time, which is unusual for me.
voyage
inévitablement
inhabituel
wear, wore, worn
porter (habits)
Tracey is wearing a simple black dress.
The winner of this match will play Federer in the semifinals. [to win, won, won]
to work for : Mr Smith works for our New York branch.
to work with : I've worked with them for a long time.
to work as : I work as an accountant.
[ un travail : a job]
winner
work (v + n)
Country
☺
Argentina
Austria
Brazil
China
France
Germany
Hungary
Italy
Japan
Malaysia
Norway
Portugal
Russia
Scotland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Thailand
The Netherlands
The United Kingdom
Turkey
United States
Europe
Nationality
☺
Argentinian, Argentinean
Austrian
Brazilian
Chinese
French
German
Hungarian
Italian
Japanese
Malay, Malaysian
Norwegian
Portuguese
Russian
Scottish
Spanish
Swedish
Swiss
Thai
Dutch
British
Turk, Turkish
American
European
gagnant
travailler, travail
Language
☺
Spanish
German
Portuguese
Chinese
French
German
Hungarian
Italian
Japanese
Malay
Norwegian
Portuguese
Russian
English
Spanish
Swedish
French, German, Italian
Thai
Dutch
English
Turkish
English
---
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES
UNIT 2 : TELEPHONING AND WRITING BUSINESS LETTERS
abbreviation(s)
abroad
address
agree
agreement
answer
answering machine =
answerphone
area code
arrange
arrange a meeting
Do you often travel abroad ?
abréviation(s)
à l’étranger
Please indicate your e-mail address.
adresse
We agreed to meet again the following Monday.
[ to agree to: accepter]
Teenagers rarely agree with their parents.
[ to agree with: être du même avis que]
An agreement was finally reached between
management and employees.
être d'accord
accord
Answer these questions about your company!
répondre (à)
She wasn't in so I left a message on her answering
machine.
répondeur
Do you the area code for Geneva? Yes, it's 022.
Can we arrange a sales visit ?
= to set the date of a meeting
indicatif
organiser, arranger
fixer une réunion
ask
to ask a question about something
to ask somebody to do something / about something
/ What did she ask you to do?
demander
available
He is not available to take your call.
disponible, à disposition
be afraid
≈ be sorry
I'm afraid you've come to the wrong address.
être désolé, craindre
be off
She is off sick : Elle est absente, car elle est malade.
être absent
borrow
We borrow money from someone. / The group has
borrowed €4 billion from banks.
emprunter
brochure
business letter
busy
call (v + n)
call back
call rate
caller
cancel a meeting
chart
complain about
complete
confirm
Let's look at this holiday brochure.
connect
Will you connect me with the receptionist?
conversation
I had a short conversation with the CEO.
You have to learn how to write business letters.
The line is busy. Can you call back later ?
≈ to phone
There was a call from Ann for you.
Mr Gates is busy. Can you call back later ?
"Could you hold on, please ?" he asked the caller.
I'll have to cancel our meeting tomorrow.
brochure, dépliant
lettre commerciale
occupé
appeler / appel
rappeler
coût de l’appel
la personne qui appelle
annuler une réunion
She complains about the atmosphere at work.
tableau, graphique
se plaindre de
Complete the form and send it to this address.
compléter, remplir
I'm writing to confirm our order for 50 TV sets.
confirmer
mettre en communication
avec qqun
conversation
This is a chart showing last year's sales.
Could you tell me how much it will cost ?
copier un dossier
coûter
Could you give a talk on the firm's current projects ?
actuel, courant
customer
We aim to offer good value and service to all our
customers.
client
delay (v + n)
Our meeting was delayed for ten minutes.
Sorry for the delay, Mr Weaver.
delete
I deleted the file by mistake. I'm really sorry.
delivery
You can expect delivery in a week to ten days.
delivery time : délai de livraison
livraison
description, describe
The booklet gives a brief description of each place.
description / décrire
copy a file
cost, cost, cost
current
detail
dial a number
dialling
discount
To copy a file, press F3.
customer details, personal details : données,
informations personnelles
I think I dialled the wrong number.
direct dialling : composition directe du numéro (sans
passer par un opérateur)
= rebate
Members get a 15% discount on all items.
exchange (n)
exchange (v)
expect
extension number
faint
fax, faxes
filter calls
form
get hold of
détail, information
composer un numéro
composition (N° tél.)
rabais
écran, affichage
display screen
engaged
- retarder
- retard
effacer, supprimer
She rang Mrs Tavett but the line was engaged.
[ = busy]
An exchange of ideas / information
We can exchange information over the phone.
We expect the goods to arrive today.
- Do you know Mr Brown's extension number ?
- Yes, it's 328.
I nearly fainted when they told me the price.
What's your fax number?
My secretary has to filter phone calls.
Just complete the entry form (= write the answers to
the questions on it) and return it.
I must get hold of [ = contact, speak to] Jane to see
if she can babysit on Saturday night.
occupé
échange
échanger
s'attendre, attendre
interne, numéro de poste,
de bureau
s'évanouir
fax
filtrer les appels
formulaire
contacter
give somebody a lift
[ = take them somewhere in your car]
Can you give me a lift home tonight ?
prendre, emmener qqn en
voiture
group (v + n)
Small producers group together to sell their
agricultural produce.
grouper / groupe
immediately
in turns
in writing
incoming call
inquire (about)
enquire (about)
inquiry, enquiry
invoice (n + v)
Miss Jones, I want you to come immediately.
Take it in turns to dictate abbreviations.
Would you please confirm your order in writing ?
Would you please answer all incoming calls.
I am writing to inquire about your advertisement in
The Times / to inquire about prices.
immédiatement
à tour de rôle
par écrit
appel entrant
se renseigner sur
We have received over 300 enquiries about the job /
our new mobile phones.
demande de
renseignements
If you pay the invoice within 15 days, you get a 5%
discount off your next purchase.
facture
key word
= a very important word
mot-clef
keypad
= a small box with buttons on it, used to put
information into a computer, telephone, etc
pavé numérique
leave a message
legal fees
lend, lent, lent
listen to
loudspeaker
make a phone call
make contact over
the phone
make notes
necessary
If I'm absent when you call, leave a message.
The insurance company paid all my legal fees.
A lot of banks are unwilling to lend money to new
businesses.
Will you please listen to what I'm saying !
I like listening to music / to the radio.
The voice over the loudspeaker said the flight was
delayed.
laisser un message
frais de justice
prêter
écouter
haut-parleur
You can make a local phone call for under 5p a minute.
passer un coup de fil
I made contact with that retailer over the phone a
few days ago.
prendre contact par
téléphone
I listened to her message on the answering machine
and made notes.
The booklet provides all the necessary information
about our new products.
prendre des notes
nécessaire
need
We need some more paper.
avoir besoin de
note down
[ = to write down]
The secretary notes / writes down messages.
prendre note
I noticed that the apprentice was very nervous.
remarquer
My new number is 502-6155.
numéro, nombre
bureau (local)
notice
number
office
operator
order (v + n)
partner
password
phone back
phone number
phrase
Sorry, Ann is not in her office right now.
Hello, operator. Could you put me through to Room 31
?
I've ordered a new computer from the supplier.
I'll place an order for a new computer.
The two firms are partners in a contract to build a
new power station.
You can't gain access to the computer system without
entering your password.
standardiste
commander / commande
associé, partenaire
mot de passe
[ = call back] Tell him to phone back tomorrow.
rappeler
What's your phone number ?
numéro de téléphone
Most business letters and faxes contain a lot of
standard phrases.
expression
place an order
postpone a meeting
I'll place an order for a new computer.
price list
printer
Could you send us your latest price list ?
We'll have to postpone the meeting until next week.
Do you have a laser or bubble-jet printer ?
passer une commande
reporter, remettre une
réunion à plus tard
prix courant, tarif
imprimante
put on hold
The secretary put me on hold while she consulted a
colleague.
faire patienter quelqu’un
quantity
He had consumed a large quantity of alcohol.
quantité
quotation
quote (n + v)
We must get a few quotations from different firms
before deciding which one to use.
The firm quoted £6,000 for the whole job.
Always get a quote before proceeding with repair
work.
offre, devis, prix
faire un devis, donner un
prix, devis, offre
record (v)
refuse
repeat
replay a message
I phoned her, but all I got was a recorded message
saying she was away for the weekend.
enregistrer
She asked him to leave, but he refused.
refuser
Can you repeat your question?
répéter
repasser un message
Could you replay the message ?
request (v + n)
To request more information, please call the following
phone number: 345 481.
We have made a request for a bank loan [ = prêt
bancaire].
demander, solliciter /
adresser une requête
respond
You'll be able to respond to new situations.
réagir
sick
sign up an agreement
situation
speak, spoke, spoken
[ = ill] I'm afraid she is off sick [ = to be away from
work or school because you are ill]
France has just signed up a new trade agreement with
Japan.
You'll be able to respond to new situations and say
what action you will take.
Could you speak at the meeting ?
I'd like to speak to your manager.
malade
s’engager sur un contrat,
signer
situation
parler
spell, spelt, spelt
Can you spell your name, please?
épeler
stand for
- Do you know what the letters VIP stand for ?
- Yes, they stand for "very important person".
signifier, vouloir dire
supplier
That firm is our main supplier of office equipment.
fournisseur
take action
The government must take action now to stop the
economic crisis.
agir, prendre des mesures
talk (n + v)
Dr. Hill will give a talk on marketing strategies.
parler, conférence
technical support
telephone message
terms of payment
In case of problem with your computer, contact our
technical support team.
He left a telephone message saying he would probably
be a little late.
Our terms of payment are 30 days [ = Payment must
be made in 30 days.]
assistance technique
message téléphonique
conditions de paiement
time
To tell the time : dire l'heure
temps, heure
transfer a call
Hold on one moment while I transfer [= forward] your
call.
transférer (un appel)
Turn the volume up ! I can't hear anything.
mettre plus fort
Can I use the phone to call my boss ?
utiliser le téléphone
turn the volume up
use the phone
voice mail
want
To replay to this message by voice mail, press 2.
