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A2 verb 11 min read

reporter

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips reporter in 30 Seconds

Explanation reporter in your Level:

At the A1 level, you are just beginning to manage your schedule in French. You might learn 'reporter' as a way to say you cannot meet today and want to meet another day. It is a useful word for basic social interactions. You will mostly use it in very simple sentences like 'Je reporte le café' (I am postponing the coffee) or 'On reporte à demain ?' (Shall we postpone until tomorrow?). At this stage, do not worry about the complex meanings like accounting or psychology. Just focus on the idea of 'moving a meeting.' Remember that it ends in -er, so it conjugates just like 'parler' or 'manger.' This makes it one of the easier verbs to start using once you understand that it does not mean 'to report' news. You should practice it alongside days of the week and times to build useful scheduling skills.

At the A2 level, you should be able to use 'reporter' to handle more specific administrative and social tasks. You will learn to use it with prepositions like 'à' and 'au' to specify exactly when something is being moved to. For example, 'Nous devons reporter la fête au week-end prochain' (We must postpone the party to next weekend). You will also encounter the passive form in public announcements, such as 'Le vol est reporté' (The flight is postponed). This is common at airports or train stations. At A2, you are expected to understand that 'reporter' is a more precise and slightly more formal way to say 'remettre à plus tard.' You should also begin to recognize the reflexive form 'se reporter à' in simple instructions, like 'se reporter à l'image' (refer to the image). This level is where you solidy the 'postpone' meaning to avoid the common 'faux-ami' mistake with the English word 'report.'

At the B1 level, you will use 'reporter' in a wider range of professional and personal contexts. You should be comfortable using it in emails to explain why a deadline or a project needs to be moved. You will also start to see its use in news reports, particularly regarding events, strikes, or political decisions. For example, 'Le gouvernement a décidé de reporter la réforme' (The government decided to postpone the reform). You will also become more familiar with the noun 'un report' (a postponement). At B1, you should also understand the nuance between 'reporter' and 'avancer' (to move earlier). Your ability to use the reflexive 'se reporter à' should extend to following more complex instructions in textbooks or manuals. You are now expected to know that if you want to 'report a problem,' you should use 'signaler,' not 'reporter.'

At the B2 level, you should master the more abstract and technical uses of 'reporter.' This includes the concept of 'reporter son attention' (transferring one's attention) or 'reporter sa colère' (displacing one's anger). You will encounter the word in more sophisticated literature and analytical texts. You should also understand its role in accounting and finance, such as 'reporter un crédit' (to carry over a credit). In political discussions, you will understand 'le report de voix' (the transfer of votes), which is essential for following French election analysis. Your usage of the verb should be fluid, and you should be able to choose between 'reporter,' 'différer,' and 'ajourner' based on the level of formality required. You are expected to have a firm grasp of the word's etymology (carrying back/across) to help you decode unfamiliar technical uses.

At the C1 level, 'reporter' becomes a tool for precise expression in academic and professional discourse. You will use 'se reporter à' frequently in your own writing to cross-reference sources and data, often in complex structures like 'En se reportant aux statistiques du trimestre précédent, on constate que...' (By referring to the previous quarter's statistics, one notes that...). You will appreciate the stylistic nuances of using 'reporter' to describe the movement of abstract concepts, such as historical influences or psychological projections. You should be able to discuss the financial implications of 'reports à nouveau' in a business context. At this level, you should also be aware of the historical evolution of the word and how its various meanings (temporal, physical, and logical) are interconnected. Your mastery of the word allows you to avoid any confusion with its English cognates entirely, even in high-pressure bilingual environments.

At the C2 level, you have a near-native command of 'reporter' and all its subtle connotations. You can use it in highly specialized fields, from legal 'ajournements' to complex psychological 'déplacements' (transfers). You are comfortable with archaic or literary uses where 'reporter' might be used to mean physically carrying something back to a place of origin. You can engage in deep analysis of political 'reports de voix,' discussing the sociological factors that influence how votes are transferred between parties. In your own writing, you use 'reporter' with elegance and precision, choosing it over synonyms to create specific rhythmic or tonal effects. You are also capable of explaining the 'faux-ami' trap to others, demonstrating a deep awareness of the linguistic pitfalls between French and English. Your understanding is not just functional but also cultural and historical.

