Continue Learning about Other Arts
What is the french word for body of work?
It’s œuvre.
What is the french word for Jack?
What is the french word french of Jack ?
the french word for Jack its Jacques .
What is the french word for stage?
to work some where in a kitchen for free. ie Culinary term
Is bonchule a word in french?
No, bonchule isn’t a word in french…but «bonchure» is a word in french
What does fashion mean in french?
fashion is an English word it is not a french word in french fashion called mode.
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Examples of using
What is your work
in a sentence and their translations
il répond à la question»quel est votre meilleur travail«:»Le verso blanc de mes affiches!
What is your motivation to
work
with this particular subject matter?
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Word by word translation
Phrases in alphabetical order
Search the English-French dictionary by letter
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Difficulty: Intermediate
You may have the chance to work in a French-speaking environment, or perhaps it might simply come in handy for your present job. This small list of work related words won’t make you fluent in business French but it will provide you with a useful grounding in French workplace communication.
I also offer an extended version of this blog post, (55 French Words) saved as a PDF (printable for daily use). Click on the button below.
| travailler | to work |
| bosser | to work (hard), to slog (away) |
| le travail | work |
| le boulot | job (casual) |
| le métier | trade, occupation, job |
| la tâche | task |
| la pause café | coffee break — elevenses |
| le chômage | unemployment |
| l’emploi | employment |
| le congé | holiday, leave |
| le salarié | employee |
| le fonctionnaire | civil servant |
| le patron | boss |
| le collègue | colleague |
| le bureau | office |
| le contrat | contract |
| la réunion | meeting |
| la formation | training |
| embaucher | to hire |
| la gestion | management |
| terminer | to finish |
| Le dossier | file |
| l’entretien | interview |
| les ragots | gossip |
| les 35 heures | the 35 hour week |
| bavarder | to chat |
| la grève | strike |
| la manifestation | demonstration |
| les syndicats | trade-union |
| le treizième mois | end-of-year bonus |
Want more?
Let me know in the comment section which of these work related words you find the most useful.
About the author
Frederic Bibard
Frederic Bibard is the founder of Talk in French, a company that helps french learners to practice and improve their french. Macaron addict. Jacques Audiard fan. You can contact him on Instagram
By
Last updated:
March 10, 2023
Learning vocabulary is one of the cornerstones of learning French.
By knowing the most common vocabulary, you’ll get better at everyday communication—which gets you closer to interacting with some of the 300 million people who speak French around the world.
In this post, we’ll get you started with more than 250 easy and common French words!
You’ll be well on your way to having a solid base in the French language in no time.
Contents
- Most Common French Words
- Important French Verbs
- French Question Words
- French Household Words
- French Words for Food & Drinks
- French Words for School or Work
- French Words for Making Descriptions
- French Words for Animals & Nature
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Most Common French Words
Let’s start with some essential vocabulary that you’ll end up using a lot in French conversations:
- Bonjour ! — Hello / Good morning!
- Bonsoir ! — Good evening!
- Oui — Yes
- Non — No
- Excusez-moi — Excuse me
- Je suis désolé / Je suis désolée — I’m sorry (with an extra e if you’re female)
- S’il vous plaît — Please
- Merci — Thank you
- À bientôt — See you soon
- Bonne soirée — Good night (when saying goodbye)
- Bonne nuit — Good night (when you’re about to sleep)
- Au revoir — Goodbye
Important French Verbs
Aside from the conversational words and phrases above, you’ve also got to know the absolute most common French verbs:
- Être — to be
- Avoir — to have
- Aller — to go
These verbs are irregular, meaning they don’t follow the same rules of usage (or conjugation) that so-called regular verbs do.
Most French verbs are regular, meaning you only have to learn the endings of their group.
In French, there are three groups of so-called regular verbs, denoted by their infinitive (unconjugated) endings: -er verbs, -ir verbs and -re verbs.