If I'm not in my office, leave a voice mail.
I want you to type that letter immediately.
[ want somebody to do something]
messagerie vocale
vouloir
write down
This is my new address. Do you want to write it down ?
noter, prendre note de
write, wrote, written
I'm going to write a letter to confirm my telephone
call.
écrire
Expressions on the phone
#
*
Anything else ?
To be on the phone
Can you ask her to ring me next
week?
Can you put me through to her /
his secretary ?
code
Could I speak to … ?
Could you give her a message ?
Could you read that back to me ?
pound key
touche dièse
asterisk
touche étoile
= Is that all ?
Autre chose ?
Who's on the phone ?
être en ligne
to ring = to call
Pouvez-vous lui demander de me rappeler
la semaine prochaine ?
put through = connect to
Pouvez-vous me passer sa secrétaire?
a country or area number
un indicatif
Can I speak to … ?
Pourrais-je / Puis-je parler à … ?
Could you take a message ?
Yes, of course. I'll get a pen.
Pouvez-vous me le répéter ?
- Pourriez-vous prendre un message ?
- Bien sûr, je prends un stylo.
Interne 596, SVP.
Do you have an extension
number ?
numéro (de téléphone) interne
Go ahead !
hands-free function
Go ahead ! I'm ready.
Allez-y!
How can I help you ?
Can I help you?
fonction mains libres
Puis-je vous aider ? Comment puis-je vous
être utile ?
J'aimerais parler à …
Pouvez-vous lui passer un message ?
Extension 596, please.
extension number
I'd like to speak to …
I'll call back later.
I'll hold.
I'll put you through.
I'm afraid she's on holiday this
week.
I'm sorry but he's away this
week.
Is that Julia Gardini ?
keyboard
keypad
Ready ?
Sorry, could you spell that ?
Speaking !
The line is busy.
This is Mrs Smith.
This is Paul Smith.
Je rappellerai plus tard.
J'attends, Je reste en ligne.
= I'll connect you.
Je vous le / la passe.
Je suis désolé, mais elle est en vacances
cette semaine.
I'll call back next week, then.
- Désolé, mais il est absent cette semaine.
- J'appellerai la semaine prochaine.
Etes-vous Julia Gardini ?
clavier
clavier numérique
Have you got that?
C'est bon ?
Yes, it's M-E-E-U-W-S.
Pourriez-vous épeler cela ?
≈ That is he! / That is she!
C'est moi-même.
The line is engaged.
La ligne est occupée.
This is she.
C'est elle-même.
Paul Smith speaking.
C'est Paul Smith.
≠ turn the volume down baisser le volume
mettre plus fort
Who's calling, please ?
≈ Could I have your name ?
Will you hold ? = Hold on!
One moment.
messagerie vocale
C'est de la part de qui ? Quel est votre
nom ?
Un instant ! Restez en ligne.
Turn the volume up
voicemail
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES
UNIT 3 : COMPANIES
achieve
advertise (v)
advertisement / ad
affiliate
He has achieved his goal of becoming a
bank manager.
We should advertise our products in the
local newspaper.
The Sunday papers are full of
advertisements for cars.
A firm that is connected with or controlled
by a larger one is an affiliate.
accomplir, réaliser
faire de la publicité pour
publicité
filiale
AGM
= Annual General Meeting
assemblée générale annuelle
all over the world
Our products are distributed all over the
world. [ = worldwide]
dans le monde entier
amount
answer emails, letters
answer the phone
arrange courses for staff
attend
availability
available
be at the head of…
be in close contact with
the market
bookcase
both
box, boxes
Small amounts are paid in cash.
It's my job to arrange training courses
for our staff.
Only 12 people attended the meeting /
training course.
The availability of cheap flats is very
limited.
Our spring catalogue is now available from
our stockists.
I am at the head of the accounts
department.
It's very important to be in close contact
with the market.
montant
répondre à des mails, lettres
répondre au téléphone
organiser des cours pour les
employés
assister (à des cours)
disponibilité
disponible
être à la tête de …
suivre de près l’évolution du
marché
bibliothèque (meuble)
Both my parents are accountants.
Put the books in a cardboard box.
les deux
boîte, boîtes
The bank has branches all over the
country.
succursale
What brand of detergent do you use ?
marque
The budget for advertising has been cut.
budget
building
The offices are on the top two floors of
the building.
immeuble
business deal
= business agreement
business environment
The business environment is quite
favourable at the moment.
business plan
A business plan is a document describing
the future plans of a business.
branch
brand
budget
calendar
car park
≠ parking (faux ami)
accord commercial
environnement, contexte
économique
plan commercial
calendrier
parking
catalogue
The enclosed catalogue will give you all the
information you need.
catalogue
CEO = chief executive
officer
The CEO is the person with the most
important position in a firm.
PDG (= président directeur
général)
challenge
challenging
client profile
close to (adj)
coffee machine
company, companies
compare with
competitor
computer
consumer
consumer appeal
core business
corporation
costs
counterpart
The firm is ready to meet the challenges
of the next few years.
Cutting costs without affecting quality can
be quite challenging.
It's close to 2 car parks.
défi
difficile, stimulant
profil du client
proche de
machine à café
société, compagnie, entreprise
Our prices are low compared with our
competitors' prices.
Last year we sold twice as many computers
as their competitors.
The information is stored on computer.
comparer à
concurrent
ordinateur
Research shows that consumers do not
want GM foods.
This brand has a very wide consumer
appeal. [ = Consumers like this brand very
much.]
The core business of airlines is flying
people and cargo from place to place.
attrait / intérêt pour les
consommateurs
He works for a large American corporation.
société
We must cut costs [ = expenses] in order
to remain competitive.
The Prime Minister is to meet his European
counterparts to discuss the war against
drugs.
consommateur (trice)
secteur, activité central(e)
dépenses
homologue
crate
I've ordered two crates of beer.
caisse
crèche
Does your employer provide a crèche [ =
day care centre] ?
crèche, garderie
credit card
We accept all major credit cards.
carte de crédit
current
In its current state, the car is worth
£1,000. [ ≠ actual : réel, véritable, vrai]
courant, présent, actuel
customer
He's a regular customer.
customer care / service
Many of the banks offer a poor level of
customer care / service.
customer loyalty
We send small presents to all our
customers to develop customer loyalty.
fidélité du client
We must to improve customer relations.
relation à la clientèle
She is wearing a dark blue dress.
sombre, foncé
customer relation
dark
deadline
deal with
debit an account
We often work under pressure to meet a
deadline.
We only deal [ = do business] with
companies which have a good credit record.
The sum of £25 will be debited from your
account.
client
service clients, service à la
clientèle
délai (à respecter)
traiter, avoir affaire à
débiter un compte
debit card
decide
deliver
delivery
He's decided to buy a new car.
carte de paiement
décider
Mail is delivered to our office twice a day.
livrer
You can expect delivery in a week to ten
days.
livraison
I paid with my debit card.
delivery time
department store
describe current projects
develop
disabled
dispatch
distribute
délai de livraison
A department store is large shop divided
into several different parts, each of which
sells different things. [Ex.: Globus]
Could you describe the current projects ?
Are they developing any new products ?
Are there any facilities for disabled staff
?
Goods are normally dispatched within 24
hours.
The firm aims to distribute its products
throughout Europe.
grand magasin
décrire les projets en cours
développer
handicapé
envoyer, expédier, distribuer
distribuer
distribution
Our distribution system must be improved.
distribution
diversify
The company is planning to diversify into
other activities.
diversifier
division
I work in the Marketing Division.
département, service
do some research for
I'm doing some research for the
Marketing Division.
rechercher, chercher
domestic
earn (wages)
e-business
e-company
e-mail / email
employee
enquire, inquire
The domestic economy is booming.
He earns nearly £20,000 a year.
The business of buying and selling goods
and services on the Internet is called ebusiness.
E-companies do e-business.
You can contact me by email.
The factory has 500 employees.
I'd like to inquire about your new printer.
enquiry, inquiry
We have received over 300 enquiries about
the job / our new mobile phones.
establish
The firm was established in 1822.
exhibition space
expand
expansion
export (v + n)
facilities
factory
fail
We had an exhibition space of 200m2 at
Palexpo.
The computer industry has expanded
greatly since 1990.
There has been a rapid expansion [=
development] of the tourist industry.
The firm exports tuna to the US.
Tea is one of our chief exports.
The hotel has conference facilities.
Most people are employed by the the local
car factory.
A lot of small businesses fail within their
first year.
intérieur
gagner de l’argent (salaire)
commerce électronique
entreprise sur le net
courriel
employé
s'informer de, se renseigner
demande de renseignements,
enquête (jur.)
établir
surface d'exposition
développer, agrandir
expansion, développement
exporter, exportation
installations, infrastructures
usine
échouer
fair trade
filing
finance (v + n)
Fair trade is a way of buying and selling
products that makes certain that the
original producer receives a fair price.
Her job involves filing and other general
office work.
The firm is financed by the government. /
She works in the finance department.
commerce équitable
classement
financer, finance
financial sector
I work in the financial sector.
secteur financier
goal
They achieved their goal of increasing
sales by 5%.
objectif
floor
focus on
My office is on the 3rd floor.
He needs to focus more on his career.
étage
être centré sur
goods
There is a large market for consumer
goods.
biens, marchandises
grow / grew / grown
Sales of new cars grew by 10% last year.
croître
guarantee (n + v)
guidelines
head office
headquarters
hold
human resources / HR
idea
illegal
import (v + n)
import restrictions
They offer a two-year guarantee on all
their electrical goods.
Can you guarantee delivery by the end of
the week ?
When starting a new business, follow these
general guidelines.
The main office of a company is called the
head office.
= head office
Do you often hold meetings with your
colleagues ?
HR is the department in a firm that deals
with employing, training, and helping people.