Practice it Examples Notes & Tips

reporter in 30 Seconds

Reporter means to postpone an event or move it to a later time.
It is a common 'false friend' because it does not mean 'to report news'.
It can also mean to carry over a balance or refer back to a text.
In social and professional contexts, it is the standard word for rescheduling.

The French verb reporter is a fascinating linguistic specimen because it serves as a prominent 'faux-ami' (false friend) for English speakers. While it looks identical to the English noun 'reporter' (a journalist), the French verb primarily functions to describe the action of moving something in time or space. In its most frequent daily usage, it corresponds to the English verb 'to postpone' or 'to put off.' When you have a meeting scheduled for Tuesday but realize you cannot attend, you would ask to reporter le rendez-vous to Wednesday. This temporal shift is the cornerstone of the word's identity in modern French. However, its utility extends beyond mere scheduling. It also conveys the idea of carrying something over, such as a balance in an accounting ledger or a physical object to a different location, though the latter is less common in contemporary speech. Understanding 'reporter' requires a grasp of its directional nature; it is about taking an existing event, thought, or value and 'carrying it back' or 'carrying it further' into a new slot.

Temporal Postponement: The most common use is to delay an event or deadline. For example, 'reporter une réunion' (to postpone a meeting) or 'reporter un départ' (to delay a departure).
Transfer or Carry-Over: Used in financial or technical contexts to move a sum or data to another column or period. 'Reporter un solde' means to carry over a balance.
Reflexive Reference: The reflexive form 'se reporter à' means to refer back to a previous point in a text or a specific time in history.

À cause de la grève, nous avons dû reporter notre voyage à la semaine prochaine.

In professional environments, you will hear this word constantly. It is polite, precise, and standard. It lacks the colloquial weight of 'remettre à plus tard' and the extreme formality of 'ajourner.' If you are working in a French office, mastering 'reporter' is essential for managing your calendar. It is also important to note that 'reporter' is not used to mean 'to report a crime' (which would be 'signaler') or 'to report news' (which would be 'faire un reportage' or 'rapporter'). This distinction is vital to avoid confusion in high-stakes conversations.

Veuillez vous reporter à la page dix du manuel pour plus de détails.

Le comptable va reporter les bénéfices sur l'exercice suivant.

Il a décidé de reporter toute son attention sur son nouveau projet.

Le match a été reporté sine die en raison des intempéries.

Grammatical Note: As a regular -er verb, it follows standard conjugation patterns, making it easy to integrate once the meaning is internalized.

Using reporter correctly involves understanding its transitivity and its typical prepositions. Most commonly, it is used as a transitive verb with a direct object—the thing being postponed. You 'reporter' a date, a meeting, or a decision. When you specify the new time, you typically use the preposition à (to) or au (to the). For example, 'Nous reportons la fête au samedi suivant.' This structure is very logical for English speakers once they accept that 'reporter' means 'postpone.'

Direct Object Usage: Standard: [Subject] + [Conjugated Reporter] + [Noun]. 'Le directeur reporte l'entretien.'
Specifying the New Date: Extended: [Subject] + [Reporter] + [Noun] + à/au + [New Date]. 'Elle a reporté son voyage à plus tard.'
Passive Voice: Common in news: [Event] + être + reporté. 'Le lancement de la fusée a été reporté.'

Si le temps reste mauvais, ils vont reporter les travaux de rénovation.

Another crucial structure is the reflexive form se reporter. This is often followed by the preposition à and is used to direct the reader's or listener's attention back to something. 'Veuillez vous reporter au graphique ci-dessous' (Please refer to the chart below). This is a staple of academic and technical French. It can also describe a mental process, such as 'se reporter par la pensée à une époque lointaine' (to carry one's mind back to a distant era).

On ne peut pas reporter indéfiniment cette décision cruciale pour l'entreprise.

In accounting and mathematics, 'reporter' is used when a calculation exceeds the current space and must be 'carried over.' For instance, 'reporter la retenue' means 'to carry the remainder' in addition. This sense of physical or numerical displacement is the root of all other meanings. Whether you are moving a meeting or a number, you are fundamentally 're-porting' (carrying back/across) the item to a new location in the system.

