En 15 secondes
- Move an event to an earlier date or time.
- Implies a change from the original schedule.
- Common in professional and personal planning.
- Opposite of 'postpone' or 'push back'.
Signification
Lorsque vous 'avancez' (bring forward) un événement, cela signifie que vous le déplacez à une date ou une heure plus tôt que prévu initialement. Considérez cela comme si vous rapprochiez quelque chose du futur. Cela implique souvent un besoin de rapidité ou un changement de priorités, ajoutant un subtil sentiment d'urgence ou d'importance.
Exemples clés
3 sur 11Texting a friend
Hey! Can we bring forward our movie night to Friday instead of Saturday? I might be busy then.
Hey! Can we move our movie night to Friday instead of Saturday? I might be busy then.
Work email
Due to the client's availability, we need to bring forward the project review meeting to tomorrow afternoon.
Due to the client's availability, we need to schedule the project review meeting for tomorrow afternoon instead.
Job interview scheduling
Thank you for the offer. Would it be possible to bring forward my interview slot by one hour?
Thank you for the offer. Would it be possible to move my interview slot one hour earlier?
Contexte culturel
In the UK, 'bring forward' is extremely common in professional emails. It is seen as a polite way to manage time and is often used with 'I was wondering if we could...' to soften the request. While 'bring forward' is understood, Americans often prefer 'move up'. Using 'bring forward' can make you sound slightly more formal or international. Globally, 'Balance Brought Forward' (often abbreviated as B/F) is a standard term in financial statements, regardless of the local dialect of English. In courtrooms in the UK, Canada, and Australia, lawyers 'bring forward' evidence or witnesses. This is a formal procedural term.
Use the Passive Voice
In professional emails, use the passive voice ('The meeting has been brought forward') to sound more objective and less like you are personally demanding the change.
Check the Time!
Always double-check when someone says 'bring forward'. If they are from a culture with different date formats (DD/MM vs MM/DD), moving a date can be very confusing.
En 15 secondes
- Move an event to an earlier date or time.
- Implies a change from the original schedule.
- Common in professional and personal planning.
- Opposite of 'postpone' or 'push back'.
What It Means
'Bring forward' is like having a surprise party for yourself, but for your schedule! It means you're taking an event that was planned for later and pulling it closer to the present. Think of it as nudging time itself to make something happen sooner. It often carries a vibe of efficiency or a response to changing circumstances, like a sudden opportunity popping up.
How To Use It
You use 'bring forward' when you want to change a planned event, meeting, or deadline to an *earlier* time. It's perfect for professional contexts like rescheduling a business meeting. You can also use it in your personal life. Just make sure the context clearly implies moving to an earlier slot. It’s a polite way to suggest a faster timeline.
Real-Life Examples
- "Can we bring forward our team sync? I have a conflict later."
- "The client requested we bring forward the project delivery date."
- "They decided to bring forward the movie premiere by a week."
- "I need to bring forward my dentist appointment. Is Tuesday morning available?"
- "The company is bringing forward its annual report release."
When To Use It
This phrase is ideal when you need to communicate a shift to an earlier schedule. Use it for meetings, appointments, project milestones, or even social events. It's particularly useful when circumstances change, like a key stakeholder becoming available sooner. It shows you're adaptable and proactive. It's also great for getting ahead of a task or deadline. You're essentially saying, "Let's do this sooner rather than later."
When NOT To Use It
Crucially, never use 'bring forward' if you mean to delay something. That's the opposite! For pushing something back, you'd use words like 'postpone', 'delay', or 'push back'. Also, avoid using it for things that aren't scheduled. You can't 'bring forward' your desire to eat pizza; it's not a fixed event. It needs a specific time or date to be moved.
Common Mistakes
Similar Expressions
Move up: A very common and slightly more casual synonym. "Let's move up our coffee chat to 10 AM instead of 11." It feels very natural in everyday conversation.Advance: This is more formal and often used in official announcements or business contexts. "The committee decided to advance the voting date." It sounds quite official.Expedite: This focuses on speeding up a process, not necessarily changing a specific date, but often implies an earlier completion. "We need to expedite the approval process." It's about urgency.Prepone: This is a less common, somewhat controversial word in some regions (especially American English) that specifically means to make something earlier. "They prepone the meeting." While understood, 'bring forward' or 'move up' are safer bets.
Common Variations
Bring forward the date/time: Specifies what is being moved earlier. "They brought forward the wedding date by two months."Bring forward the deadline/launch: Focuses on a specific point in time. "The publisher brought forward the manuscript deadline."Bring forward the meeting/event/call: Identifies the item being rescheduled. "Can we bring forward our weekly call to Thursday?"
Memory Trick
Picture a calendar page. You see an event marked for next week. You reach out, grab that event marker, and physically pull it forward on the page, closer to today. You 'brought' it from the future 'forward' towards yourself. The motion is key: always towards the present!
Quick FAQ
- What's the core meaning? It means to schedule something for an earlier time than originally planned.
- Is it formal or informal? It sits comfortably in neutral to formal settings, often used in business communications.
- Can I use it for personal appointments? Yes, absolutely! "I asked to bring forward my doctor's appointment."
- What's the opposite? The opposite is to 'postpone' or 'push back' an event to a later date.
- Does it always mean 'sooner'? Yes, 'bring forward' specifically means moving to an earlier time. Never later.
- What about 'move up'? It's a very close synonym, often used interchangeably, but 'bring forward' can sound slightly more official.
Notes d'usage
This phrase is commonly used in both professional and personal contexts when referring to scheduled events or deadlines. While generally neutral, it can lean slightly formal. Be careful not to confuse it with 'postpone' or 'push back', which mean the opposite.