It was Kate's idea to hire bikes.
It is illegal to sell tobacco to someone
under 16.
All the meat is imported from France. /
There is a ban on beef imports from GB.
The government has imposed new import
restrictions on alcohol.
garantir, cautionner, garantie,
caution
directives
siège social
siège social
tenir
ressources humaines
idée
illégal
importer, importation
quotas d’importation
important to
improve the company’s
image
Is advertising important to your business?
important pour
What can we do to improve the company's
image ?
améliorer l’image de la
compagnie
improve (v), improvement
(n)
We have to improve the quality of our
products. / We need to carry out some
improvements to the system.
The tax paid on the money that you earn is
called income tax.
income tax
increase
innovate
innovative
inspect
Food prices increased by 10% last year.
The fashion industry is always desperate
to innovate.
She is a very imaginative and innovative
fashion designer.
Always inspect the goods before signing
for them.
améliorer / amélioration
impôt sur le revenu
augmenter
innover
novateur
examiner
inspection
A health and safety inspection of the
factory will be carried out.
inspection
interview
We're interviewing six candidates for the
job.
faire passer un entretien à
quelqu’un, interviewer
invest in
The firm will invest 5 million in the
project.
investir
investissement
investment
investor
Small investors are hoping that the
markets will improve.
IT
= information technology
joint venture
There are many joint ventures between
American and Japanese companies.
keep a record
label
launch (a product / …)
lift
investisseur
Keep a record of everything you spend.
informatique
accord de partenariat,
co-entreprise
noter
Price labels must be visible.
étiquette, label
The company hopes to launch the new drug
by next October.
His office is on the 6th floor. Let's use the
lift [ = elevator].
lancer un produit
ascenseur
line of work
listen to employees'
complaints
lobby
In what line of work are you ?
domaine d'activité
It's important to listen to employees'
complaints.
écouter les réclamations,
revendications des employés
I'll meet you in the hotel lobby.
locals or foreigners
Are your managers locals or foreigners ?
hall, salle des pas perdus
des nationaux (gens du pays)
ou des étrangers
location
The hotel is in a lovely location overlooking
the lake.
mail order company
I often buy my clothes from a mail-order
company.
main business activities
main strength
maintenance
manufacture (v + n)
map
market
market leader
market research
market share
marketing
Her main strength is her creativity.
The maintenance department services the
equipment.
The company manufactures cars.
Cost will determine the methods of
manufacture.
localisation, emplacement
société de vente par
correspondance
principal secteur d’activité
principal point fort
entretien
fabriquer / fabrication
Here's a map of Amsterdam.
carte géographique
The product will be on the market in May.
marché
Nike is the US market leader in sports
shoes.
Let's conduct market research, then
advertise the product.
Our market share increased as a result of
our marketing campaign.
Company sales improved dramatically
following our marketing campaign.
materials
Our firm sells building materials.
meet specifications
Our new mobile phones meet all the
specifications.
leader du marché
étude de marché
part de marché
marketing
matériaux
remplir des exigences, des
réglementations
modern
motorway
(GB)
negotiate
objective
A lot of progress has been made thanks to
modern technology.
moderne
= highway (US)
autoroute
Bigger stores can negotiate lower prices
from suppliers.
We'll set specific performance objectives
for our team.
organisation chart /
organogram
An organization chart shows the structure
of a company.
organise job interviews
The human resources manager is organizing
job interviews.
organise workshops
We have to organize workshops to improve
our workers' skills.
owner
I met the owner of the local pub.
packaging
Attractive packaging can help to sell
products.
parent company
A parent company controls a smaller
company or organization.
personnel
photocopy
press room
prevent
price
profit centre
promote (employees / …)
provide
purchase
range
recreational facilities
recruit
relationship
rent (v + n)
revenue
run
sales
sales outlets
sales representative
= staff, employees
Could you photocopy this report ?
We try to prevent mistakes.
Prevent visitors from entering the site.
The price of fuel keeps going up.
That employee has just been promoted to
senior manager.
The project is to provide young people with
work.
négocier
objectif
organigramme
organiser des entretiens
d’embauche
organiser des ateliers de
travail
propriétaire
emballage
société mère, société
principale, maison mère
personnel
photocopier
salle, salon de la presse
empêcher, éviter
prix
centre de profit
promouvoir les employés
fournir
Where did you purchase [ = buy] the car ?
acheter
There is a wide range of products.
choix, gamme
équipements de loisirs
New recreational facilities are available.
Who recruits new employees ?
I have a good relationship with my boss.
Will you rent a car while you're on holiday
in Spain ?
I have to pay the rent at the beginning of
every month.
[≈ (here) turnover]
The company has annual revenues of about
£3 million.
recruter, embaucher
relations
louer / loyer
recettes, chiffre d'affaires
To run a company, a store, …
diriger
Sales of phones are up this year.
les ventes
Benetton has sales outlets in every major
European city.
Sales representatives travel around,
usually within a particular area, selling
their company's products.
points de vente, magasins
représentant de ventes, un
commercial
satisfy the customer's
needs
seating
secretarial services
send / sent / sent
sensitive
sensitivity
service (v)
share (n)
We do our best to satisfy our customers'
needs.
satisfaire les besoins du client
The hall has a seating capacity of 650.
places assises
services de secrétariat
I sent her an email yesterday.
envoyer un mail
He's a sensitive and intelligent young man.
[ ≠ sensible : sensé]
sensible
Who services the machines and equipment?
The company's US market share has fallen
from 28% to 23%.
sensibilité
assurer l'entretien
part (de marché)
Your office is similar to mine.
semblable à, similaire
petit
More money should be spent on advertising.
She's staying at the Hilton.
dépenser en
loger à
The London Stock Exchange
la Bourse
subsidiary, subsidiaries
A company that is controlled by another
firm is a subsidiary.
filiale
tidy
Your desk should always be tidy.
rangé, en ordre, propre
similar to
small
spend / spent / spent
stay at
Stock Exchange
timetable
trademark
[ = schedule] I have a busy timetable this
week.
Velcro is a registered trademark. [ = brand
name]
emploi du temps, horaire
marque (de fabrique)
training scheme
We'll have to change the training scheme.
programme de formation
turnover
The business has an annual turnover of
£50 000.
[turnover = the total value of goods sold by
a company during a particular period of
time]
chiffre d'affaires
valeur
value
wage(s)
warehouse
[ = salary] You will receive wages of £350
a week.
A warehouse is a large building where
goods are stored.
wholesale, wholesaler
wide range of products
win (a prize)
within walking distance
entrepôt
fontaine à eau
water fountain
welcome
salaire
The visitors were warmly welcomed by the
CEO.
Someone who buys and sells goods in large
amounts to shops and businesses is a
wholesaler.
They sell a wide range of skin-care
products.
In this month's competition you could win a
prize worth £3000.
She lives within walking distance of her
new workplace ?
accueillir
grossiste
large choix de produits
gagner (un prix)
facilement accessible à pied
BUSINESS OJECTIVES
UNIT 4 : EXCHANGING INFORMATION
a campsite
a camping holiday
a way
adjustable
aerosol
bar code
be designed for
be easy to
be fine for
be interested in
The campsite is in a beautiful location next
to the beach.
I went on a camping holiday in Spain last
summer.
I do not like his way of working.
= easy to change to a new position
These books are designed for children.
It's easy to see why this product is so
popular.
un camping
des vacances en camping
façon, manière
réglable
aérosol, bombe aérosol
code-barres
être fabriqué, conçu pour
être facile à
être bien pour
I'm very interested in buying those goods.
être intéressé par
be popular
These mobile phones are very popular
among / with teenagers.
avoir du succès
be successful
= be popular
be suitable for
The product is not suitable for children.
be used for… (+ing)
These lights are used for illuminating the
playing area.
boring
build, built, built
can opener
carry
circular
cold
collapsible
comfortable
compact
competitive
construction materials
contest (n)
crowded
The film was so boring that I left.
We're going to build a hotel near the lake.
être utilisé pour
ennuyeux
construire
ouvre-boîtes
Let me carry that box for you.
The ship was carrying drugs.
≠ square
≠ warm
Collapsible chairs can be folded (* pliées).
≠ uncomfortable
The camera is so compact that it takes
very little space.
They have a wide range of phones at
competitive prices.
rubber, paper, wood, …
She won a beauty contest when she was 18
or 19.
The bus was so crowded that we had to
stand. [≠ empty]
porter, transporter
circulaire, rond
froid
pliant
confortable
compact
compétitif, concurrentiel
matériaux de construction
concours
bondé
contenance en m3
cubic capacity
design (v)
avoir du succès
être approprié / recommandé
pour
These clothes are designed by young
fashion designers.
concevoir, créer
detached
domestic
maintenance
ecological
effective
efficient
entertain
They bought a detached house.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) : GNP
Produit National Brut
Old houses need a lot of maintenance.
The destruction of the rain forests is an
ecological disaster.
The advertisement was very effective: the
product sold well.
We need someone really efficient who can
organize the office.
It's very important to entertain our best
customers.
entertaining
We had an entertaining evening.
environmentally friendly
Environmentally-friendly products are not
harmful to the environment.
experienced
She is both experienced and self-assured.
explanation
famous
fast
What was her explanation for her absence
?
Many famous people have stayed in the
hotel: Brad Pitt, …
The fast train to London takes less than an
hour.
individuelle (maison)
intérieur
entretien
écologique
efficace
efficace, compétent
divertir, recevoir
amusant
respectueux de
l'environnement
expérimenté
explication
célèbre
rapide
features
Our latest mobile phone has several new
features.
les caractéristiques (d'un
produit)
fit, fitted (BR) / fit (AM)
These trousers really fit you = They are
the right size.
aller, être à la bonne taille
five-star (adj.)
flame-thrower
fleet
flip-chart
fold
forward (v)
forwarding agent
friendly
game
guarantee (v + n)
healthy
I stayed in a five-star hotel.
flotte (navale)
A flip chart is a board standing on legs
with large pieces of paper fixed to the top
which can be turned over.