Le surplus de budget sera reporté sur l'année prochaine.

Usage with 'sur': When transferring energy, feelings, or attention: 'Reporter son affection sur quelqu'un d'autre.'

Il est impossible de reporter la date limite de dépôt des dossiers.

You will encounter reporter in a variety of real-world scenarios, ranging from the mundane to the highly technical. In everyday life, the most common place is likely a train station or an airport. When a departure is delayed, the announcement might say, 'Le départ du train est reporté de trente minutes.' Similarly, in the world of sports, inclement weather often leads to headlines like 'Le match est reporté à une date ultérieure.' This usage is so standard that every French speaker understands it from a young age.

In the Office: Emails about rescheduling: 'Suite à un empêchement, je dois reporter notre appel.'
In the News: Political elections or space launches: 'L'élection a été reportée pour des raisons de sécurité.'
In Education: Exam schedules: 'Le professeur a décidé de reporter l'examen final au lundi.'

Le concert a été reporté car le chanteur est tombé malade ce matin.

Beyond scheduling, 'reporter' appears frequently in financial news. When a company carries over its losses or gains to the next fiscal year, the term used is 'report à nouveau.' If you are reading the financial section of Le Monde or Les Échos, you will see this term often. It describes a specific accounting maneuver that is essential for understanding corporate health. Furthermore, in the context of voting, 'les reports de voix' refers to how voters who supported a defeated candidate in the first round 'transfer' or 'carry over' their votes to a remaining candidate in the second round. This is a crucial concept in French two-round elections.

Les analystes étudient le report des voix entre les deux tours de l'élection.

In a more literary or psychological context, you might hear about someone 'reporting' their frustration onto someone else ('reporter sa frustration sur autrui'). This usage describes the displacement of emotions. While less common in casual conversation than the scheduling meaning, it adds a layer of depth to the word that you will find in novels or psychological essays. Finally, in the digital world, some software might use 'reporter' when transferring settings or data from an old version to a new one, though 'transférer' is often preferred.

Elle a tendance à reporter ses propres peurs sur ses enfants.

Le solde créditeur sera reporté sur votre prochaine facture mensuelle.

The single most common mistake English speakers make with reporter is assuming it means 'to report.' In English, 'to report' can mean to tell a story (a journalist reports the news) or to notify authorities about something (to report a crime). In French, 'reporter' does not mean either of these things. If you say 'Je vais reporter ce crime à la police,' a French speaker will be very confused; they might think you want to postpone the crime until next Tuesday! To avoid this, you must use 'signaler' (to notify/report a fact) or 'rapporter' (to tell/relate information).

Mistake: 'Reporter' for News: Incorrect: 'Le journaliste reporte les nouvelles.' Correct: 'Le journaliste rapporte les nouvelles' or 'fait un reportage.'
Mistake: 'Reporter' for Crimes/Issues: Incorrect: 'Je dois reporter un problème.' Correct: 'Je dois signaler un problème.'
Mistake: Confusion with 'Rapporter': While 'rapporter' is 'to bring back' or 'to report info,' 'reporter' is 'to postpone.' They are often swapped by learners.

Attention ! Ne dites pas 'reporter un vol' pour dire 'report a theft'. Dites 'signaler un vol'.

Another nuance involves the difference between 'reporter' and 'remettre.' While both can mean 'to postpone,' 'reporter' is generally used for a specific date or period ('reporter à lundi'), whereas 'remettre' is often used in the more general sense of 'putting off' ('remettre à plus tard'). Using 'reporter' without a destination can sometimes feel slightly incomplete in formal writing, though it is perfectly acceptable in speech. Furthermore, learners often forget the reflexive 'se' in 'se reporter à.' If you say 'Reporter à la page 5,' it sounds like a command to move the page itself, rather than a suggestion for the reader to look there.

Il ne faut pas reporter au lendemain ce qu'on peut faire le jour même.

Elle a reporté ses espoirs sur son fils après son propre échec.

Lastly, be careful with the noun form. In French, 'un reporter' (pronounced with a French accent) exists and refers to a journalist, specifically a field reporter. However, the verb 'reporter' still does not mean 'to do the work of a reporter.' This creates a strange linguistic loop where the noun and verb in the same family have diverged in meaning. Always double-check your context: are you talking about a schedule or a person's job? If it's a schedule, the verb 'reporter' is your friend. If it's a job, you're likely talking about 'le journalisme.'

