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How to Say ‘He was on leave’ in French

Il était en congé

eel ay-TAY ahn kohn-ZHAY

[eel ay-TAY ahn kohn-ZHAY]

💬 Usage Tip: En congé means off work, on leave, or on holiday from a job. Use être en congé for any time off: Je suis en congé demain "I'm off tomorrow".

Phrase Breakdown

Il était

eel ay-TAY

He was

This is the imperfect tense of 'être', used for describing a state in the past. Say it 'ee-lay-TAY'.

Example

Il était fatigué.

He was tired.

Words in this phrase

Il

[eel]

he

Third person singular subject pronoun.

Example

Il est heureux.

He is happy.

était

[ay-TAY]

was

Imperfect form of 'être' meaning 'was' or 'used to be.'

Example

C'était un moment agréable pour parler de nos projets.

It was a pleasant moment to talk about our projects.

en congé

ahn kohn-ZHAY

on leave / off work

'Être en congé' means 'to be on leave' or 'on holiday from work'. Say it 'ahn kon-ZHAY'.

Example

Je suis en congé demain.

I'm off work tomorrow.

Words in this phrase

en

[ahn]

on

Used in set phrases describing a state, like 'en congé' (on leave).

Example

Je suis en vacances.

I'm on holiday.

congé

[kohn-ZHAY]

leave, day off

Time off work; 'en congé' means on leave.

Example

J'ai un jour de congé.

I have a day off.

Related guides

French Conversation for Beginners: 6 Everyday Dialogues You'll Actually UseSix basic French conversations for beginners, from greeting a neighbour and introducing yourself to booking a restaurant, with translations, native audio and the phrases that keep them going.Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.

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