French Work and Office Vocabulary
Getting Started
Work vocabulary helps you describe your job, routine, meetings, and plans. In TEF/TCF Canada, you might hear or need to answer questions like “What do you do?” or “Describe your work day.” These words will help you respond clearly.
Note: Gurmukhi pronunciation is approximate. Practice the nasal vowels, final consonants, and French r with real audio.
1. Office Nouns
| French | English | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| le travail | work | Je vais au travail. | I’m going to work. |
| le bureau | office / desk | Je travaille au bureau. | I work at the office. |
| le collègue | colleague | Mon collègue est gentil. | My colleague is nice. |
| la réunion | meeting | La réunion commence à dix heures. | The meeting starts at ten. |
| le projet | project | Le projet avance bien. | The project is moving well. |
| le rapport | report | J’envoie le rapport. | I send the report. |
| le client / la cliente | client | Je vais appeler le client. | I’m going to call the client. |
| l’équipe | team | Mon équipe est très sympa. | My team is very nice. |
| la tâche | task | J’ai une tâche difficile. | I have a difficult task. |
| le délai | deadline | Le délai est demain. | The deadline is tomorrow. |
| le contrat | contract | Je signe le contrat. | I sign the contract. |
| le salaire | salary | Le salaire est bon. | The salary is good. |
Examples:
- La réunion commence à dix heures. (The meeting starts at ten.)
- Le projet avance bien. (The project is moving well.)
- J’envoie le rapport. (I send the report.)
2. Roles and Job Positions
| French | English | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| l’employé(e) | employee | Je suis employé. | I am an employee. |
| le patron / la patronne | boss | Mon patron est strict. | My boss is strict. |
| le directeur | director | Le directeur est occupé. | The director is busy. |
| la directrice | director (fem) | La directrice fait une réunion. | The director is having a meeting. |
| le manager | manager | Le manager organise le projet. | The manager organizes the project. |
| le poste | position | Je vais pour un poste. | I’m applying for a position. |
| la formation | training | J’ai une formation demain. | I have training tomorrow. |
| le congé | leave | Je prends un congé. | I’m taking leave. |
| l’entretien | interview | J’ai un entretien demain. | I have an interview tomorrow. |
| le CV | résumé | Je vais envoyer mon CV. | I’m going to send my résumé. |
Note: Entretien means both interview (job) and maintenance. In work contexts, “J’ai un entretien demain” means “I have an interview tomorrow.”
3. Essential Verbs
| French | English | Example | Example (EN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| travailler | to work | Je travaille aujourd’hui. | I work today. |
| commencer | to start | Je commence à neuf heures. | I start at nine. |
| terminer | to finish | Je termine le projet demain. | I finish the project tomorrow. |
| envoyer | to send | J’envoie le rapport. | I send the report. |
| signer | to sign | Je signe le contrat. | I sign the contract. |
| organiser | to organize | Je vais organiser la réunion. | I’m going to organize the meeting. |
| aider | to help | Je vais t’aider. | I’m going to help you. |
| postuler | to apply | Je vais postuler. | I’m going to apply. |
| prendre un congé | to take leave | Je prends un congé vendredi. | I’m taking leave Friday. |
| suivre une formation | to take training | Je vais suivre une formation. | I’m going to take training. |
Examples:
- Je travaille aujourd’hui. (I work today.)
- J’ai un entretien demain. (I have an interview tomorrow.)
- Je prends un congé vendredi. (I’m taking leave Friday.)
4. Short Speaking Patterns
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je travaille dans un bureau. | I work in an office. |
| Mon équipe est très sympa. | My team is very nice. |
| J’ai une réunion à midi. | I have a meeting at noon. |
| Le délai est demain. | The deadline is tomorrow. |
| Je vais envoyer mon CV. | I’m going to send my résumé. |
| Je suis employé(e). | I am an employee. |
| Je travaille comme manager. | I work as a manager. |
Note: This lesson focuses on general work vocabulary for broad audiences. More specialized technical or industry-specific terms are not included.
What’s Next
To use these words in sentences, study Present Tense ER Verbs, Être and Avoir, and Futur Proche (Near Future).
FAQ
Can 'le bureau' mean both office and desk?
Yes. Context tells you the meaning. 'Je vais au bureau' = I'm going to the office. 'Le livre est sur le bureau' = The book is on the desk.
Is 'collègue' masculine or feminine?
The spelling stays the same: 'le collègue' or 'la collègue'. The article shows the gender.
Where does work vocabulary appear in TEF speaking?
In self-introduction, describing your routine, talking about plans, interviews, and work experience — these topics come up frequently in TEF speaking tasks.