French Phrase
Demande les délais de recrutement.
Meaning
A direct request to find out how long the hiring process will take. It asks the interlocutor to provide the expected dates or time‑frames for each step of recruitment.
When to use
Use this sentence in a professional setting—e.g., when you are speaking to a colleague, an HR assistant, or a recruiter—who can give you concrete information about the recruitment schedule. It works well in emails, meetings, or quick spoken exchanges.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Demandelesdélaisderecrutement.
Imperative of demander
‘Demande’ is the second‑person singular affirmative imperative of the verb *demander* (to ask). In formal writing the -s is dropped, unlike the present indicative ‘demande’.
Definite article les
‘les’ is the plural definite article used before a masculine or feminine plural noun.
Noun délais
‘délais’ (plural) means ‘deadlines, time‑frames’. It is masculine and always takes an accent grave on the e.
Preposition de
‘de’ links the noun *délais* to the complement *recrutement*, indicating ‘of’ or ‘for’.
Noun recrutement
‘recrutement’ is a masculine singular noun meaning ‘recruitment’ or ‘hiring process’.
🗨In Conversation
Demande les délais de recrutement.
Ask about the recruitment timelines.
Je vais vérifier avec le service RH et je te reviens d'ici demain.
I’ll check with HR and get back to you by tomorrow.
✕Common Mistakes
Demande le délai de recrutement.
‘le délai’ is singular; the phrase usually refers to several steps, so the plural *délais* is preferred.
Demande les délais du recrutement.
The preposition *de* is standard after *délais*; *du* (de le) is acceptable but less common in this collocation.
Demande les delais de recrutement.
Missing the accent grave on *délais* changes the spelling and can be marked as incorrect.
↔Alternatives
Quel est le délai de recrutement ?
What is the recruitment deadline?
Peux‑tu me dire les délais du processus de recrutement ?
Can you tell me the timelines of the recruitment process?
Pourrais‑vous me communiquer les échéances du recrutement ?
Could you give me the recruitment deadlines?
Cultural Tip
In French business communication, the plain imperative can sound a bit abrupt. It’s common to soften the request with a conditional form (e.g., *Pourriez‑vous…*). Also, remember that *délais* is always written with an accent grave; omitting it is a frequent spelling error for learners.