Sophie: Hi Mark, do you have a moment? I’d like to talk about taking a day off.
Mark: Hi Sophie, sure, come in and have a seat, what’s on your mind?

Sophie: I’d like to request a day off next month, if possible.
Mark: Okay, that should be fine in principle, could you tell me a bit more about it?

Sophie: It’s for a personal appointment that I can’t really move, and I’d prefer to take a full day instead of just a few hours.
Mark: I understand, do you already have a specific date in mind?

Sophie: Yes, I was thinking about Friday the 14th of next month.
Mark: Let me think, that’s the week after we send the monthly report, right?

Sophie: Exactly, I checked the calendar and there are no big deadlines for our team that day.
Mark: That’s good, thanks for checking in advance, it makes planning much easier.

Sophie: I also wanted to let you know early so we can organize my tasks around that date.
Mark: I appreciate that, giving notice in advance is really helpful for the team.

Sophie: I can finish my main tasks earlier that week, and I’m happy to prepare anything the team might need while I’m away.
Mark: That sounds reasonable, which tasks do you expect to have around that time?

Sophie: I’ll be working on the client updates and the weekly summary, and I can schedule the emails so they go out automatically.
Mark: Good idea, and what about the support tickets you usually handle on Fridays?

Sophie: I can clear as many as possible on Thursday, and I can leave a short handover note for whoever covers me that day.
Mark: Okay, we can probably ask Daniel to cover the urgent ones while you’re off.

Sophie: I can also talk to Daniel beforehand and explain any open cases, so he has the context.
Mark: Perfect, that would make the transition smoother and avoid confusion.

Sophie: If Friday the 14th ends up being difficult for any reason, I could also take Monday the 17th as an alternative.
Mark: It’s good that you have a backup date, but at first glance the 14th looks fine.

Sophie: Great, I’m glad to hear that, I didn’t want to create extra stress for the team.
Mark: Don’t worry, taking a day off is completely normal, we just need to plan it properly.

Sophie: Would you prefer that I use one of my vacation days or a personal day, or does it make a difference?
Mark: It depends on how you want to manage your balance, but from my side either option is okay.

Sophie: In that case, I’ll use one vacation day, I still have several days left this year.
Mark: Alright, please remember to submit the official request in the HR system.

Sophie: Sure, I’ll do that right after this meeting and select Friday the 14th as the date.
Mark: Once I receive the request, I’ll approve it and you’ll get a confirmation email.

Sophie: Thank you, Mark, I really appreciate your flexibility with this.
Mark: You’re welcome, Sophie, thanks for planning ahead and making sure your work is covered.

Sophie: I’ll prepare the handover note next week and send it to you and Daniel.
Mark: Sounds good, and if anything changes with the schedule, we can always adjust together.

Sophie: Perfect, I feel much more relaxed now that we’ve talked about it.
Mark: I’m glad, enjoy your day off when it comes, you’ve definitely earned a break.

En el diálogo se usa un inglés muy útil para hablar de vacaciones y organización del trabajo.

Expresiones básicas sobre el permiso
day off: día libre.
vacation day: día de vacaciones (de tu bolsa de días).
personal day: día personal, normalmente por asuntos propios.
take a day off: coger un día libre.
request a day off: solicitar un día libre.
backup date / alternative date: fecha alternativa.

Calendario y organización
next month, Friday the 14th, the week after we send the monthly report: lenguaje típico para situar fechas.
deadline, big deadlines, tasks, main tasks: vocabulario estándar de trabajo.
organize my tasks around that date, finish my tasks earlier that week: formas de mostrar responsabilidad.

Cobertura y continuidad del trabajo
handover note: nota de traspaso, resumen para quien te sustituye.
cover me / cover the urgent ones: cubrirme / encargarse de lo urgente.
clear as many as possible, open cases, support tickets: lenguaje típico de soporte / atención al cliente.
HR system, submit the official request, approval, confirmation email: proceso formal de recursos humanos.

RECOMENDACIÓN: vale la pena aprender de memoria pares como day off – vacation day, handover – cover, submit a request – approve a request, porque se repiten mucho al hablar de permisos.

Inicio de la conversación
La entrada es muy suave y adaptable a casi cualquier jefe:
“Hi Mark, do you have a moment? I’d like to talk about taking a day off.”
Combina saludo, pregunta cortés (do you have a moment?) y el tema de forma clara pero no brusca.

Formas de pedir el día libre
“I’d like to request a day off next month, if possible.”
El uso de I’d like to suena más educado que I want. If possible añade aún más cortesía.

Explicar el motivo sin entrar en detalles íntimos
“It’s for a personal appointment that I can’t really move.”
No dice exactamente qué es, pero deja claro que es importante. En inglés profesional no tienes por qué dar detalles privados; basta con que el motivo sea razonable y se perciba como serio.