Le reporter a dû reporter son interview à cause de la tempête.

If you want to vary your vocabulary, there are several alternatives to reporter depending on the context. The most common synonym is remettre. While 'remettre' has many meanings (like 'to put back' or 'to hand over'), 'remettre à plus tard' is the standard way to say 'to postpone' in a slightly more casual or general sense. Another strong alternative is différer. This word is more formal and is often used in administrative or legal contexts to mean 'to delay' or 'to put off.' You might hear 'différer un paiement' (to defer a payment).

Remettre: Versatile and common. 'Remettre à demain.' Best for casual scheduling.
Différer: Formal and technical. 'Différer l'exécution d'un contrat.' Best for business or law.
Ajourner: Very formal. Specifically means to postpone a session, a trial, or a meeting to a specific later day. 'La séance est ajournée.'

Nous avons décidé de différer notre décision jusqu'à l'obtention de nouveaux chiffres.

For the meaning of 'transferring' or 'carrying over,' synonyms include transférer and déplacer. If you are moving a physical object, 'déplacer' is much better than 'reporter.' If you are transferring money between accounts, 'transférer' is the standard term. In the context of 'se reporter à' (referring to), you could use consulter (to consult) or se référer à (to refer to). 'Se référer à' is a direct equivalent and is used very frequently in academic writing.

Veuillez vous référer aux instructions jointes au colis.

On the antonym side, if you want to say the opposite of postpone (i.e., to move something to an earlier time), the word is avancer. 'Avancer un rendez-vous' means to move a meeting from Friday to Wednesday. If you want to say 'to maintain' or 'to keep' a schedule, you would use maintenir. Knowing these pairs—reporter vs. avancer—is essential for any administrative task in French. Using the right word shows that you have moved beyond basic 'faux-ami' errors and understand the temporal logic of the language.

Pouvons-nous avancer la réunion d'une heure ?

Summary of Alternatives: Postpone: Reporter, Remettre, Différer, Ajourner. Refer: Se reporter à, Se référer à, Consulter. Move earlier: Avancer.

How Formal Is It?

Fun Fact

While 'reporter' in French means to postpone, the English word 'report' comes from the same Latin root but followed the path of 'carrying back information.' French uses 'rapporter' for that specific meaning.

Pronunciation Guide

UK /ʁə.pɔʁ.te/

US /ʁə.pɔʁ.te/

In French, stress is usually even, but a slight emphasis falls on the final syllable 'te'.

Rhymes With

chanter manger parler aller donner aimer jouer penser

Common Errors

Pronouncing the final 'r' (it is silent in the verb).
Using an English 'r' sound.
Pronouncing 'o' too much like 'oh' (it should be more open).
Confusing the verb pronunciation with the noun 'reporter' (which often sounds like 'air' at the end).
Making the 're' sound too much like 'ree'.

Difficulty Rating

Reading 2/5

Easy to recognize but easy to confuse with English 'report'.

Writing 3/5

Requires remembering it's a 'faux-ami' and using the right prepositions.

Speaking 2/5

Regular conjugation makes it easy to pronounce once the silent 'r' is learned.

Listening 3/5

Must distinguish from 'rapporter' in fast speech.

What to Learn Next

Prerequisites

remettre le rendez-vous demain la page attendre

Learn Next

ajourner différer signaler rapporter le report

Advanced

le report à nouveau le report de voix sine die

Grammar to Know

Regular -er verb conjugation

Je reporte, tu reportes, il reporte...

Passive voice with 'être'

La fête est reportée.

Reflexive verbs in the imperative

Reportez-vous à la page 10.

Preposition 'à' for dates

Reporter au 15 mars.

Infinitive after 'devoir' or 'pouvoir'

Je peux reporter.

Examples by Level

Je dois reporter mon rendez-vous.

I must postpone my appointment.

Uses the infinitive after 'dois'.

On reporte le café à demain ?

Shall we postpone the coffee until tomorrow?

Casual question using 'on'.

Il reporte son voyage.

He is postponing his trip.

