French Phrase
Agis vite pour ne pas rater les délais.
Meaning
‘Act quickly so you don’t miss the deadlines.’ The sentence combines an urgent command with a purpose clause, stressing the importance of speed to avoid a negative outcome.
When to use
Use this phrase in a professional or project‑management setting when you need to push a colleague, teammate, or subordinate to work faster in order to meet a deadline. It’s informal, so it fits casual office talk or among peers rather than with a superior.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Agisvitepournepasraterlesdélais.
Agis (imperative)
‘Agis’ is the 2nd‑person singular imperative of the verb *agir* (to act). It is used for direct, informal commands.
vite (adverb)
‘vite’ means ‘quickly’ or ‘fast’ and modifies the verb that follows.
pour + infinitive (purpose)
The preposition *pour* introduces a purpose clause; it is followed by an infinitive verb.
ne … pas (negation)
Standard French negation surrounds the verb (or infinitive) with *ne* and *pas*.
rater (infinitive)
‘rater’ means ‘to miss, to fail to meet’. In this context it refers to missing a deadline.
les délais (noun phrase)
‘les délais’ = ‘the deadlines’; *délais* is masculine plural.
🗨In Conversation
Agis vite pour ne pas rater les délais.
Act quickly so you don’t miss the deadlines.
D'accord, je m’y mets tout de suite.
Alright, I’ll get on it right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Agissez vite pour ne pas rater les délais.
‘Agissez’ is the formal/plural imperative; using it with a single peer sounds overly stiff.
Agis vite pour ne pas rater le délai.
‘Délais’ is plural when you refer to multiple deadlines; singular *le délai* changes the meaning.
Agis vite pour pas rater les délais.
Learners often drop the *ne* in spoken French, but in formal writing the full negation is required.
↔Alternatives
Dépêche‑toi pour ne pas manquer les délais.
Hurry up so you don’t miss the deadlines.
Fais vite, sinon tu vas rater les délais.
Do it fast, otherwise you’ll miss the deadlines.
Bouge‑toi rapidement pour respecter les échéances.
Move quickly to respect the due dates.
Cultural Tip
In French workplaces, punctuality and meeting deadlines are taken seriously. *Rater les délais* is a common way to say ‘miss a deadline’, but *manquer les délais* is also acceptable and slightly more formal. The imperative *Agis* is informal; with a superior you would use the polite form *Agissez* or rephrase with a suggestion: *Il faudrait agir rapidement…*.