Mostrar que piensas en el equipo
“I checked the calendar and there are no big deadlines for our team that day.”
“I can finish my main tasks earlier that week.”
“I can leave a short handover note for whoever covers me.”
Estas frases comunican: “no quiero dejar un problema atrás”. Eso genera confianza en el jefe.

Ofrecer alternativas y flexibilidad
“If Friday the 14th ends up being difficult, I could also take Monday the 17th as an alternative.”
Tener una fecha de reserva muestra actitud colaborativa.

Cierre y agradecimiento
“Thank you, Mark, I really appreciate your flexibility with this.”
“Thanks for planning ahead and making sure your work is covered.”
En inglés es muy normal cerrar con un agradecimiento explícito, por parte del empleado y del jefe.

Uso de I’d like en lugar de I want
“I’d like to talk about… I’d like to request…”
I’d like (I would like) es una forma estándar para sonar respetuoso y menos directo que I want, especialmente cuando pides algo.

Uso de futuro con will para acciones acordadas
“I’ll do that right after this meeting.”
“I’ll approve it and you’ll get a confirmation email.”
Este uso de will marca compromisos y próximos pasos de manera clara.

Uso de modales para suavizar
could you tell me, would you prefer, it depends on how you want to manage.
Los modales could, would y might son claves para sonar educado y menos imperativo.

Uso de presente perfecto para generalizar
Aquí no se ve mucho, pero en este contexto serían naturales frases como:
“I’ve already checked the team calendar.”
Sirve para conectar acciones pasadas con su relevancia actual.

Estructuras condicionales suaves
“If Friday the 14th ends up being difficult, I could also take Monday the 17th.”
Estructura: If + present, could + base verb. No es un condicional dramático; simplemente abre opciones.

Verbos con matiz organizativo
plan, organize, submit, approve, schedule, clear, cover.
Son verbos que dan tono profesional y muestran que piensas en procesos, no solo en tu deseo de descansar.

Hablar de días libres como algo normal
El jefe dice:
“Don’t worry, taking a day off is completely normal, we just need to plan it properly.”
En entornos anglófonos suele verse el descanso como parte de la gestión profesional, siempre que haya planificación. Poner el foco en la organización, no en “pedir permiso como un favor personal”, es clave.

Privacidad del motivo
La frase “personal appointment that I can’t really move” es suficientemente clara sin ser invasiva.
En algunas culturas hispanas se tiende a justificar mucho (“médico, familia, papeleos…”). En inglés profesional basta con un motivo general y mostrar responsabilidad con el trabajo.

Importancia de avisar con tiempo
El jefe valora:
“Thanks for checking in advance, it makes planning much easier.”
“Giving notice in advance is really helpful for the team.”
Avisar con tiempo no es solo “educado”, es casi una norma tácita. Esto es especialmente importante si trabajas en un entorno internacional.

Énfasis en la cobertura del trabajo
Mucho peso en frases como:
“organize my tasks around that date”,
“prepare anything the team might need while I’m away”,
“handover note”,
“cover the urgent ones”.
La idea es: el problema no es que faltes, sino que tu trabajo quede descubierto. Si demuestras que lo has pensado, la conversación fluye mejor.

Frase modelo para empezar
Puedes memorizar algo como:
“Hi [Name], do you have a moment? I’d like to talk about taking a day off.”
Es neutral, respetuosa y sirve en casi cualquier contexto.

Cómo formular la petición
Estructura simple y efectiva:
Primero, petición general:
“I’d like to request a day off next month, if possible.”
Luego, motivo breve:
“It’s for a personal appointment that I can’t reschedule.”
Por último, fecha concreta:
“I was thinking about Friday the 14th.”

Cómo mostrar responsabilidad
Incluye ideas como:
“I’ve checked the calendar and there are no big deadlines that day.”
“I can finish my main tasks earlier that week.”
“I’ll prepare a short handover note for whoever covers me.”
Estas frases comunican que te importa el equipo, no solo tu día libre.

Cómo hablar de alternativas
Ten una segunda opción preparada:
“If that date is difficult, I could also take [another date] as an alternative.”
Esto ayuda mucho al jefe a encontrar la mejor solución.

Cómo cerrar la conversación
Combina próximos pasos y agradecimiento:
“I’ll submit the official request in the system today.”
“Thank you for your flexibility, I really appreciate it.”

Para pedir un día libre en inglés de forma profesional te conviene:
Usar fórmulas suaves como “I’d like to request a day off” y mencionar un motivo general pero serio.
Mostrar que has pensado en el impacto: “I’ve checked the calendar”, “I can finish my tasks earlier”, “I’ll prepare a handover note.”
Ofrecer flexibilidad de fechas y cerrar con un plan claro: “I’ll submit the request in the HR system today” y un agradecimiento.