I folded the letter (in half) and put it in an
envelope.
I'll forward [ = send] his email to you if
you're interested.
Your order will be delivered by our
forwarding agent.
Why is he suddenly so friendly towards
you, Charlotte?
We played card games last night.
If you apply for the job, I can guarantee
you an interview.
I have a healthy diet. [ = * Je mange
sainement.]
high stability
high-quality (adj)
impolite, rude
5 étoiles
lance-flammes
tableau de conférence
plier
expédier (marchandises),
transférer (mail)
transitaire
gentil, amical
jeu, match, partie (de …)
garantir, garantie
sain, bon pour la santé
grande stabilité
We only use high-quality material for our
furniture.
That was a very impolite [ = rude] remark.
[ ≠ polite]
de bonne qualité
malpoli
inefficient
Our methods of production are expensive
and inefficient.
inefficace
inexperienced
He is a young inexperienced employee.
sans expérience,
inexpérimenté
informative
This is an interesting and highly
informative book.
instructif
interesting
journey
I found his talk very interesting.
intéressant
Did you have a good journey ?
keep a record of sth
Keep a record of everything you spend.
large
lectern
We need a larger factory.
voyage, trajet
noter, consigner, garder un
procès-verbal de …
grand, important
pupitre, lutrin
lecture
litter
We went to a lecture on modern Italian
literature.
People who drop litter can be fined in some
cities.
conférence, cours magistral
déchets
low cost
EasyJet is a low-cost airline.
bon marché, à bas prix
make
make a product = to manufacture
make a presentation / a mistake / a
phone call
faire
750 manual workers will lose their jobs.
manuel
manual
marker (pen)
market (v)
market sector
microphone
missing
old-fashioned
originally
overhead projector (OHP)
padded
pinball machine
plastic
point of sale
portable
They plan to market the toy for children
aged 2 to 6.
My key has been missing for days.
He wears really old-fashioned [≠ modern]
clothes.
We originally intended to stay for just a
few days.
She used an overhead projector to show
the statistics.
marker, stylo feutre
mettre sur le marché,
commercialiser
secteur de marché
micro
manquant
démodé
au début
rétroprojecteur
The shoes are padded to protect the foot.
rembourré
Toys are often made of plastic.
flipper
plastique
Under the new law, cigarette advertising
will only be allowed at the point of sale.
Do you have a portable telephone /
computer / … ?
point de vente
portable, portatif,
private
Mr Morris has a private jet.
privé
professional
What professional qualifications does he
have?
professionnel
The boat is propelled by a small motor.
propulser
Sue pulled the arm off her doll.
enlever, ôter, …
enfoncer, appuyer sur
propel
pull off
push in
railroad cars
wagons de chemin de fer
raw material
Oil is a raw material which can be
processed into many different products,
including plastics.
matière première
reliable
Mr Miller is a reliable man.
digne de confiance, fiable
remote control
replace
ring-pull opener
Have you seen the remote control for the
TV anywhere?
The old typewriters were replaced by
modern computers.
Use the ring-pull opener to open the Coke
can.
safety
sell well / sell badly
salesman, salesperson
selling point
set up
short
socket
special feature
spokesman
steel
stock
suitcase
technologically advanced
the early 1960s
tiring
Flying is one of the safest forms of travel.
[ safe ≠ dangerous]
Measures were taken to improve health and
safety at work.
These goods are selling well in most
countries.
My father is a car salesman.
Small classes are a selling point for private
schools.
They want to set up their own importexport business.
The meeting was very short.
He's a bit shorter than me.
[short ≠ long, tall]
Plug the TV into the socket.
sophisticated
→ tired
trailer
trained
trainer
truck
try, tried, tried (v)
remplacer
anneau d'ouverture
construction solide
robust construction
safe
télécommande
[= complex, advanced]
We use sophisticated software.
Our latest model of phone has several
special features.
The government spokesman will soon speak
to the press.
sûr
sécurité
se vendre bien/mal
vendeur
atout, avantage pour le client
fonder, créer, lancer
court
prise électrique
sophistiqué
caractéristiques spéciales
porte-parole
The bridge is made of steel.
acier
I think we have that pen in stock.
stock
Have you packed / unpacked your suitcase
yet ?
This is the most technologically advanced
factory in Europe.
The firm was set up in the early 1960s.
We've all had a very tiring day. So we are
very tired.
The car was pulling a trailer with
motorcycle on it.
All staff will be trained in customer
service skills.
A lot of rich people have their own personal
trainer.
[truck (US) = a lorry (Br)]
The goods were delivered by truck.
I tried to phone you but I could not get
through.
valise
technologiquement avancé
au début des années 60
fatigant
→
remorque
formé, qualifié
formateur
camion
essayer
fatigué
uncomfortable
unemployed
useless
user-friendly
valuable
value
virtual
warehouse
well designed
wonderful
wooden
Size and dimension
capacity
carry
This sofa is so uncomfortable.
He's been unemployed for a year.
[ useless ≠ useful ] This website is full of
useless information.
This user-friendly computer is really easy
to use.
This is a really valuable piece of
information. Thank you.
At only £45 a night, the hotel is great
value for money [ ≈ en avoir pour son
argent].
inconfortable
au chômage, chômeur
inutile
facile d'utilisation
de valeur
valeur
virtuel
The goods are stored in that warehouse.
dépôt, entrepôt
Your office furniture is really well
designed.
bien conçu
We had a wonderful time in Spain.
fantastique
We should buy wooden chairs.
en bois
The fuel tank has a capacity of 40 litres.
capacité
- How much can the van carry ?
- It can carry 1,160kg.
porter, transporter
circulaire
circular
component
The firm makes electronic components for
computers.
composant
dimension
Please specify the dimensions of the room.
dimension
height (n)
high (adj)
-
length (n)
long (adj)
load
How high is it ?
It's 45cm high.
The height is 45cm.
How long is it?
It's 33cm long.
The length is 33cm.
What's the maximum load ?
It's 1,160kg.
shape
size
What shape is the table ?
weigh (v) / weight (n)
-
heavy (adj)
width (n)
wide (adj)
Their house is about the same size as ours.
How much does it weigh ?
It weighs 2,5kg.
The weight is 2,5kg.
How heavy is it ?
It weighs 2,5kg.
How wide is it ?
It's 65cm wide.
The width is 65cm.
hauteur
haut
longueur
long
chargement
forme
taille
peser / poids
lourd
lourd
largeur
large
1CPm: Please be sure you know the words from exercises 1, 2, 3 and 5 from
the workbook.
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES
UNIT 5: REPORTING
above average
accessory
achieve
advice ( always singular)
ask for somebody, something
assembly plant
be afraid
be broke (informal)
become
bill
by the end of
case
company motto
Temperatures are above average at the moment.
Sunglasses are much more than a fashion accessory.
We expect to achieve all our sales targets this year.
I need some advice on which computer to buy.
A young man was here asking for you this morning.
The car-assembly plant has just been closed down.
I am afraid there is a problem with our order
I can't afford to go on holiday this year - I'm broke.
Pollution from cars has become a major problem.
Waiter, can I have the bill, please?
au-dessus de la moyenne
accessoire
réaliser, atteindre
conseil
demander (à voir) qn, demander qqch
usine de montage
regretter, être désolé, …
être fauché
devenir
facture, addition
The merchandise will be sent in wooden cases.
d'ici la fin de…
caisse, cas
The company motto is: "Customers are always right."
devise de l'entreprise
It's difficult for a small supermarket to compete against /
with the big supermarkets.
faire de la concurrence à, rivaliser avec
competition
competitive
competitor
There's a lot of competition between computer firms.
concurrence
We have a wide range of TV sets at competitive prices.
concurrentiel, compétitif
concurrent
complain (v) (+ about)
complaint (n)
Employees complained bitterly about working conditions.
The sales assistant is trained to deal with customer
complaints in a friendly manner.
- se plaindre, réclamer
- réclamation, plainte
dealer
demand
design (n)
detailed
dividend
My brother is a second-hand car dealer.
distributeur, concessionnaire
[ ≠ to ask] My boss demanded an explanation.
exiger
plan, …
compete with, against
Could you send the goods by the end of next week ?
We’ve sold as many computers as our competitors.
Have you seen the designs for the new shopping centre?
More detailed information is available on our website.
The company will pay a dividend of 10 cents a share.
détaillé
un dividende
elect
establish (v)
executive (n)
fly, flew, flown
get back
goods
happen
join a company
journey
lead
leadership
let someone know
look into something
manufacturing stage
mass production
merge (v) / merger (n)
owner
pension
pension fund
plant
policy
prepare detailed drawings
product development project
production line
prototype design
purpose
refund (n + v)
repair
We elected Mr Clifford as our representative.
The brewery was established [ = set up] in 1822.
As a top executive, she earns a lot of money.
She is flying back to the States tomorrow.
He got back to the office just before lunchtime.
The goods were not delivered in time.
What happened yesterday at the meeting ?
I joined the company [ = started working] 5 years ago.
The journey from Geneva to Lausanne takes 35 minutes.
Some people say she is too old to lead the country
He has the leadership qualities needed to be a good manager.
Please let me know when you can deliver the goods.
We will look into the possibility of merging the two firms.
Henry Ford introduced mass production methods.
élire
créer, fonder
un cadre (fonction dans entreprise)
voler, prendre l'avion
revenir
marchandises
se produire, arriver, se passer
être engagé, commencer (à travailler …)
trajet, voyage
diriger, être à la tête de
direction, leadership (étoffe d'un chef)
faire savoir, informer
examiner, étudier, …
étape de la production, de la fabrication
production à grande échelle
UBS merged with SBS in the 90s.