Simple present tense.

Nous reportons la fête.

We are postponing the party.

First person plural present.

Tu reportes le match ?

Are you postponing the match?

Second person singular question.

Elle veut reporter son examen.

She wants to postpone her exam.

Infinitive after 'veut'.

Le cours est reporté.

The class is postponed.

Passive voice with 'être'.

Ils reportent le dîner.

They are postponing the dinner.

Third person plural present.

Le match est reporté à cause de la pluie.

The match is postponed because of the rain.

Passive voice with 'à cause de'.

Veuillez vous reporter à la page quatre.

Please refer to page four.

Reflexive imperative 'vous reporter'.

Est-ce que nous pouvons reporter la réunion ?

Can we postpone the meeting?

Interrogative with 'est-ce que'.

Ils ont décidé de reporter le départ au lundi.

They decided to postpone the departure to Monday.

Passé composé with 'décidé de'.

Je vais reporter mon appel à plus tard.

I am going to postpone my call until later.

Futur proche 'vais reporter'.

Le concert a été reporté au mois prochain.

The concert was postponed to next month.

Passé composé passive.

Nous ne pouvons pas reporter ce travail.

We cannot postpone this work.

Negation 'ne... pas'.

Pourquoi reportez-vous votre visite ?

Why are you postponing your visit?

Inversion question.

L'administration a décidé de reporter l'examen final.

The administration decided to postpone the final exam.

Subject is a collective noun.

Il est souvent nécessaire de reporter certaines tâches.

It is often necessary to postpone certain tasks.

Impersonal 'il est... de'.

Si la grève continue, ils vont reporter tous les vols.

If the strike continues, they are going to postpone all flights.

Conditional 'si' clause.

Elle a reporté toute son attention sur ses études.

She focused all her attention on her studies.

Abstract use of 'reporter... sur'.

Le projet a été reporté sine die par la direction.

The project was postponed indefinitely by management.

Use of the Latin phrase 'sine die'.

Nous avons dû reporter le mariage à l'année prochaine.

We had to postpone the wedding to next year.

Modal 'devoir' in passé composé.

Veuillez vous reporter au manuel pour plus d'informations.

Please refer to the manual for more information.

Formal imperative.

Il ne faut pas reporter vos problèmes sur les autres.

You shouldn't take your problems out on others.

Psychological use of 'reporter sur'.

Le comptable doit reporter le solde sur le nouvel exercice.

The accountant must carry over the balance to the new fiscal year.

Financial context.

Les analystes prévoient un bon report de voix au second tour.

Analysts predict a good transfer of votes in the second round.

Noun form 'report' in political context.

Elle reporte sans cesse ses responsabilités sur ses collègues.

She constantly shifts her responsibilities onto her colleagues.

Adverb 'sans cesse' adding frequency.

L'ajournement de la séance a forcé le juge à reporter le verdict.

The adjournment of the session forced the judge to postpone the verdict.

Use of synonym 'ajournement' and verb 'reporter'.

Il est impossible de reporter indéfiniment cette décision capitale.

It is impossible to postpone this crucial decision indefinitely.

Adverb 'indéfiniment' modifying the verb.

En se reportant aux faits, on comprend mieux la situation.

By referring to the facts, one understands the situation better.

Gérondif 'en se reportant'.

Le surplus budgétaire sera reporté sur le prochain trimestre.

The budget surplus will be carried over to the next quarter.

Future passive.

Elle a reporté ses espoirs de carrière sur la réussite de sa fille.

She projected her career hopes onto her daughter's success.

Metaphorical use.

Le report de la conférence a suscité de vives critiques.

The postponement of the conference sparked sharp criticism.

Noun 'report' as the subject.

Il convient de se reporter aux sources originales du texte.

It is advisable to refer back to the original sources of the text.

Formal 'il convient de'.

La direction a choisi de reporter l'investissement par prudence.

Management chose to postpone the investment out of caution.

Abstract noun 'prudence' as a reason.

L'artiste reporte ses émotions complexes dans ses sculptures.

The artist transfers her complex emotions into her sculptures.

Creative use of 'reporter' as transfer.

Le déficit sera reporté sur les exercices comptables ultérieurs.

The deficit will be carried over to subsequent accounting periods.