Here are the most common verbs in each group:
-Er Verbs
- Parler — to speak
- Aimer — to like
- Chanter — to sing
- Danser — to dance
- Fermer — to close
- Demander — to ask
- Étudier — to study
- Regarder — to watch
- Visiter — to visit (a place)
- Habiter — to live
- Jouer — to play
- Laver — to wash
- Penser — to think
- Utiliser — to use
- Trouver — to find
- Manger — to eat
-Ir Verbs
- Finir — to finish
- Bâtir — to build
- Choisir — to choose
- Remplir — to fill
- Grandir — to grow
- Grossir — to gain weight
- Obéir — to obey
- Punir — to punish
- Réfléchir — to reflect
- Réussir — to succeed / pass (a test)
-Re Verbs
- Vendre — to sell
- Attendre — to wait
- Détendre — to relax
- Entendre — to hear
- Fondre — to melt
- Descendre — to go down / descend
- Pendre — to hang
- Perdre — to lose
- Prétendre — to claim
- Répondre — to respond
With all these different kinds of verbs, it’s handy to have a verb conjugation tool, like the one from Reverso.
Another option is to study these verbs in action with FluentU, which features authentic French videos with interactive subtitles. Click on any French verb or other word used in the video to see its definition, along with grammar notes and examples.
You can then add new words to flashcards and take personalized quizzes to grow your French vocabulary.
The language learning program is also available on iOS and Android, so you can take your French study with you wherever you go.
French Question Words
Looking for directions? Do you want to know the price of something?
Whatever you do on your trip to France, you’re definitely going to need to ask for help or direction at some point.
Here are some common expressions to help you get around:
- Où ? — Where?
- Qui ? — Who?
- Quoi ? — What?
- Quand ? — When?
- Comment ? — How?
- Pourquoi ? — Why?
- Combien ? — How much? / How many?
Of course, the beauty of learning language is to be able to communicate with native speakers, which means people might also ask you questions!
Key phrases:
- Comment vous appelez-vous ? — What’s your name?
- Je m’appelle… — I’m called…
- Quel âge avez-vous ? — How old are you?
- J’ai…ans — I’m… years old
- Vous venez d’où ? — Where are you from?
- Je suis… — I am…
des États-Unis — from the United States
du Royaume-Uni — from the United Kingdom
d’Espagne — from Spain
d’Allemagne — from Germany
du Canada — from Canada
d’Australie — from Australia
Are you from a country that’s not included on this list? Take a look at this map of the world to learn your country’s name.
French Household Words
It’s crucial to learn the French words that describe the places where we live.
Check out the following common words that denote specific rooms and spaces in our households.
- La maison — the house
- La salle — the room
- La cuisine — the kitchen
- La salle à manger — the dining room
- Le bureau — the office
- Le salon — the living room
- La chambre — the bedroom
- La salle de bain — the bathroom (may not include a toilet)
- Les toilettes — the bathroom (includes a toilet, sometimes exclusively)
- Le sous-sol — the basement
- Le grenier — attic
- La porte — the door
- La fenêtre — the window
- Le couloir — the hall
- L’escalier — the stairs
- Le mur — the wall
- Le sol — the floor
- Le plafond — the ceiling
Common words associated with rooms in the house:
- Le bureau — the desk
- L’ordinateur — the computer
- L’étagère — the bookshelf
- Le livre — the book
- La télévision — the television
- Le canapé / Le sofa — the couch
- La chaise — the chair
- La lampe — the lamp
- Le rideau — the curtain
- Le réfrigérateur — the fridge
- Le four — the oven
- La cuisinière — the stove
- L’évier — the sink
- La table — the table
- Le lit — the bed
- L’oreiller — the pillow
- La commode — the dresser
- L’horloge — the clock
- La baignoire — the bathtub
- La douche — the shower
- Les toilettes — the toilet
- La brosse à dents — the toothbrush
- Le dentifrice — the toothpaste
- Le tapis — the rug
- Le miroir — the mirror
- Le téléphone — the telephone
French Words for Food & Drinks
Hungry or thirsty? Check out the most common French words for food and drinks.
