“Can we prepone the meeting?”: what to say instead
Say “Can we move the meeting earlier?” or “Can we bring the meeting forward?”. Prepone is Indian English: some dictionaries list it, but colleagues abroad often do not know it.
Can we prepone the meeting?
Can we move the meeting earlier?
Why Indian speakers say it
Prepone is an Indian English word, made as the opposite of postpone, and it is a neat word. But it is little used outside South Asia, so an international colleague may pause over it or even read it as “postpone”. “Move earlier” (everywhere), “bring forward” (British) and “move up” (American) are clear.
Three more examples
| Instead of | Say |
|---|---|
| The deadline is preponed to Monday. | The deadline has been brought forward to Monday. |
| Can you prepone your flight? | Can you take an earlier flight? |
| We preponed the launch. | We moved the launch earlier. |
Quick self-check
Answer in your head, then open the answer.
Choose the clearest sentence for an international team.
- Can we prepone the call?
- Can we move the call earlier?
- Can we postpone the call earlier?
Show answer
b) Can we move the call earlier? “Move earlier” is understood everywhere.
Your manager in London says “Let’s bring the review forward to Tuesday.” The review is now…
- Later than planned
- Earlier than planned
- Cancelled
Show answer
b) Earlier than planned Bring forward means move earlier.
Which is correct?
- The exam is preponed.
- The exam has been moved earlier.
- The exam has been forwarded.
Show answer
b) The exam has been moved earlier. Forwarded is for emails, not dates.
Practise it out loud
Knowing the rule is not the same as saying it right under pressure. In WordSlick you practise sentences like these out loud with AskSlick, the AI tutor, and get corrections explained in Hindi. Mistakes you keep making come back in later sessions until they stop.
Questions
Is prepone in the dictionary?
Yes, some dictionaries list it as Indian English. Being in a dictionary does not mean international colleagues know it, so outside India use “move earlier” or “bring forward”.
What is the opposite of postpone in English?
There is no single standard word. Use “move earlier”, “bring forward” (British) or “move up” (American).