The merger of these two companies would create the world's
biggest accounting firm.
fusionner
Are you the owner of this car?
propriétaire
Many people find it hard to live on their old age pension.
pension / retraite (AVS)
A supply of money which many people pay into, especially
employees of a company, and which is invested in order to
provide them with a pension when they are older
caisse de retraite, fonds de pension
/ fusion
The company has adopted a strict no-smoking policy.
usine, fabrique
une (ligne) politique
We are working on a product development project.
préparer des dessins détaillés
projet de développement d’un produit
There is a new chemical plant [ = factory] in the area.
Cars began rolling off the production line [ = assembly line] in
1986. [roll off : sortir de]
chaîne de fabrication
Here's a prototype design of our new car.
plan d'un prototype
The purpose of this meeting is to elect a new chairman.
I took the radio back to the shop and asked for a refund.
but
remboursement / rembourser
How much will it cost to have the TV repaired ?
réparer
replacement
Our old car is badly in need of replacement.
report (n + v)
I've just read your report on your sales trip to China.
Come back next week and report on your progress.
retain control
She has lost her battle to retain control of the firm.
run a feasibility study
self-respect
shelve (a project / plan / …)
short-staffed
specification
stage
straight away
supply (goods)
survive
test stage
trade in (v)
trading company
work long hours
Before setting up a shop here, we should run a feasibility
study.
It's difficult to keep your self-respect when you have been
unemployed for a long time.
produit de substitution, de remplacement
- rapport, compte rendu, …
- faire le compte rendu de, rendre compte
garder le contrôle
mener une étude de faisabilité
estime de soi
Plans to reopen the school have been shelved.
mettre en veilleuse ou en suspens
We are short-staffed [ = short-handed] during holidays.
en sous-effectif
caractéristiques techniques, spécifications
Could you fax me the product specifications ?
The project is in its final stages and should be completed by
August.
I phoned my mum straight away [ =immediately].
The company supplies Fiat with a range of equipment.
I'm sure our company will survive this crisis.
We didn't have any problems at the test stage.
étape, stade
tout de suite, immédiatement
fournir (des marchandises)
survivre
étape de tests
John works for a textile trading company.
faire du commerce de
société d'import-export
Hospital doctors often have to work long hours.
avoir une longue journée de travail
The company trades in silk, tea, and other items.
IN
centuries, years, seasons, months,
decades, parts of the day (with the)
ON
days of the week, dates, named days
(Christmas Day)
AT
time, religious festivals, points in time,
parts of the day (noon / midday)
in 1999
in August
in winter, in the autumn
in the morning / in the afternoon / …
in the 1970s
on Saturday
on 2nd May
on Christmas Eve
at
at
at
at
at
at
There is no preposition with: yesterday, last night, last year, tomorrow, etc.
5.30
Easter
the end of the war
midnight
the weekend
the turn of the century
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES
UNIT 6: SOCIALIZING
Business Lunch
butter
cheese
cream
dessert /di'z∋:t/
flavour
flavoured with
main course
menu
order
pudding
served with
show someone round
slice
starter
sugar
welcome
well-done
beurre
fromage
crème
dessert
- It comes in 6 different flavours = Il
existe en 6 parfums différents.
What are you going to have for your main
course ?
[starter, main course and dessert]
The waiter brought the menu [ = list of
the food that you can eat in a
restaurant] and the wine list.
Are you ready to order ?
What's for pudding ? = Qu'y a-t-il pour
le dessert ?
- flavour : goût, parfum (glace ,…)
- assaisonné, parfumé au goût de …
plat principal
carte, menu
passer une commande (au restaurant)
dessert, pudding
Fish is served with chips or rice.
servi avec
A guide showed us round the exhibition.
faire visiter un endroit à quelqu'un
May I have a slice of bread ?
tranche de
We had soup as a starter, followed by
steak.
entrée
sucre
He is welcoming a client.
accueillir
- How would you like your steak ?
- Well-done.
à point (pour la viande)
Meat
beef
chicken
duck
freeze, froze, frozen
ham
lamb
pork
roast (v + n)
bœuf
poulet
canard
congeler, surgeler
jambon
agneau
porc
rôtir / rôti
Fish
fry
salmon
sole
frire
I'll have slices of Scottish salmon served with toast.
saumon
I'd love Dover sole to follow.
sole
I'll have the apple pie.
pomme
Fruit
apple
cherry, cherries
grapes
peach
raspberry, ies
strawberry, ies
cerise
raisin
pêche
framboise
fraise
Vegetables
carrots
cauliflower
peas
carottes
chou-fleur
petit pois
Would you like some peas ?
Interests and routines
be on time
The plane arrived right on time.
être à l'heure, ponctuel
biography
I have just read a biography of William
Shakespeare.
biographie
classical music (Unc.)
comedy
delay (v + n)
detective story
executive lifestyle
folk music (Unc.)
history book
interests
jazz (Unc.)
His latest film is a romantic comedy.
musique classique
comédie
My train was delayed by half an hour.
retarder / retard
Do you prefer classical music or pop ?
roman policier
She must be rich to support her executive
lifestyle.
style de vie de cadre / de luxe
Folk music is no longer as popular as it was.
musique folk (folklorique)
livre d’histoire (historique)
What are your interests ?
intérêts
jazz
leisure (Unc.)
Watching television is now the nation's
most popular leisure activity.
loisir(s)
musical
She appeared in a Broadway musical.
comédie musicale
novel
Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane
Austen.
roman
Do you listen to rock music or rap ?
musique rock
rock music (Unc.)
science fiction (Unc.)
thriller
science fiction
It's described here as a psychological
thriller.
thriller, roman à suspense
How often do you …?
every day
every month
every two weeks
I watch television every day.
chaque jour
chaque mois
I go to the cinema every two weeks.
chaque 15 jours
never
once a week
three times a month
twice a year
I never watch cartoons.
jamais
We have English once a week.
une fois par semaine
trois fois pas mois
I listen to classical music twice a year.
deux fois par an
accurate
Do you think the statistics are accurate ?
exact, précis
be hungry
I wasn't hungry, so I didn't eat anything on the
plane.
avoir faim
Sorry about the mess - I'll clean it up.
être désolé
"I've bought you a drink." "Cheers, mate."
Santé !
Every country has its own customs.
coutume
I'll drop you off on my way home.
déposer qn (en voiture)
I didn't expect all this traffic.
s'attendre à
fancy
Do you fancy another drink ? = Would you like
another drink?
avoir envie
far
It's not far from home.
loin de, éloigné
for / to
to + verb
I need your car to go shopping.
for + noun or pronoun
This is a book for you.
pour
good at
You're really good at playing chess.
bon en
Miscellaneous
be sorry about
Cheers!
custom
drop someone off
expect
good of you
I don't care.
It's very good [ = nice] of you but I'd like to
walk.
"He looked angry with you." → "I don't care!"
gentil de votre part
Ca m'est égal, je m'en fiche,
I don't care!'
I don't care!'
I don't mind.
I'd prefer
light
pick someone up
See you tomorrow.
spend, spent, spent
the backbone of the
economy
too
Social expressions
I don't mind going out on Saturday evening.
Cela ne me dérange pas
I'd prefer to go to the cinema tonight.
Je préfèrerais …
- You haven't got a light, have you?
- No, I don't smoke
du feu (briquet)
I'll come and pick you up at the station.
venir chercher, prendre qn
See you tomorrow.
A demain!
How many hours do you spend watching
television each week?
Don't spend too much money!
passer du temps, dépenser de
l'argent
Farming is still the backbone of the country's
economy.
la base / la colonne
vertébrale de l'économie
I often read Time magazine, too.
aussi, également
When to use them
Congratulations!
When someone has had a baby, passed an
exam, …
Don't mention it.
When someone says thank you to you.
Happy New Year!
On 1st January.
Have a good trip!
How do you do ?
When someone is going away.
De rien !
Tous mes voeux pour la
nouvelle année !
Bon voyage !
When meeting someone for the first time.
Enchanté !
Félicitations !
I'd love some but I'm on
a diet.
I'm terribly sorry.
Many happy returns of
the day !
No thanks, I'm just
looking.
Sorry ?
That's settled !
When someone offers you some cake.
Malheureusement pas, je suis
au régime.
When you've made a mistake.
Je suis désolé.
On someone's birthday.
Joyeux anniversaire !
When a shop assistant offers to serve you.
Non, merci. Je regarde.
When you didn't hear what someone said.
Pardon ?
When a decision or agreement has been
reached
C'est décidé. C'est réglé.
Ending a conversation
Goodbye / Bye
hang up (hang / hung / hung)
Have a nice day !
Nice to speak to you.
Au revoir
He started shouting so I hung up (on him).
Bonne journée !
We've been talking for an hour. I think it's
time to put the phone down.
put the phone down
raccrocher
Ca m'a fait plaisir de
vous parler.
raccrocher le téléphone
A bientôt !
Speak to you soon.
Transferring information by phone
STARTING
CONTINUING
FINISHING
CHECKING
Ready ?
Go ahead.
Have you got that ?
Got that.
Anything else ?
That's all.
Could you read that back to me ?
Could I read that back
to you ?
Replying to requests
A. Could you …?
A. Can you …?
B. Yes, certainly. / Yes,
of course.
B I'm afraid … / I'm sorry
but…
A. Thank you. /
Thanks.
B. Not at all. / You're
welcome. / It's a
pleasure.
A. OK. It doesn't matter. / Never mind. It's not
important.
Very important!
Learn the standard phrases listed on page 26.
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES
UNIT 7: MEETINGS
achieve an objective
advantage = pros
agenda
He promised to achieve that objective before
the end of his year.
[advantages ( = pros) ≠ disadvantages ( = cons)]
Let's discuss the pros and cons of your proposal.
[ agenda (*ordre du jour) ≠ diary (*agenda )]
There were two important items on the agenda.
atteindre un but
avantage
ordre du jour, programme
Mothers are highly ambitious for their children.
se mettre / être d'accord
sur (after discussion),
convenir de
permettre, autoriser
alternative, choix, autre
solution
ambitieux
He has a very analytical mind.
esprit d’analyse
I'm going to have another cup of coffee.
une autre
Kids, will you stop arguing with each other ?