Technical accounting terminology.

Se reporter à une époque révolue permet de mieux saisir le présent.

Referring back to a bygone era allows one to better grasp the present.

Infinitive as a subject.

Le candidat espère un report massif des voix de la gauche.

The candidate hopes for a massive transfer of votes from the left.

Political 'report de voix'.

Elle ne peut s'empêcher de reporter sa frustration sur son entourage.

She cannot help but take her frustration out on those around her.

Reflexive 's'empêcher de'.

L'ontologie de l'œuvre nous oblige à nous reporter à sa genèse.

The ontology of the work obliges us to refer back to its genesis.

Academic/Philosophical register.

Le report à nouveau constitue une part variable des capitaux propres.

The retained earnings (carry-forward) constitute a variable part of equity.

Highly technical accounting term.

L'historien se reporte mentalement aux prémices du conflit.

The historian mentally transports himself back to the beginnings of the conflict.

Abstract mental action.

Cette décision, bien que reportée, demeure inéluctable.

This decision, although postponed, remains inevitable.

Concessive clause 'bien que'.

Il est vain de reporter sur autrui le poids de ses propres fautes.

It is futile to cast onto others the weight of one's own faults.

Moral/Philosophical tone.

Le report de charge est une technique courante en ingénierie.

Load transfer is a common technique in engineering.

Scientific/Engineering context.

Le poète reporte la beauté du monde dans ses vers mélancoliques.

The poet carries the beauty of the world into his melancholy verses.

Literary/Poetic use.

L'ajournement sine die reporte tout espoir de résolution immédiate.

The indefinite adjournment postpones any hope of immediate resolution.

Formal/Legalistic style.

Common Collocations

reporter une réunion

reporter un voyage

reporter à plus tard

reporter le solde

se reporter à la page

reporter son attention

être reporté sine die

reporter un match

reporter un départ

reporter ses espoirs

Common Phrases

C'est reporté.

— It is postponed. Used when an event is no longer happening at the scheduled time.

Désolé, le concert de ce soir ? C'est reporté.

À reporter.

— To be carried over. Often seen in accounting or on to-do lists.

Ce montant est à reporter dans la colonne suivante.

Sans rien reporter.

— Without putting anything off. Doing everything immediately.

Il traite ses emails sans rien reporter.

Se reporter aux faits.

— To look back at the facts. Used in debates or analysis.

Il faut se reporter aux faits avant de juger.

Reporter la faute.

— To shift the blame. To say someone else is responsible.

Il essaie toujours de reporter la faute sur moi.

Match reporté.

— Postponed match. A very common headline in sports news.

Match reporté : le terrain est inondé.

Reporter d'un jour.

— To postpone by one day. Specifies the duration of the delay.

Nous allons reporter la livraison d'un jour.

Tout reporter.

— To postpone everything. Used when a major event causes a total schedule change.

Avec la tempête, on a dû tout reporter.

Reporter ses vacances.

— To put off one's holidays. Moving vacation dates.

Il a dû reporter ses vacances à cause du travail.

Veuillez vous reporter...

— Please refer to... A standard polite instruction in documents.

Veuillez vous reporter au schéma ci-joint.

Often Confused With

reporter vs rapporter

Rapporter means to bring back or to report information. Reporter means to postpone.

reporter vs signaler

Signaler means to report a problem or a crime to authorities.

reporter vs remettre

Remettre also means to postpone, but is more general and less formal than reporter.

Idioms & Expressions

"Ne pas reporter au lendemain ce qu'on peut faire le jour même."

— Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. A classic proverb about procrastination.

Ma mère me disait toujours de ne pas reporter au lendemain ce que je pouvais faire le jour même.

proverbial

"Reporter la balle dans le camp de quelqu'un."

— To put the ball back in someone's court. To make it someone else's responsibility to act.

J'ai envoyé ma proposition, j'ai donc reporté la balle dans leur camp.

informal

"Reporter ses vieux démons."

— To carry over one's old demons. To bring past problems into a new situation.

Il ne faut pas reporter tes vieux démons dans ta nouvelle relation.

metaphorical

"Reporter le bouchon un peu plus loin."

— To push the limit a bit further (similar to 'pousser le bouchon').

