French jobs and professions vocabulary

This page explores French jobs and professions vocabulary. There are two words for profession in French: ‘un métier’ and ‘une profession’. Whenever possible we have listed out the masculine and feminine forms of the job. There is only a masculine form for many professions.

French jobs vocabulary: List of 80+ words.

How to ask somebody their profession in French

To ask somebody their profession, say, ‘Quel est votre méter?‘ or ‘Quelle est votre profession‘.

When answering this question, treat the profession like an adjective. For example, to say I’m a dentist, say: ‘Je suis dentiste’.

Do not use the indefinite article un or une. Use the indefinite article if you want to quality the sentence with an adjective. For example, ‘Je suis un bon dentist‘ (I’m a good dentist).

Arts & Entertainment

In French there are two words for actor: un acteur/une actrice, as well as un comedien and une comédienne.

These words can be used synonymously. The word comedian (as in stand-up) in English translates to un(e) humoriste or un(e) comique in French.

The word for photographer can also cause some confusion. The actual person is ‘un(e) photographe’, which is almost the same as the actual picture or photograph in English!

Actor acteur / actrice
Architect architecte / architecte
Comedian comédien / comédienne
Composer compositeur / compositrice
Dancer danseur / danseuse
Designer, draughtsman dessinateur / dessinatrice
Film producer producteur / productrice
Painter, artist peintre / peintre
Photographer photographe / photographe
Playwright dramaturge / dramaturge
Singer chanteur / chanteuse
TV anchor présentateur / présentatrice

Business & Offices

There are many words describing manager, director and higher-ups in general. One word not included in the list below is ‘un(e) responsable’.

While this looks like the English adjective responsible, it translates to head, supervisor and manager in French.

The words for personal assistant are ‘un(e) assistant(e) de direction and ‘secrétaire de direction’. The word ‘direction’ here means management.

Je suis agent de change. I'm a stockborker.

Businessman un homme d’affaires
Businesswoman une femme d’affaires
Accountant comptable / comptable
Receptionist réceptionniste / réceptionniste
Salesperson vendeur / vendeuse
Secretary secrétaire / secrétaire
Staff member employé / employée
Stockbroker agent de change / agente de change
Manager directeur / directrice
Manager gérant / gérante
Merchant marchand / marchande
Trainee stagiaire / stagiaire

Construction & Trades

Knowing the vocabulary for jobs in the trades is very important if you live in France and need to find a repairman.

According to Wordreference.com, the word for handyman is ‘un homme à tout faire’, which translates to a man who does everything.

Another word for handyman is ‘bricoleur’, which comes from the verb ‘bricoler’. Bricoler means to tinker.

Je suis électricien. I'm an electrician.

Appliance repair man dépanneur
Carpenter charpentier / charpentière
Electrician électricien / électricienne
Engineer ingénieur / ingénieure
Handyman homme à tout faire
Mason maçon
Mechanic mécanicien / mécanicienne
Painter peintre en bâtiment
Plumber plombier

Education & Publications

There are many words for teacher and this can cause confusion. At the elementary school level, the word for teacher is ‘un instituteur, une institutrice.

Another word that is used at the elementary school level is ‘un maître, une maîtresse’. At the junior high school and high school level the word is ‘un(e) enseignant(e)’.

The word ‘un professeur’ can be used for both high school and university level teachers and professors. The slang word for ‘un professeur’ (only exists in the masculine form) is ‘un(e) prof’.

Editor rédacteur / rédactrice
Illustrator illustrateur / illustratrice
Interpreter interprète / interprète
Journalist, reporter journaliste / journaliste
Novelist romancie / romancière
Student étudiant / étudiante
Teacher professeur, instituteur, enseignant / professeur, institutrice, enseignante
Writer écrivain(e) / auteur

Food & Restaurants

In modern language the word for waiter is ‘un serveur’. Many people like to use the word ‘un garçon’, but this term has become quite dated.

The word for waitress is simply ‘une serveuse’. In the restaurant setting the French differentiate between somebody who just physically prepares food and a grand master of high-level cooking.

A lower-level cook is ‘un cuisinier (une cuisinière)’ and a higher-level chef is ‘un/une’ chef.

Baker boulanger / boulangère
Butcher boucher / bouchère
Brewer brasseur / brasseuse
Chef chef / chef
Cook cuisinier / cuisinière
Farmer agriculteur / agricultrice
Pastry chef pâtissier / pâtissière
Pork butcher charcutier / charcutière
Waiter, waitress serveur / serveuse

Government & Town Services

In politics, it is seen as impolite to refer to a politician as ‘un(e) politique’. It is more polite to say, ‘un homme politique’ or ‘une femme politique’.

It is noteworthy that the word for soldier only exists in the masculine form: ‘un soldat’. There is no feminine form.

Civil servant fonctionnaire / fonctionnaire
Diplomat diplomate / diplomate
Fireman pompier
Judge juge
Police officer policier, agent de police policière
Politician homme / femme politique
Prosecutor procureur
Soldier soldat
Mail carrier facteur / factrice

Homes & Real Estate

There are several words for maid with varying levels of politeness. A maid in a house is ‘une femme de ménage’ and a maid in a hotel is ‘femme de chambre’.

A maid in a house can also be called ‘une domestique’. The term, ‘une bonne’ also means housemaid but is outdated and most likely considered impolite.

Gardener jardinier / jardinière
Maid femme de chambre
Real-estate agent agent immobilier / agente immobilier

Medical

In French, the words ‘un docteur’ and ‘un médecin’ can be used interchangeably for doctor. Interestingly, there is no feminine for for either of these terms.

For the words ‘psychiatre’ and ‘psychologue’ below, both the -p and -s must be pronounced French, just as the -s and -t must be pronounced in the English word ‘stop’.

Dentist dentiste
Doctor médecin / médecin
Nurse infirmier / infirmière
Optician opticien / opticienne
Pharmacist pharmacien / pharmacienne
Nutritionist nutritionniste
Psychiatrist psychiatre
Psychologist psychologue
Veterinarian vétérinaire

Retail

In French the word for sales clerk (un vendeur, une vendeuse) can also translate to sales man or saleswoman. Note that the two terms for bagger listed below only are used in Canada and not in France.

Bagger ensacheur, ensacheuse, aide de caisse
Cashier cassier / cassière
Sales clerk vendeur / venduse
Stock boy magasinier

Religion

Maybe the French language will one day become more advanced and more open, but for now the following terms for religious leaders only exist in the masculine forms.

Bishop evêque
Monk moine
Nun religieuse, sœur
Reverend révérend
Priest prêtre
Rabbi rabbin

Science & Exploration

Almost all science-related words are the same in English and French. Hence, almost all of the terms below are the same in both languages. The word or scientist is ‘un(e) scientifique’.

Astronaut astronaute
Chemist chimiste
Computer engineer informaticien / informaticienne
Information specialist documentaliste
Physicist physicien / physicienne
Researcher chercheur, chercheuse
Scientist scientifique

Services

The French word hairdresser is ‘un coiffeur’ or ‘une coiffeuse’. The word ‘coffeur’ can also mean barber. In French, ‘un barbier’ is somebody who only trims beards. An, ‘ouvrier’ is a general term for a manual laborer or somebody who works with their hands.