Use the Passive Voice
In professional emails, use the passive voice ('The meeting has been brought forward') to sound more objective and less like you are personally demanding the change.
Check the Time!
Always double-check when someone says 'bring forward'. If they are from a culture with different date formats (DD/MM vs MM/DD), moving a date can be very confusing.
British vs American
If you are in the US, 'move up' will make you sound more like a local. In the UK, 'bring forward' is the gold standard for professional life.
Exemples
11Hey! Can we bring forward our movie night to Friday instead of Saturday? I might be busy then.
Hey! Can we move our movie night to Friday instead of Saturday? I might be busy then.
Here, 'bring forward' clearly means moving the event to an earlier day.
Due to the client's availability, we need to bring forward the project review meeting to tomorrow afternoon.
Due to the client's availability, we need to schedule the project review meeting for tomorrow afternoon instead.
This is a typical professional use, indicating a necessary schedule change for a meeting.
Thank you for the offer. Would it be possible to bring forward my interview slot by one hour?
Thank you for the offer. Would it be possible to move my interview slot one hour earlier?
Shows a polite request to adjust a scheduled event to an earlier time.
So excited! We decided to bring forward the launch date. Get ready for the new collection next week! #NewArrivals #LaunchDateChange
So excited! We decided to move the launch date earlier. Get ready for the new collection next week!
Used here to announce an earlier product launch, creating anticipation.
Ugh, my flight got delayed. I'll have to bring forward my arrival time at the hotel.
Ugh, my flight got delayed. I'll have to arrive at the hotel earlier.
This is an interesting use where the 'arrival time' is the event being moved earlier.
Let's bring forward the party to Saturday evening. More people can make it then!
Let's have the party on Saturday evening instead. More people can make it then!
A clear example of moving a social event to an earlier day.
✗ We need to postpone the deadline to Friday. → ✓ We need to **bring forward** the deadline to Friday.
✗ We need to delay the deadline to Friday. → ✓ We need to move the deadline to Friday (earlier).
Using 'postpone' implies making it later, the opposite of 'bring forward'. This is a common confusion.
✗ Let's push back the meeting to 10 AM. → ✓ Let's **bring forward** the meeting to 10 AM.
✗ Let's delay the meeting to 10 AM. → ✓ Let's move the meeting to 10 AM (earlier).
Similar to 'postpone', 'push back' means later. This mistake flips the meaning entirely.
After much deliberation, we've decided to bring forward the release of our charity single to honor his memory.
After much deliberation, we've decided to release our charity single earlier to honor his memory.
Adds emotional weight, suggesting the earlier release is due to a significant, possibly sad, reason.
Did you hear? They're bringing forward the finale episode by a whole week!
Did you hear? They're showing the finale episode a whole week earlier!
Relatable context from streaming culture, where schedule changes are common.
The team has been working incredibly hard, so we can bring forward the project completion date by three days.
The team has been working incredibly hard, so we can complete the project three days earlier.
Highlights efficiency and progress, justifying the earlier completion.
Teste-toi
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'bring forward'.
The manager decided to ______ the deadline ______ to this Friday.
The sentence describes moving a deadline to an earlier time.
Which sentence is correct?
We need to change the 5 PM meeting.
'Bring forward' means earlier (4 PM), and the pronoun 'it' must go in the middle.
Match the phrasal verb with its meaning.
1. Bring forward, 2. Bring up, 3. Put back
These are three commonly confused phrasal verbs related to time and communication.
Fill in the missing phrase.
A: I can't make the 3:00 appointment anymore. B: No problem. Should we ______ to 1:00 instead?
Moving from 3:00 to 1:00 is bringing the appointment forward.
In which situation would you use 'bring forward'?
Select the best scenario.
Moving from Friday to Tuesday is moving the event to an earlier date.
🎉 Score : /5
Aides visuelles
Bring Forward vs. Put Back
Banque d exercices
5 exercicesThe manager decided to ______ the deadline ______ to this Friday.
The sentence describes moving a deadline to an earlier time.
We need to change the 5 PM meeting.
'Bring forward' means earlier (4 PM), and the pronoun 'it' must go in the middle.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are three commonly confused phrasal verbs related to time and communication.
A: I can't make the 3:00 appointment anymore. B: No problem. Should we ______ to 1:00 instead?
Moving from 3:00 to 1:00 is bringing the appointment forward.
Select the best scenario.
Moving from Friday to Tuesday is moving the event to an earlier date.
🎉 Score : /5
Tutoriels video
Trouve des tutoriels vidéo sur YouTube pour cette expression.
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsIt always means earlier. Think of pulling something from the future closer to the present.
Yes, it is neutral to formal. It is very common in business and official contexts.
Yes, you can 'bring a chair forward', but it's more commonly used for time and ideas.
The opposites are 'put back', 'push back', or 'postpone'.
No, you must say 'bring it forward'. Pronouns always go in the middle of this phrasal verb.
It is always 'brought forward'. 'Brang' is not a standard word in English.
You can say: 'Due to a scheduling conflict, I'd like to bring our meeting forward to 2 PM.'
'Advance' is more formal and often used for dates or payments (e.g., 'advance the date'). 'Bring forward' is more common for meetings.
Yes, in formal contexts like a meeting or a court of law, it means to present an idea or evidence.
Yes, but 'move up' is more common in the United States. 'Bring forward' sounds slightly more British.
Expressions liées
move up
synonymTo change an event to an earlier time.
put back
contrastTo change an event to a later time.
push back
contrastTo delay or postpone an event.
put forward
similarTo suggest an idea or candidate.
bring up
similarTo mention a topic in conversation.