En reportant encore la date, ils reportent le bouchon un peu plus loin.

informal

"Se reporter au calendes grecques."

— To postpone indefinitely (literally 'to the Greek Calends', which don't exist).

Si on ne décide pas maintenant, ce sera reporté aux calendes grecques.

literary

"Reporter son fiel."

— To vent one's bitterness on someone else.

Elle reporte son fiel sur ses subordonnés.

literary

"Reporter d'un trait."

— To carry over in one go. Usually used in specific technical contexts.

Il a reporté toutes les données d'un trait.

technical

"Reporter à la saint-glinglin."

— To postpone until a day that will never come (informal/humorous).

Il reporte toujours ses promesses à la saint-glinglin.

slang

"Reporter le problème."

— To kick the can down the road. To avoid solving a problem by delaying it.

Baisser les impôts maintenant sans réduire les dépenses ne fait que reporter le problème.

neutral

"Se reporter par la pensée."

— To go back in time mentally.

Je me reporte par la pensée à mon enfance.

poetic

Easily Confused

reporter vs rapporter

They sound similar and both relate to 'carrying' and 'reporting' in English.

Rapporter is for information/objects; Reporter is for time/scheduling.

Je rapporte le livre (I bring back the book). Je reporte le rendez-vous (I postpone the meeting).

reporter vs un reporter

Same spelling as the verb.

The noun is a person (journalist); the verb is an action (to postpone).

Le reporter (the person) va reporter (will postpone) son voyage.

reporter vs décaler

Both mean to change a schedule.

Décaler implies a small shift; Reporter can be a long delay or indefinite.

On décale de 5 minutes.

reporter vs ajourner

Both mean to postpone.

Ajourner is strictly formal/legal; Reporter is everyday professional.

L'assemblée est ajournée.

reporter vs signaler

English 'report' translates to 'signaler' for crimes.

Signaler is for notification; Reporter is for rescheduling.

Signaler un vol à la police.

Sentence Patterns

Je reporte [noun].

Je reporte le café.

On reporte [noun] à [day] ?

On reporte la réunion à mardi ?

Il a été décidé de reporter [noun].

Il a été décidé de reporter le match.

Reporter [noun] sur [person/thing].

Elle reporte sa colère sur son frère.

Veuillez vous reporter à [source].

Veuillez vous reporter au graphique.

Le report de [noun] entraîne [consequence].

Le report de la séance entraîne des frais.

Si [condition], nous reporterons [noun].

Si il pleut, nous reporterons la fête.

[Noun] est reporté à cause de [reason].

Le vol est reporté à cause du vent.

Word Family

Nouns

un report (postponement)

un reporter (journalist - loanword)

un reportage (news report)

Verbs

rapporter (to bring back/report)

exporter (to export)

importer (to import)

transporter (to transport)

Adjectives

reportable (postponable)

différé (delayed)

la portée (the reach/scope)

le port (the port/carrying)

un porteur (a carrier)

portatif (portable)

le comportement (behavior)

How to Use It

frequency

Very high in business and travel contexts.

Common Mistakes

Je reporte le vol à la police. → Je signale le vol à la police.
'Reporter' means to postpone. You don't want to postpone a theft; you want to report it!
Le journaliste reporte le match. → Le journaliste rapporte les détails du match.
If the journalist 'reporte' the match, they are delaying it. If they 'rapporte', they are telling the story.
Veuillez reporter à la page 10. → Veuillez vous reporter à la page 10.
To 'refer to' something, you must use the reflexive form 'se reporter'.
J'ai reporté mon livre à la bibliothèque. → J'ai rapporté mon livre à la bibliothèque.
To bring an object back, use 'rapporter'. 'Reporter' would mean you postponed the book (which makes no sense).
On a reporté le rendez-vous pour 10 minutes. → On a décalé le rendez-vous de 10 minutes.
For very short delays (minutes/hours), 'décaler' is more natural than 'reporter'.

Tips

Conjugation

Remember that 'reporter' follows the same pattern as 'aimer'. The stem is 'report-'. This makes it easy to use in all tenses once you know the basic -er endings.

The Faux-Ami Trap

Always remind yourself: French 'reporter' = English 'postpone'. It is one of the top 10 most common mistakes for English learners.