Women find Brad Pitt very attractive.
se disputer
demander quelque chose
avoir de l'assurance, avoir
de la confiance en soi
attirant, séduisant
John has been absent from work for three days.
être absent de…
I'll have to ask my boss for a day off.
patron
The bank has branches all over the country.
The documents needed are all in my briefcase.
succursale
serviette
We need a meeting to decide on budget cuts.
restriction budgétaire
I'm perfectly capable of doing that alone.
capable
People tend to give to charity at Christmas time.
œuvre de bienfaisance
A TV commercial [ = TV ad] for a cleaning
product caused problems in Canada.
publicité à la télévision
compulsory
confident
Wearing seat belts in cars is compulsory by law.
obligatoire
Be a bit more confident [ = self-confident] !
sûr de soi
cost-effective
It wouldn't be cost-effective to buy an
expensive new computer when all you want to do is
word processing.
This job is so boring. I wish I could do something
more creative. / She is such a creative girl.
They have cut the price of their products by
almost 30 per cent. / A shorter working week
will mean pay cuts for millions of workers.
agree on
We managed to agree on a date for the meeting.
allow
You're not allowed to talk during the exam.
alternative
There is no viable alternative to the present
system.
ambitious
analytical mind
another
argue
ask for
assertive
attractive
be absent from
boss
branch
briefcase
budget cut
capable
charity
commercial (n)
creative
cut, cut, cut (v)
cut (n)
Some people find it difficult to ask for help.
If you really want the promotion, you'll have to be
more assertive.
rentable
créatif
- réduire, diminuer
- coupe, réduction
She is determined to become a top executive.
déterminé
[ ≠ agree] Why do you disagree with my views?
ne pas être d’accord avec
We need to discuss this quality problem.
discuter, débattre
disorganised
[ ≠ organised] He's impossible to work for - he's
so disorganized.
désorganisé
dissatisfied with
[≠ satisfied] My boss is dissatisfied with my work!
mécontent
determined
disagree with
discuss
donation
I'd like to make a donation to your charity appeal.
don
either … or
We should either reduce our prices or make a few
employees redundant.
ou … ou, soit … soit
enthusiastic
All the staff are enthusiastic about the project.
enthousiaste
expenditure
Expenditure [ = costs] on research and
development has increased.
dépenses, frais
Sales figures have risen by 7%.
chiffre
Our flight was delayed.
vol
Freight transport service is more and more
expensive.
service de fret
He didn't give his opinion on the matter.
donner son opinion
His goal is to set up his own business.
but
We're going to halve the budget.
diminuer de moitié
[ ≠ lazy] She is a very hard-working apprentice.
travailleur
Susie has a temperature and has gone to bed.
avoir de la fièvre
Our competitors are headhunting our best
managers. / She was headhunted by a rival firm.
recruter des cadres pour
une entreprise
headhunter
A headhunter tries to persuade someone to leave
their job by offering them another job with more
pay and a higher position.
chasseur de têtes
headhunting, headhunting
= work done by a headhunter.
recrutement de cadres par
approche directe
health centre
A health centre is building where doctors work
and where people can go for medical treatment.
centre médicosocial
She's such a pleasant, helpful person.
serviable, aimable
Let's hold a meeting to discuss this proposal.
tenir
She's honest: she always tells the truth.
honnête, franc
figure
flight
freight transport
service
give an opinion
goal
halve
hard-working
have a temperature
headhunt (v), headhunt
helpful
hold, held, held
honest
instead of
make a point (of doing
sth)
Could I have rice instead of chips ?
au lieu de
He made a point of spending Saturdays with his
children.
make a proposal
We will discuss the new proposal Steve has made.
make redundant
[ = lay off, fire, sack] 250 workers were made
redundant as a result of the economic crisis.
minutes (plural)
Take the minutes of this meeting, please!
national (n)
office hours
opinion
We should employ Spanish nationals.
Can you phone again during office hours ?
ne pas manquer de faire
qqch, veiller à faire qqch
faire une suggestion, une
proposition
licencier (pour des raisons
économiques)
compte-rendu, procèsverbal
un ressortissant du pays
heures de bureau
In my opinion you are wrong.
opinion, avis
outsource
[If a company outsources, it pays to have part of
its work done by another company.] Some firms
outsource all their computing work.
sous-traiter, externaliser
paperwork
I spent the afternoon doing routine paperwork.
patrol
A security guard with a dog patrols the building
site at night.
pay deal
Management and unions have reached a pay deal.
petrol
petrol (BR) = gas (US)
The price of petrol has gone up by 15%.
travail administratif,
paperasserie
faire une patrouille dans …,
surveiller
accord salarial
essence
practise (v)
present
His written English is very good but he needs to
practise speaking it.
He presented the report to his colleagues at the
meeting.
s'entraîner
présenter
The firm made a profit of £25 million last year.
bénéfice
She has been recommended for promotion.
recommander
My colleagues rejected my proposal.
rejeter
I'll phone the restaurant to make a reservation.
réservation
I'll review what we do more regularly.
revoir, réviser
review (n)
The company is conducting a review of its safety
procedures.
examen, révision
rise, rose, risen
Sales rose [ = went up] by 20% last December.
running costs
Running costs are the amount of money you need
to operate an organization, system or machine.
profit
recommend
reject
reservation
review (v)
sales organization
save money
He saved enough money to buy a small house.
monter, augmenter
frais d'exploitation, frais
d'entretien
planification des ventes
économiser
très motivé (de par soimême)
autonome, autarcique
self-motivated
He is really self-motivated: he will no doubt
succeed if he goes on working so hard.
self-sufficient
Australia is 65% self-sufficient in oil.
share (n)
They were able to sell their shares at a higher
price. / The company US market share fell
from 25% to 18%
action (en bourse) / part
de marché
We didn't have enough books so we had to share.
partager
You should read his new book.
devrais, devrait, …
She signalled to the children to come inside.
faire un signe à qn
He is a slow walker = He walks slowly.
lent, lentement
stressé
share (v)
should + infinitive
signal to someone
slow (adj),slowly (adv)
stressed (out)
I was really stressed (out) before the exam.
I suggest waiting for him before we start the
meeting.
suggérer, proposer
tax, taxes
teamwork
They're putting up the tax on cigarettes.
impôts
I don't like team work. I'm an individualist.
the foyer of a hotel
We'll meet in the foyer [ = lobby] of the hotel.
ticket
tight
tighten
I got a £25 parking ticket in Baker Street.
travail en équipe
foyer, hall d'entrée d'un
hôtel
amende, P.V.
She was wearing tight jeans.
serré
Management has decided to tighten the rules.
What are your views [= opinion] on the subject ?
renforcer, resserer
timing, choix du moment
opportun
opinion, point de vue, …
Don't wait too long for me. I might be very late…
attendre
It's a waste of time.
perte, gaspillage
Don't waste your time ! Don't waste your money
on that junk !
gaspiller, perdre
suggest
timing
views
wait for
waste (n)
waste (v)
LANGUAGE SKILLS
basic
competent
fluent, fluently
The important thing is timing: this product will
have to be launched at the right time.
He has basic skills in French. [notions de base en …]
de base
Is he really competent to do that job ?
compétent, capable
He speaks English fluently.
courant, couramment
mother tongue
Her mother tongue is Spanish.
He speaks English like a native (comme si c'était sa
native
langue maternelle).
- He speaks French very well.
- Of course. He is a French native speaker.
langue maternelle
- autochtone,indigène,
- locuteur natif
(francophone,
anglophone,…)
proficient
He is proficient in [* très compétent en …] English,
but her German is really basic.
compétent, excellent
same … as
Bill works for the same firm as his brother.
le même … que
Speaking at meetings
I didn't follow what you said.
Any views on this ?
Are we all agreed ?
Can we get back to the main point ?
Can we get to the main point ?
Could you handle that ?
Could you deal with that ?
Could you take care of that ?
Do you want to recruit more staff ?
How do you feel about that proposal … ?
I don’t agree.
I don’t think we should …
I think we should …
It’s a waste of time.
Let's turn to …
Shall we get started ?
Shall we move on ?
Suggest three different solutions to this
problem.
… Je n'ai pas suivi ce que vous avez dit.
Des avis, des idées à ce sujet ?
Est-on tous d'accord ?
Peut-on retourner au point principal ?
Peut-on passer au point principal ? Peut-on
aborder le point central ?
Pourriez-vous vous occuper de cela ?
Voulez-vous engager plus de personnel ?
Que pensez-vous de cette proposition ?
Je ne suis pas d'accord.
Je ne pense pas que nous devrions …
Je pense que nous devrions …
C'est une perte de temps.
Allons au point … Abordons le point … Passons à …
On pourrait peut-être commencer.
On continue ?
We could … / On pourrait…
Shall we … ? / Est-ce qu'on … ?
Why don't we see if …? / Pourquoi ne
regarderait-on pas si … ?
The important thing here is …
We can either … or …
We need to discuss …
We need to …
What do you mean by …?
What do you think ?
Why don’t we …?
Problem
Ce qui est important ici c'est …
On peut soit … soit …
Nous devons parler de …/ Nous devons aborder le
sujet de …
Nous avons besoin de … / Nous devons …
Que voulez-vous dire par…? Qu'entendez-vous par
…?
Qu'en pensez-vous?
Pourquoi ne nous … pas …?
Making suggestions
We could learn Japanese.
We've got some meetings with clients from Shall we get an interpreter ?
Tokyo, but none of us speaks Japanese.
Why don't we see if they can speak
English ?
Linking words
Give a reason
to
pour, afin de
We left work early to [ = in order to / so as to] avoid the traffic.
in order to
pour, afin de
We left work early in order to [ = to / so as to] avoid the
traffic.
so as to
so that
pour, afin de
pour que
I drove at 50 mph so as to [ = to / in order to] save fuel.
Why don't you leave earlier so that you don't have to hurry ?
