Professions in French: Learn About Job Titles in French (Métiers)

Knowing vocabulary for professions is useful in everyday conversation and official contexts because it enables clear communication, fosters understanding, and ensures accuracy when discussing work-related topics or addressing individuals by their roles.

List of Professions in French

Business Professions

Creative Professions

Educational Professions

Medical Professions

Public Service Professions

Service Industry Professions

Building Trades

Technological Professions

Transportation Professions

Talking About Occupations in French

Basic Expressions and Structures for Discussing Jobs in French

1. C’est quoi ton métier ? (What is your job?)

Je suis [profession]. (I am [profession].)

2. Que fais-tu dans la vie ? (What do you do for a living?)

Je travaille comme [profession]. (I work as a [profession].)

3. Quelle est votre profession ? (What is your profession?)

Ma profession est [profession]. (My profession is [profession].)

4. Où travailles-tu ? (Where do you work?)

Je travaille chez [company]. (I work at [company].)

Je travaille à l’hôpital. (I work at the hospital.)

Je travaille à l’école. (I work at the school.)

5. Depuis combien de temps fais-tu ce métier ? (How long have you been doing this job?)

Je fais ce métier depuis [number] ans. (I have been doing this job for [number] years.)

Saying “I am [profession]” in French

To say “I am [profession]” in French, use the structure:

Je suis [profession].

For example:

• Je suis médecin. (I am a doctor.)
• Je suis enseignant. (I am a teacher.)

Differences in Article Usage Between English and French

In English, we often use an indefinite article (“a” or “an”) before the profession. For example:

I am a doctor.

She is a teacher.

In French, the indefinite article (un/une) is usually omitted when stating one’s profession. For example:

• Je suis médecin. (I am a doctor.)
• Elle est enseignante. (She is a teacher.)

Examples of Professions with Gender Variations

1. Je suis professeur. (I am a teacher.) – The word “professeur” is the same for both masculine and feminine.
2. Je suis avocat. (I am a lawyer – masculine)

Je suis avocate. (I am a lawyer – feminine)

3.  Je suis ingénieur. (I am an engineer – masculine)

Je suis ingénieure. (I am an engineer – feminine)

4. Je suis infirmier. (I am a nurse – masculine)

Je suis infirmière. (I am a nurse – feminine)

Additional Useful Phrases

Je travaille dans [field]. (I work in [field].)

Example: Je travaille dans la finance. (I work in finance.)

Je suis employé(e) de [company]. (I am an employee at [company].)

Example: Je suis employé(e) de Google. (I am an employee at Google.)

Grammar Rules

Grammatical Aspects Related to Professions in French

Gender and Noun Agreement for Professions

In French, nouns, including those denoting professions, have a gender: masculine or feminine. The form of the noun and any accompanying adjectives must agree in gender.

Masculine and Feminine Forms:

Many professions have distinct masculine and feminine forms. Often, the feminine form is created by adding an -e to the masculine form.

Acteur (m) becomes Actrice (f)

Serveur (m) becomes Serveuse (f)

Some professions have the same form for both genders.

Médecin (m/f) (doctor)

Professeur (m/f) (teacher)

Masculine and Feminine Endings:

For many nouns ending in -eur, the feminine form changes to -euse.

Chanteur (m) becomes Chanteuse (f) (singer)

For nouns ending in -ien, the feminine form changes to -ienne.

Technicien (m) becomes Technicienne (f) (technician)

For nouns ending in -er, the feminine form changes to -ère.

Boulanger (m) becomes Boulangère (f) (baker)

Pronunciation Changes Based on Gender

The addition of an -e in the feminine form can affect pronunciation:

Policier (m) is pronounced pɔ.li.sje.

Policière (f) is pronounced pɔ.li.sjɛʁ.

In other cases, the pronunciation remains largely unchanged despite the spelling change:

Architecte (m/f) is pronounced the same for both genders.

Importance of Gender Agreement in Sentences

Gender agreement is crucial in French grammar. Adjectives, articles, and past participles must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.

Articles:

Un (a/an – masculine) vs. Une (a/an – feminine)

Un avocat (a male lawyer) vs. Une avocate (a female lawyer)

Adjectives:

Adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they describe.

Un bon médecin (a good male doctor) 

Une bonne médecin (a good female doctor)

When an adjective follows the noun:

Un professeur intelligent (a smart male teacher)

Une professeure intelligente (a smart female teacher)

Past Participles:

When used with the auxiliary verb être, past participles agree with the subject in gender and number.

Il est devenu médecin. (He became a doctor.)

Elle est devenue médecin. (She became a doctor.)

Examples

Elle est ingénieure et elle est très compétente.

She is an engineer and she is very competent.

The adjective “compétente” agrees with the feminine noun “ingénieure.”

Il est acteur célèbre.

He is a famous actor.

The adjective “célèbre” is the same for both masculine and feminine forms.

Liaison in French

Liaison is a phonetic phenomenon in French where a normally silent consonant at the end of a word is pronounced because the following word begins with a vowel sound or a mute ‘h’. This creates a smoother flow in speech.

Examples 

Les enfants – [lez‿ɑ̃fɑ̃] (The children)

The normally silent ‘s’ in “les” is pronounced as a ‘z’ sound due to the following vowel.

Un homme – [œ̃n‿ɔm] (A man)

The normally silent ‘n’ in “un” is pronounced due to the following mute ‘h’.

Conclusion

Learning profession-related vocabulary is essential for clear communication and understanding in both personal and professional contexts. Use your new vocabulary in real-life conversations to enhance fluency. Practice is key to mastering French vocabulary. For more tips, visit La Forêt French blogs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is student a profession in French?

Ans: No, “student” is not considered a profession in French. The term for student is “étudiant” (m) or “étudiante” (f). While not a profession, being a student is a significant part of many people’s lives.

Q: What is the French word for profession?

Ans: The French word for profession is “profession”. It is used similarly to the English word, denoting one’s job or career. Mastering this and other job-related terms can improve your fluency.

Q: What jobs start with B in French?

Ans: Jobs that start with B in French include “boulanger” (baker), “boucher” (butcher), and “bibliothécaire” (librarian). Learning specific job titles expands your vocabulary and helps in various conversations. For more comprehensive lists, visit La Forêt French blogs.

Q: What is the most popular French job?

Ans: The most popular job in France varies, but “ingénieur” (engineer) and “enseignant” (teacher) are commonly sought-after professions. Understanding common jobs can help in everyday discussions. To learn more about French job vocabulary, explore La Forêt French blogs.