Business Emails

When rescheduling a meeting, 'Je me vois contraint de reporter...' is a very polite and professional way to start your email.

Referencing

In your essays, use 'Veuillez vous reporter au tableau 1' to sound more like a native academic writer.

Silent R

Make sure the 'r' at the end of the infinitive is silent. It should sound exactly like 'reporté' (the past participle).

Financial French

If you work in finance, learn 'report à nouveau'. It's a standard term on balance sheets for retained earnings.

Airport Announcements

If you hear 'Le vol est reporté', don't go to the gate! It means the flight is delayed or moved to a later time.

Casual Rescheduling

Use 'On reporte ?' with a questioning tone when you're too busy to meet a friend. It's short and natural.

Emotional Transfer

You can use 'reporter' to describe moving feelings from one person to another, like 'reporter son affection'.

The 'Carry' Logic

Think of 'port' as 'carry' (like a portable radio). 'Re-port' is to carry something back to another time slot.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Re-Porting' as 'Re-Scheduling'. If you are at a 'Port' and the ship is 'Reported', it is 'Carried back' to a later time.

Visual Association

Imagine a calendar where a hand is picking up a meeting 'box' and 'carrying' it to the next week. This is 're-porting' it.

Word Web

Postpone Delay Carry over Reschedule Refer back Transfer Calendar Deadline

Challenge

Try to use 'reporter' in three different sentences today: one about a meeting, one about a social event, and one using 'se reporter à' to refer to a book or website.

Word Origin

From the Latin 'reportare', which is composed of 're-' (back/again) and 'portare' (to carry).

Original meaning: To carry back, to bring back.

Romance (Latin)

Cultural Context

No specific sensitivities. It is a neutral, professional word.

English speakers often use 'report' for news or police. In French, remember to use 'signaler' or 'rapporter'. Don't let the identical spelling trick you!

Le report à nouveau (Accounting term) Reporter sans frontières (Though this uses the noun 'reporter') Le match est reporté (Common headline in L'Équipe)

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

Office Scheduling

reporter la réunion
reporter l'appel
reporter l'échéance
reporter à lundi

Travel and Transport

vol reporté
train reporté
reporter le départ
reporter le voyage

Academic/Reading

se reporter au texte
se reporter au chapitre
se reporter à la note
se reporter en bas de page

Accounting/Finance

reporter le solde
reporter le bénéfice
report à nouveau
reporter les pertes

Personal/Emotional

reporter sa colère
reporter son affection
reporter ses espoirs
reporter la faute

Conversation Starters

"Est-ce qu'on peut reporter notre café à demain ?"

"Pourquoi ont-ils décidé de reporter le match ?"

"Voulez-vous reporter la réunion ou la maintenir ?"

"À quelle date devrions-nous reporter le voyage ?"

"Est-il possible de reporter la date limite ?"

Journal Prompts

Écrivez sur une fois où vous avez dû reporter un événement important.

Pourquoi est-il parfois bon de reporter une décision ?

Quelles tâches reportez-vous souvent au lendemain ?

Imaginez que vous devez reporter vos vacances. Comment vous sentez-vous ?

Décrivez un livre où vous avez dû souvent vous reporter aux notes de bas de page.

Frequently Asked Questions

10 questions

As a noun, yes. 'Un reporter' is a journalist. But as a verb, 'reporter' means to postpone or carry over. Don't confuse the person with the action!

You should use 'signaler un crime' or 'porter plainte'. Never use 'reporter un crime'.

'Reporter' is more precise and professional. 'Remettre' (specifically 'remettre à plus tard') is more common in casual conversation.

Yes! If you have a remainder in addition, you 'reportez la retenue' (carry the one).

No, for news reporting, use 'faire un reportage' or 'rapporter les faits'.

It means 'to refer to' a document, a page, or a source. It is very common in books and academic papers.

It is a regular -er verb. (Je reporte, tu reportes, il reporte, nous reportons, vous reportez, ils reportent).

It is a political term for when voters of an eliminated candidate switch their votes to another candidate in a second round.

In very rare or literary contexts, yes, but in modern French, we use 'rapporter' or 'ramener' for that.

It is used in formal news or legal contexts to mean 'postponed indefinitely' (without a set date).