- Le restaurant — the restaurant
- Le café — the cafe / coffee
- Le thé — the tea
- Le jus — the juice
- Le lait — the milk
- Le vin — the wine
- La bière — the beer
- L’eau — water
- Le fruit — the fruit
- La pomme — the apple
- La banane — the banana
- L’orange — the orange
- La fraise — the strawberry
- Le raisin — the grape
- Les légumes — the vegetables
- La salade — the salad
- La carotte — the carrot
- La pomme de terre — the potato
- La tomate — the tomato
- La laitue — lettuce
- Le champignon — mushroom
- La viande — meat
- Le poisson — fish
- Le poulet — chicken
- Le bœuf — beef
- Le petit-déjeuner — breakfast
- Le déjeuner — lunch
- Le dîner — dinner
- Le repas — the meal
- Le goûter — the snack
- L’assiette — the plate
- Le couteau — the knife
- La fourchette — the fork
- La cuillère — the spoon
- La tasse — the cup
French Words for School or Work
Headed to a French-speaking region for employment or to study? Then the following words are essential!
- L’école — the school
- Le crayon — the pencil
- Le stylo — the pen
- Le cahier — the notebook
- La salle de classe — the classroom
- La calculatrice — the calculator
- La matière scolaire — the school subject
- L’histoire — history
- La géographie — geography
- La musique — music
- Les sciences — the sciences
- Les mathématiques — mathematics
- Le sport — sports
- Le français — French
- L’anglais — English
- Les notes — grades (marks)
- Le professeur / la professeure — the teacher
- L’étudiant(e) / L’élève — the student
The following are common words associated with jobs and work:
- L’entreprise — the company
- L’emploi — the job
- Le travail — the work
- Le dentiste — the dentist
- L’écrivain — the writer
- Le médecin — the doctor (medical)
- Le serveur / la serveuse — the waiter / waitress
- L’avocat — the lawyer
- Le caissier / la caissière — the cashier
- L’ingénieur(e) — the engineer
- Le mécanicien / la mécanicienne — the mechanic
- Le plombier / la plombière — the plumber
- Le pompier / la pompière — the firefighter
- Le policier / la policière — the police officer
- L’architecte — the architect
- Le travailleur / la travailleuse — the worker
- Le boulanger / la boulangère — the baker
- Le boucher / la bouchère — the butcher
- Le coiffeur / la coiffeuse — the hairdresser
French Words for Making Descriptions
The following are common words that can be used to describe yourself, others or inanimate things.
- Grand(e) — big
- Petit(e) — small
- Chaud(e) — hot
- Froid(e) — cold
- Intelligent(e) — smart
- Fâché(e) — angry
- Triste — sad
- Heureux / heureuse — happy
- Drôle — funny
- Jeune — young
- Vieux / vieille — old
- Nerveux / nerveuse — nervous
- Beau / belle — beautiful
- Facile — easy
- Difficile — hard
- Effrayé(e) — scared
- Ennuyé(e) — bored
- Ennuyeux / ennuyeuse — boring
- Étrange — strange
- Fort(e) — strong
- Possible — possible
- Impossible — impossible
- Sportif / sportive — athletic
Keep in mind that some adjectives change genders depending on the gender of the noun it describes.
In this list, the masculine forms are given first, with the feminine forms being either those with an added -e or the second form of the adjective.
Interested in more adjectives? Check out how to say common colors in French as well!
French Words for Animals & Nature
The following are common French words that can be used to describe animals or nature.
- Le chien — the dog
- Le chat — the cat
- Le lapin — the rabbit
- Le lion — the lion
- Le cheval — the horse
- La vache — the cow
- Le requin — the shark
- Le singe — the monkey
- Le cochon — the pig
- L’oiseau — the bird
- La souris — the mouse
- La tortue — the turtle
- Un canard — the duck
- Un crapaud — the toad
- Une grenouille — the frog
- Le soleil — the sun
- La pluie — the rain
- Le vent — the wind
- La neige — the snow
- Le nuage — the cloud
- L’éclair — the lightning
- Le tonnerre — the thunder
- L’orage — the storm
- La montagne — the mountain
- La plage — the beach
- La forêt — the forest
- La terre — soil / the earth
- La colline — the hill
- Le lac — the lake
- L’océan — the ocean
- La météo — the weather forecast
- Quel temps fait-il ? — What’s the weather?
- Il fait chaud — It is hot
- Il fait froid — It is cold
And just like that, you have 250+ words to bring your French to the next level. Practice these words often and watch your French comprehension and production vastly improve!
Bonne chance ! (Good luck!)
