French Phrase
Ils sont en réunion.
Meaning
Literally ‘They are in a meeting.’ It tells the listener that a group of people (usually colleagues) is currently occupied with a meeting, either in person or virtually.
When to use
Use this sentence in professional or informal contexts when you need to explain why a group is unavailable, when you’re reporting the status of a team, or when you’re asking if someone can be reached.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ilssontenréunion
Subject pronoun
‘Ils’ is the third‑person plural masculine (or mixed‑gender) subject pronoun meaning ‘they’.
Être (present)
‘sont’ is the 3rd‑person plural present tense of the verb ‘être’ (to be).
Preposition en
‘en’ is used before a noun to indicate a state or activity, here meaning ‘in/while’. It is the standard preposition in the idiom ‘être en réunion’.
Noun gender
‘réunion’ is a feminine noun, but the preposition ‘en’ does not require an article, so you say ‘en réunion’, not ‘en la réunion’.
🗨In Conversation
Où sont les directeurs ?
Where are the managers?
Ils sont en réunion.
They are in a meeting.
✕Common Mistakes
Ils sont à réunion.
‘à’ is not used in this idiom; the correct preposition is ‘en’.
Il sont en réunion.
The verb must agree with the plural subject; use ‘sont’, not ‘est’.
Ils sont le réunion.
Do not add the definite article before ‘réunion’; the set phrase is ‘en réunion’.
↔Alternatives
Ils sont en train de se réunir.
They are meeting.
Ils assistent à une réunion.
They are attending a meeting.
Ils participent à une réunion.
They are taking part in a meeting.
Cultural Tip
In French workplaces it is common to say ‘être en réunion’ to signal that you are not reachable by phone or email. The phrase works for both physical and virtual meetings. Avoid adding an article (e.g., *en la réunion*) – the idiom always uses just ‘en’ plus the noun. In informal spoken French you may also hear the Anglicism ‘être en meeting’, but it is less formal.