French Phrase
Je dois prendre un autre rendez‑vous ?
Meaning
The speaker is asking whether it is necessary to schedule a new appointment, usually after a cancellation, a missed meeting, or when the current slot no longer works. The tone is polite and slightly tentative, typical of French business or medical contexts.
When to use
Use this sentence when you need clarification about setting a new meeting after a change of plans – for example, after a doctor’s office informs you that your slot is no longer available, or when a colleague cancels a scheduled call.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jedoisprendreunautrerendez‑vous?
Je (subject pronoun)
First‑person singular pronoun used as the subject of the verb.
dois (devoir)
Present‑tense form of the modal verb devoir, expressing obligation or necessity.
prendre (infinitive)
Infinitive verb that follows devoir; means “to take / to make” in the sense of arranging an appointment.
un autre (indefinite article + adjective)
‘un’ is the masculine singular indefinite article; ‘autre’ means ‘another’ and agrees in gender and number with the noun that follows.
rendez‑vous (compound noun)
A hyphenated noun meaning ‘appointment, meeting, date’; always written with a hyphen in French.
Question mark
Raising the intonation at the end of the sentence turns the statement into a polite question.
🗨In Conversation
Je suis désolé, je ne pourrai pas venir à notre réunion de 15 h.
I’m sorry, I won’t be able to attend our 3 p.m. meeting.
Je dois prendre un autre rendez‑vous ?
Do I need to set up another appointment?
✕Common Mistakes
Je dois prendre un autre rendez vous ?
The noun is always hyphenated: ‘rendez‑vous’.
Je doit prendre un autre rendez‑vous ?
‘Doit’ is the third‑person singular form; with ‘Je’ you need ‘dois’.
Je dois prendre un autre rendez‑vouses ?
‘Rendez‑vous’ is invariable; do not add an ‘s’ for the plural unless you mean multiple appointments.
↔Alternatives
Dois‑je fixer un autre rendez‑vous ?
Should I schedule another appointment?
Faut‑il prendre un autre rendez‑vous ?
Is it necessary to take another appointment?
Est‑ce que je dois prendre un autre rendez‑vous ?
Do I have to make another appointment?
Cultural Tip
In French, ‘rendez‑vous’ covers everything from a doctor’s visit to a coffee with a friend. When speaking formally (e.g., with a doctor or a client), keep the polite form ‘Je dois…’ and avoid overly casual shortcuts. Remember that the hyphen is mandatory; writing ‘rendez vous’ is considered a spelling error. Also, French speakers often add a brief apology before asking to reschedule, showing respect for the other person’s time.