Compare
in the same way
likewise
de la même façon
de même, aussi
similarly
de même, de la même
façon
The problem didn't affect Anna in the same way.
I'll send a letter of apology and I suggest that you do
likewise.
The cost of food and clothing has risen in recent
years. Similarly, fuel prices have gone up quite
considerably.
Explain
as a result
as a result of
because of
so
en conséquence
à la suite de
à cause de
Sales have dropped. Profits have declined as a result.
donc
I was feeling hungry, so I made myself a sandwich.
Profits have declined as a result of the recent drop in sales.
He had to retire because of ill health.
Oppose
however
nevertheless
on the contrary
though
Give examples
for example
for instance
like
such as
cependant,
toutefois
néanmoins
au contraire
pourtant,
cependant
par exemple
par exemple
comme, tel que
comme, tel que
add something
also
Setting up a business is exciting. However, it requires a great
deal of effort.
What you said was true. It was, nevertheless, a little unkind.
It wasn't a good thing; on the contrary it was a big mistake.
Two heart attacks in a year. It hasn't stopped him smoking,
though.
In the tourist industry, for example, 5000 jobs have been lost.
In the tourist industry, for instance, 5000 jobs have been lost.
Things like glass, paper, and plastic can all be recycled.
Things such as glass, paper, and plastic can all be recycled.
aussi, également
besides
ainsi que, en plus de, de
même que
de plus
not only … but also …
non seulement … mais aussi
as well as…
She's a photographer and also writes
books.
They own a house in France as well as a
villa in Spain.
I don't want to go out tonight. Besides, I
haven't got any money.
The system was not only complicated but
also ineffective.
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES
UNIT 8: MAKING ARRANGEMENTS
accommodation
afterwards
appointment
- be late for an
appointment
- cancel an appointment
- have an appointment
- can't keep an
appointment
- make an appointment
- postpone an
appointment
arrange
arrangement
avoid
be ill
There's a shortage of cheap accommodation
in Geneva.
We had tea, and afterwards we sat in the
garden for a while.
- She's always punctual so I don't want to be
late for our appointment.
- Mr Smith is ill so we need to cancel his
appointments.
- I have an appointment to see Mr Smith at
2.30.
- I can't keep my appointment on the 3rd.
- I'm afraid. I can't make it for the
appointment.
- I'd like to make an appointment to see the
manager.
- I'm sorry to be a nuisance but could we
postpone our appointment until next week?
Beth arranged a meeting with the marketing
director.
They'd made all the arrangements for the
party.
I avoid going shopping on Saturdays.
Bridget can't come to work - she's ill.
th
logement
après, ensuite
rendez-vous
- être en retard à un rdv
- annuler un rdv
- avoir un rdv
- ne pas pouvoir être présent
au rdv
- fixer un rdv
- repousser, reporter un rdv
organiser, convenir de
disposition, accord,
arrangement
éviter
être malade
être très occupé, avoir bc à
faire
be tied up
I'm afraid I'm tied up on the 26 . How about
the 28th ?
book
She's booked a table for four at their
favourite restaurant.
réserver
My parents met on a coach tour in Italy
excursion en car
What time would it be convenient for you ?
commode, pratique
[be convenient: convenir à]
I've never kept (= written about what has
happened to me in) a diary.
[ ≠ agenda : ordre du jour]
agenda
Jane's party was the social event of the year.
événement (social)
I really don't feel like going to work today.
avoir envie de
Shall we fix a time for our next meeting?
fixer une heure, une réunion,
un rendez-vous
We stayed at the Hotel Ibis.
hôtel
coach tour
(be) convenient
diary
event / social event
feel like doing
something
fix a time, a meeting,
an appointment
hotel
itinerary
look forward to + -ing
manage
The tour operator arranged transport and
planned our itinerary.
I'm looking / I look forward to seeing you
soon.
We look forward to hearing from you as soon
as possible.
- He was asked to manage a new department.
- We managed to get to the airport in time.
itinéraire
- attendre avec impatience
- Dans l'attente de vos
nouvelles …
- gérer, diriger
- réussir (à faire qqch)
I'll pick you up at the station.
be a nuisance: déranger,
importuner qqun
ouvrir
client, client régulier d'un
restaurant, bar, bistrot…
aller chercher quelqu’un
What are your plans for this weekend ?
projet
Hope to see you soon. Regards,
Chris
Salutations à la fin d'un Fax
ou d'un e-mail
(be a) nuisance
I hate to be a nuisance, but could you help
me ?
open
Sarah had recently opened an office in Genoa.
patron
Will patrons [ = customers] kindly note that
this pub will be closed on 12th July ?
pick up
plan
Regards
Kind regards
Best regards
schedule (v + n)
see
show
shuttle
sound
The meeting has been scheduled for
tomorrow afternoon.
How can he fit everything into his busy
schedule ?
See you on Thursday at ten, then.
See you ! : Salut. A plus !
Figures show a 9% rise in inflation.
There's a shuttle service from the city
centre to the airport.
He sounded very depressed when we spoke on
the telephone yesterday.
- établir le programme
- programme, planning
voir
montrer, indiquer
navette
avoir l'air, sembler
spell
How do you spell "Beckham" ?
épeler
suit
- How about two o'clock outside the cinema ?
- That suits me fine.
convenir à, aller à
tourist spot
Disneyworld is a very popular tourist spot.
lieu touristique
EXPRESSIONS
Are you free … / How about next
Wednesday ?
Fine, thank you for calling.
Hello, nice to hear from you.
I can make / manage Friday.
I'm afraid I can't come / make it to
Tuesday's meeting.
I'm afraid I can't make it.
I'm afraid I'm busy / tied up.
That would be nice.
That's a good idea.
That's fine.
We need to arrange / to find a time for a
meeting.
What day / What time would suit you /
would be convenient ?
Etes-vous libre … ? / Que diriez-vous de mercredi
prochain ?
Merci d'avoir appelé.
Bonjour, content d'avoir de vos nouvelles.
Je peux m'arranger pour vendredi. / Vendredi me
va, me convient.
Désolé, je ne pourrai pas venir à la réunion de
mardi.
Désolé, je n'y arriverai pas.
Désolé, je suis occupé.
Ca serait bien / sympa.
C'est une bonne idée.
C'est bien.
On doit trouver un moment pour une réunion.
- Quel jour vous conviendrait-il ?
- A quelle heure cela vous conviendrait-il ?
Inviting…
Saying YES!
Saying NO!
- Would you like to … ?
- Do you feel like … -ing ?
- How about … -ing ?
- Thank you. I'd love / like
that.
- That would be lovely.
- That's a good idea.
- Yeah, great!
-
Fixing a time…
Saying YES!
Saying NO!
- Can you make 2 o'clock on
Thursday ?
- Can you manage 9am
tomorrow ?
- How about 10.15 ?
- Are you free on the 26th at
3.30 ?
- Yes, that suits me.
- Yes, I'm free.
- Yes, that's fine.
- I'm afraid I can't make it.
- I'm afraid I can't manage
it.
- I'm afraid I'm tied up.
Dates
Writing the dates:
Saying the dates:
What's the problem when you
see: 6/10/06?
I'd love to but …
I'm sorry, but …
Well, actually …
I'm afraid …
British English
American English
15/04/06
15th April 2006
the fifteenth of April two
thousand and six
Notice that in English we
say the and of when
giving dates, but we do not
use the and of when we
write them.
04/15/06
April 15th 2006
We say both April the
fifteenth and April fifteenth.
Use only the British
system!
In England we refer to 6th October, whereas in America we refer
to June 10th.
Cultural note: There has been a trial for compensation for late
delivery on a cargo shipment and though they didn’t win it, it was
advised to use the British system internationally or write the date
in full !
Expressions
Hello. My name is ….
Hi !
Good morning.
Good afternoon.
Good evening.
Bonjour. Je m’appelle ….
Salut !
Bonjour !
Bonjour ! (après-midi)
Bonsoir.
How do you do ? Answer: How do you do! ?
I didn’t understand what you said.
Could you repeat, please ?
I don't think we've met.
I work for …. I’m an apprentice.
I’m responsible for budgeting.
Just for fun !
May I introduce you to Peter Brown ?
Nice to meet you.
Pleased to meet you.
Peter, this is Mike Smith of Hewlett Packard.
Toss a coin !
What line of business are you in ?
What do you do for a living ?
I'd like to …
Question words
How far is it ?
How long does it take you to get to work ?
What nationality are you ?
When do you start work in the morning ?
What time do you have lunch ?
Where are you from ?
Where do you work ?
Why are you studying English ?
Why don't you come along ?
Enchanté ! Très heureux (de faire votre
connaissance) !
Je n’ai pas compris ce que vous avez dit.
Pourriez-vous répéter, SVP ?
Je ne crois pas que nous nous soyons rencontrés.
Je travaille pour… . Je suis apprenti(e)
Je suis responsable du budget.
Juste pour s'amuser !
Puis-je vous présenter à Peter Brown ?
Ravi de vous rencontrer.
Peter, voici Mike Smith de HP.
Faites pile ou face !
Dans quel domaine êtes-vous ?
Que faites-vous dans la vie ?
J'aimerais
Only 500 meters.
About 15 minutes.
I'm Swiss.
At 8 o'clock !
At noon.
I'm from Italy.
In Meyrin.
I need it for my job.
Because I'm too busy.
Adverbs of frequency
always
never
often
rarely
sometimes
usually
We never listen to music in class.
toujours
jamais
She often writes letters.
souvent
They rarely deal with customers.
rarement
Do you sometimes travel abroad?
parfois
He is usually on time.
habituellement
We always attend his meetings.
BUSINESS OBJECTIVES
UNIT 9: DESCRIBING TRENDS
according to
afford to
as
assembly line
average
According to our records you owe us $130.
selon….
