Reprogrammer vs. reporter vs. déplacer
When learning how to say to reschedule in French, you will commonly encounter the words reprogrammer, reporter, and déplacer. While they can all translate to the same English concept, they have distinct nuances: reprogrammer implies setting a new time in a formal schedule, reporter specifically means pushing an event to a later date, and déplacer generally means moving a time slot to either an earlier or later time.
Reprogrammer
The word reprogrammer means to set a new time or date for an event, often implying a formal update to a schedule, calendar, or organizational system.
Je dois reprogrammer ma visite médicale pour la semaine prochaine.
(I need to reschedule my medical appointment for next week.)
Le comité a décidé de reprogrammer la réunion annuelle.
(The committee decided to reschedule the annual meeting.)
Pouvez-vous reprogrammer cet entretien à une heure qui vous convient mieux ?
(Can you reschedule this interview to a time that suits you better?)
Le vol a été annulé mais la compagnie va nous reprogrammer sur un autre avion.
(The flight was canceled but the airline will reschedule us on another plane.)
Le technicien va reprogrammer son intervention car il est coincé dans les embouteillages.
(The technician will reschedule his intervention because he is stuck in traffic.)
Reporter
The verb reporter specifically translates to postponing or pushing an event to a later time or date, and should be used when the rescheduling involves a delay.
À cause de la pluie, nous allons reporter le pique-nique à demain.
(Because of the rain, we will reschedule the picnic to tomorrow.)
Le juge a accepté de reporter l'audience au mois de septembre.
(The judge agreed to reschedule the hearing to the month of September.)
Mon patron souhaite reporter notre point hebdomadaire à la fin de la journée.
(My boss wants to reschedule our weekly catch-up to the end of the day.)
Ils ont dû reporter leur mariage à cause de la pandémie.
(They had to reschedule their wedding due to the pandemic.)
Le groupe a décidé de reporter le concert à une date ultérieure.
(The band decided to reschedule the concert to a later date.)
Déplacer
The word déplacer literally means to move something, and in a scheduling context, it means shifting an appointment to a different time slot, whether that is earlier or later.
Est-il possible de déplacer mon rendez-vous chez le dentiste à ce matin ?
(Is it possible to reschedule my dentist appointment to this morning?)
Je voudrais déplacer notre déjeuner du mardi au jeudi.
(I would like to reschedule our lunch from Tuesday to Thursday.)
La secrétaire a dû déplacer toutes les consultations de l'après-midi.
(The secretary had to reschedule all the afternoon consultations.)
Nous pouvons déplacer la conférence si la salle n'est pas disponible.
(We can reschedule the conference if the room is not available.)
Le professeur va déplacer le cours pour éviter un conflit d'horaire.
(The professor will reschedule the class to avoid a scheduling conflict.)
Summary
In summary, use reporter when you are strictly delaying an event to a future time. Choose déplacer when you simply want to move an appointment, giving you the flexibility to shift it earlier or later. Finally, opt for reprogrammer when you are officially organizing a new time or date within a system or formal calendar.