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
When you first begin learning a language, it’s important to cover the basics – and talking about your job is a great example. In this article, you’ll learn how to ask somebody what their job is, how to talk about yours, and some vocabulary for different professions in French. So, if you’re on the hunt for a new job or just visiting a French-speaking country, this is a great article to get you started. We also recommend checking out our article about the best cities to live and work in France for some inspiration!
- How to ask somebody about their profession in French
- How to describe your profession in French
- List of jobs in French
Start your journey to reach fluency
How to ask somebody about their profession in French
In any language, when you first meet somebody, it’s common to ask what they do. In French, there are lots of ways to ask this. Keep in mind: You should know when to use vous or tu depending on who you are speaking with. Here is a list of questions you can ask:
- Qu’est ce que vous faites / tu fais comme travail ? (What do you do for work?)
- Quel est votre / ton métier / profession ? (What’s your job?)
- Vous travaillez / tu travailles dans quel domaine ? (What sector do you work in?)
- Qu’est ce que vous faites / tu fais dans la vie ? (What do you do in life?)
As you can see, there are some common terms around work. For example, the word “profession” can be translated in different ways in French. You can say profession, métier or travail. The verb used to describe working is travailler (to work), although it’s also common to use the verb faire (to do), similar to English.
How to describe your profession in French
Now, this is where the fun begins! There are two important rules to be aware of when it comes to talking about jobs in French: First, you do not use the indefinite article when talking about your profession. Take a look at this example:
- In English we say “I am a doctor”. In French, it’s je suis médecin (no need to add “un”).
- Je suis serveur (I am a waiter).
It can take a bit of time to get used to this, but it actually makes things much easier! It’s important to note that if you decide to expand your sentence by adding an adjective or providing more information, you will then need to use the indefinite or definite article.
- Je suis un bon professeur (I’m a good teacher)
Second, some professions in French only exist in the masculine form. Here are some examples, so even if you’re a woman, you would use the masculine form.
- Un architecte – An architect
- Un médecin – A doctor
- Un pompier – A firefighter
Fortunately, there are many jobs in French that have a feminine form, such as acteur/actrice (actor), vendeur/vendeuse (salesperson) and pharmacien/pharmacienne (pharmacist). In recent years, gender-neutral language has been a hot topic in the country and has led to much debate, so more and more professions now have a feminine form, such as:
- Auteur / autrice (writer)
- Écrivain / écrivaine (writer)
- Professeur / professeure (teacher)
- Ingénieur / ingénieure (engineer)
Start your journey to reach fluency
List of jobs in French
We’ve put together a list of the most common types of professions in French with their masculine and feminine form so that the next time you’re chatting with a French-speaking person, you have the right vocabulary to discuss work. We’ve divided them into different categories.
Business
- Homme d’affaires / femme d’affaires – Businessman/woman
- Commercial – Salesperson
- Manager – Manager
- Président-directeur général (PDG) – Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Construction
- Electricien / électricienne – Electrician
- Charpentier / charpentière – Carpenter
- Maçon / maçonne – Builder
- Plombier – Plumber
Entertainment
- Acteur / actrice – Actor
- Chanteur / chanteuse – Singer
- Danseur / danseuse – Dancer
Medical
- Médecin – Doctor
- Infirmier / infirmière – Nurse
- Psychologue – Psychologist
- Opticien / opticienne – Optician
Education
- Professeur / professeure | enseignant / enseignante – Teacher
- Étudiant / étudiante – Student
- Directeur / directrice d’école – Principal
- Assistant social / assistante sociale – Social worker
Food / Restaurants
- Serveur / serveuse – Waiter
- Chef – Chef
- Boulanger / boulangère – Baker
- Boucher / bouchère – Butcher
Transport
- Conducteur / conductrice de bus | chauffeur de bus – Bus driver
- Pilote – Pilot
- Steward / hôtesse de l’air – Flight attendant
- Chauffeur de taxi – Taxi driver
The next time you ask a French person what their job is, you can add their job title to this list!
All in a day’s work
So there we have it. There are many other professions in French but this list is a good place to start. Being able to talk about your job will help you along your language journey and who knows, maybe one day you’ll end up with a bilingual career!
Start your journey to reach fluency
Clara Avrillier is a writer, linguist and content manager living in the South of France. She loves getting out in nature, doing sport, reading and playing music. She also works with expats looking to move to France. Connect with her on LinkedIn.