I can't afford to buy a house.
avoir les moyens d'acheter, …
As you can see in the graph, production rises steadily.
comme
Working on an assembly line can be extremely boring.
chaîne de montage
On average, men still earn more than women.
moyenne
10
7
bar chart
graphique à barres, code-barres
4
1
0
be due to
billion
bottle (v)
break into, broke, broken
bring back, brought,
brought
complimentary
20
40
60
80
10 0
12 0
His new book is due to be published next year. [ = We expect his new book to be
published next year.]
… doit être, devrait être, …
The final cost could be as much as one billion dollars.
milliard
The whisky is bottled here before being sent abroad.
Those firms have failed in their attempts to break into the Chinese market.
Someone broke into my house and stole my computer.
mettre en bouteille
- pénétrer
- entrer par effraction
The spring sales brought us back to our former level.
ramener
I've got some complimentary [ = free] tickets for the theatre tonight.
consumer spending
Consumer spending has more than doubled in the last ten years.
debt
distinctive
double (v + n + a)
due to
earnings (pl)
entertainment costs
He managed to pay off his debts in two years.
gratuit
dépenses des ménages, dépenses de
consommation
dette
She's got a very distinctive voice.
distinctif, caractéristique
The number of countries with bottling plants nearly doubled.
doubler, double, sosie
The rise in distribution costs was due to the increase in petrol prices.
dû à, attribuable à
The company's earnings have dropped by 5% in the first quarter.
gain(s), profits, bénéfices
We have to keep our entertainment costs down.
frais de représentation
- avoir peur de
- crainte, peur
fear (v + n)
Most older employees fear unemployment.
The low profit figures simply confirmed my worst fears.
Business+Objectives+Vocabulary+Units+1-10++Revised+version[1].doc
finances
find out
for sale
go out of business
graph
We keep a tight control on the organization's finances.
finances
I want you to find out how much all this is going to cost.
se renseigner sur, découvrir, …
Is this painting for sale ?
à vendre
Small firms went out of business as a result of the economic crisis.
fermer, cesser ses activités
Martin showed us a graph of our recent sales.
graphique
12 0
10 0
histogram [ = a bar chart]
80
histogramme
60
40
20
0
1
imitate
interest rate
lead to, led, led
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Our methods have been imitated [ = copied] all over the world.
imiter
Banks have just raised their interest rates by 2%.
taux d’intérêt
This led to a fall in sales. / The factory automation led to an increase in productivity.
conduire à, mener à
12 0
linear graph /
linear diagram
10 0
80
60
Sé r ie1
40
graphique linéaire, tableau de courbes
Sé r ie2
20
0
1
meet demand
million
nearly
novelty
on sale
overseas (n + adj. + adv)
owe
package
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
répondre à la demande
million
I nearly [ = almost] always go home for lunch.
presque
They sell a selection of novelties [ = cheap unusual objects] and T-shirts.
(article de) fantaisie, nouveauté
A wide range of postcards and souvenirs are on sale in the visitors' centre.
en vente
We need to open up overseas markets.
Many more people go /travel / live / work overseas these days.
outre-mer, à l'étranger
He owes me a lot of money.
devoir (de l'argent)
The postman has just delivered a package for you.
colis, paquet
graphique circulaire, "camembert",
diagramme à secteur
pie chart, pie graph
prefer, preferred
10
There was such a rush on this new product that the manufacturers could not meet
demand.
Our turnover increased by 50 million francs last year.
So today millions of people all over the world are drinking Coke.
Employees prefer more flexible working hours.
préférer
Business+Objectives+Vocabulary+Units+1-10++Revised+version[1].doc
premises (pl)
priceless
rate
receipt
recover
recovery
result from
result in
retail price
retailer
save time
sign
staff turnover
successful
supplier
take off
trend
voucher
whatever
wherever
workplace
The ice cream is made on the premises (= in the building where it is sold).
locaux, lieux
A priceless collection of vases was destroyed.
d’une valeur inestimable
Australia's unemployment rate rose to 6.5% in February.
taux
Keep your receipt in case you want to bring it back.
reçu
The tourist industry is recovering slowly.
se redresser, se rétablir
At last the economy is showing signs of recovery (= is starting to improve).
reprise, redressement économique
We are still dealing with problems resulting from errors made in the past.
découler de, résulter de
Workers fear that the company's reorganization will result in layoffs
(*licenciements).
mener à, se traduire par
This item is sold at a retail price of £8.99.
prix de détail
A retailer is a person or company that sells goods to the public in a shop.
détaillant
We'll save a lot of time if we go by car.
gagner du temps
There is a sign displaying the name of the company on the roof.
enseigne, panneau publicitaire
As a result of the low wages, there is a high staff turnover in that firm.
renouvellement du personnel
She runs a very successful computer business.
qui a du succès, prospère
Our firm is now the UK's largest supplier of office equipment.
Internet shopping will really take off when people become convinced that it is secure.
fournisseur
décoller
The current trend is towards more part-time employment.
tendance
The voucher [ = coupon] can be used at most major supermarkets.
bon, coupon
Their children are really allowed to do whatever they like.
- tout ce que … , n'importe quoi
We can go on holiday wherever you like.
- où que … , n'importe où
We need to improve the safety standards in the workplace.
lieu de travail
Business+Objectives+Vocabulary+Units+1-10++Revised+version[1].doc
Analysing a rise
climb (v + n)
Our costs have climbed rapidly in the last few years.
There has been a steady climb in house prices.
Prices went up slightly last year.
go up
grow, grew, grown Sales of new cars grew by 10% last year.
We've seen a rapid growth in the number of firms using the Web.
growth
increase (v + n)
The rate of unemployment increased to 11% in September.
The government has just announced a tax increase.
jump (v + n)
Profits jumped to £2.6 million last year.
There has been a jump in inflation rates.
raise
Many shops have raised their prices.
rise, rose, risen
rise (n)
Sales rose by 20% over the Christmas period last December.
The budget rose from £175,000 in 1999 to £22.5 million in 2001.
August has seen a sharp rise in the number of unemployed people.
soar (v)
The price of petrol has soared in recent weeks.
surge (v + n)
The company's profits have surged.
There has been a surge in house prices recently.
collapse (v + n)
Many companies simply collapsed under the weight of debt.
His business was in danger of collapse.
decline (v + n)
Car sales have declined by 25%..
Fortunately, there was a rapid decline in unemployment.
decrease (v + n)
Interest rates decreased by 2% in May.
There has been a steady decrease in the number of visitors.
drop (v + n)
Their share of the market dropped to 50 percent this year.
Manufacturers report a big drop in new orders.
fall, fell, fallen
fall
The pound has fallen to its lowest-ever level against the dollar.
Oil prices have fallen by 2%.
There has been a fall in the unemployment rate this year.
go down
Inflation went down from 5,5% in December to 5% in January.
plunge (v + n)
The unemployment rate plunged sharply.
There has been a dramatic plunge in house prices.
- augmenter, grimper
- augmentation
augmenter, monter
augmenter, croître
croissance,
- augmenter
- augmentation
- monter en flèche, faire un bond
- bond, augmentation importante
augmenter
- monter, augmenter
- augmentation
- grimper en flèche
- augmenter brusquement
- forte augmentation, envolée
Analysing a fall
- s’effondrer, s'écrouler
- effondrement
- baisser
- baisse
- diminuer, baisser
- diminution, baisse
- baisser, diminuer
- baisse, chute
- tomber, baisser, chuter
- baisse, chute
baisser, diminuer
- chuter, dégringoler
- chute
Business+Objectives+Vocabulary+Units+1-10++Revised+version[1].doc
reduce
reduction
worsen
worsening
The workforce has been reduced by half.
réduire
There was a slight reduction in the price of oil last May.
réduction
As the company's financial problems worsened, several managers resigned.
se détériorer, empirer, se dégrader
The survey shows a worsening of the economic situation.
détérioration, dégradation
Nuances
dramatic / dramatically
There has been a dramatic increase in sales in the past few weeks.
Sales have increased dramatically in the past few weeks.
sharp / sharply
The has been a sharp increase in oil prices.
Oil prices have increased sharply.
slight, slightly
The has been a slight increase in oil prices.
Oil prices have increased slightly.
steady, steadily
There has been a steady increase in sales since last year.
Sales have increased steadily since last year.
slow, slowly
Business is always slow in summer because everyone's on holiday.
Slowly but surely, the company is becoming successful again.
- spectaculaire
- spectaculairement
- fort, brusque, soudain
- fortement, brusquement
- léger
- légèrement
- régulier
- régulièrement
- stagnant, lent (les affaires stagent)
- lentement, peu à peu
Market Share
100
80
60
40
20
0
1990
1991
1992
1
We had a slight increase in market share in 1991, followed by a sharp fall
in 1992, when we sold a brand. But a successful new brand launched in 1993
meant there was a dramatic recovery that year, and a steady increase in
1994 and 1995 too.
1993
1994
1995
Business+Objectives+Vocabulary+Units+1-10++Revised+version[1].doc
Money
borrow from
give to
invest in
We borrowed a lot of money from the bank.
emprunter
We gave a lot of money to charity.
donner
We invested a lot of money in the business.
investir
In 1990 the group made £4m from investments in overseas companies.
We made a lot of money from our overseas investments.
faire
We owed a lot of money to our suppliers.
devoir de l’argent
We saved a lot of money on our energy bills.
économiser
spend on
Consumer spending rose sharply in November.
We spent a lot of money on training courses.
dépenser
waste on
We wasted a lot of money on unnecessary equipment.
gaspiller
make from
owe to
save on
Business+Objectives+Vocabulary+Units+1-10++Revised+version[1].doc
UNIT 10: PROGRESS UPDATES
Presentation
equipment
machinery
to fix
to break down
call-outs
target
performance figure
annual profit
cost
home sales
export sales
working parts
to repair
équipment
méchanisme, machines
réparer
casser, tomber en panne
but
les chiffres
le benefice annuel
le coût
Employment
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
to
resign
dismiss
retire
take on
transfer
sack
recruit
make redundant
fire
take early retirement
Extra vocabulary
Business+Objectives+Vocabulary+Units+1-10++Revised+version[1].doc