Published December 9, 2023 • Updated June 29, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson with native audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Bosser — Meaning and Pronunciation
Bosser means “to work,” “to study,” or “to work hard” in informal French and is a casual synonym of travailler (to work). It can mean to work at a job, work on something, or study hard. It is a false cognate: it looks like English “boss,” but does not mean “to be the boss.” The verb is usually linked to la bosse (bump/hump), with the idea of bending your back and putting in effort.
IPA pronunciation of bosser is /bɔ.se/, which sounds approximately like “boh-say”.
Example Sentences
Je bosse tout le temps et je suis fatigué(e) !
I’m working all the time and I’m tired!
Marie bosse trop en ce moment et elle souhaite partir en vacances.
Marie is currently working too much and she wants to go on vacation.
Martin n’a pas bien bossé avant son examen de maths et il l’a raté.
Martin didn’t study well before his math exam and he failed it.
Jacques est un homme très bosseur et il gagne bien sa vie.
Jacques is a very hardworking man and makes a good living.
Next lesson: Travailler (to work) »
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Related French Words & Expressions
- le boulot — work, job (slang)
- le taf — work (slang)
- bosseur / bosseuse — hard-working
- travailler dur — to work hard
- étudier — to study
- bûcher — to study or work hard
- potasser — to study or review hard
- travailler d’arrache-pied — to work extremely hard
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