agence
/a.ʒɑ̃s/feminine
The English phrase agency is translated into French as agence. Wiktionary also lists action.
Meaning: establishment engaged in doing business for another (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| agence | /a.ʒɑ̃s/ | feminine |
| action | /ak.sjɔ̃/ | feminine |
In French, agence refers to a business establishment or a service provider acting on behalf of others. Common examples include agences de voyage for travel agencies, agences de publicité for advertising agencies and agences immobilières for real estate agencies.
Which one should you use?
Use agence when referring to a business or service provider. While the word action appears in some contexts, it does not mean a business agency. Instead, it refers to a stock/share or a physical movement.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun agence is feminine. Therefore, it is preceded by feminine articles such as une or feminine adjectives like petite.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.ʒɑ̃s/ (2 syllables)
Did you know?
- If you want to say you have 'agency' in the sense of personal power or the ability to act, do not use agence. In French, that word is strictly for business offices, so you would instead speak of capacité d'agir or autonomie.
- The French word for a corporate stock or share is action, which is the exact same word used for a physical movement or a deed.
- In France, an agence immobilière often serves as a primary legal intermediary for rentals rather than just a listing service.
Examples in context
- Ziri est de l'agence.Ziri is from the agency.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is from the agency using agence.Tatoeba #11941452 by Amastan, translation #11451837 by Amastan
- Gabor travaille à l'Agence.Gabor is part of the Agency.This sentence is useful for stating that someone works at the agency using agence.Tatoeba #12493575 by always, translation #11968617 by Amastan
- Sami a été viré de l'agence.Sami was kicked out of the agency.This sentence is useful for stating that someone was kicked out of the agency using agence.Tatoeba #6375869 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #6375854 by OsoHombre
- Je vais prendre rendez-vous à l'agence de voyage demain.I will make an appointment at the travel agency tomorrow.
- Nous avons visité plusieurs bureaux d'interprétation dans la région.We visited several interpretation agencies in the region.
- Je vais passer à l'agence demain pour réserver les billets.I'll swing by the agency tomorrow to book the tickets.
- Maxime travaille pour une boîte de mannequins très réputée.Maxime works for a highly reputable modeling agency.
- 36 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are discussing work options over coffee.
- EmmaTu cherches toujours une agence ?Are you still looking for an agency?
- HugoOui, je veux entrer dans une agence de design.Yes, I want to join a design agency.
- EmmaC'est une bonne idée pour ta carrière, Hugo.It is a good idea for your career, Hugo.
- HugoMerci, j'espère trouver quelque chose bientôt.Thanks, I hope to find something soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “agency” translations and entries agence, action, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
