Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| collègue | /kɔ.lɛɡ/ | feminine, masculine |
| confrère | /kɔ̃.fʁɛʁ/ | masculine |
| consœur | /kɔ̃.sœʁ/ | feminine |
| confrèsœur | neologism |
Collègue is the standard, neutral term for a fellow member of a profession or anyone you work with. It is a gender-neutral noun in its form, meaning it can refer to both a man and a woman, although you must use the appropriate article (un or une) to match the person's gender.
Which one should you use?
While collègue is the standard term for any coworker, confrère (masculine) and consœur (feminine) are used more specifically to refer to fellow members of a particular profession, such as doctors, lawyers or journalists. Additionally, confrèsœur is a neologism used to combine these forms.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of collègue is formed by adding an 's' to get collègues, though the pronunciation of the word remains the same.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /kɔ.lɛɡ/.
Did you know?
- The word collègue comes directly from the Latin word collega, which originally referred to a colleague in the specific context of electing a magistrate.
- While collègue is a safe, neutral term for any coworker, using confrère or consœur can sound much more prestigious, as if you belong to an elite guild or highly specialized society.
- While collègue is common, confrère and consœur can be used to describe a peer who is actually a competitor, as long as they share the same professional training.
Examples in context
- Tom est mon collègue.Tom is my colleague.This sentence shows how to identify a colleague using the form collègue.Tatoeba #8703672 by Julien_PDC, translation #1495873 by CK
- Adressez-vous à mon collègue.Go and speak to my colleague.This sentence shows how to direct someone to speak to a colleague using the form collègue.Tatoeba #4146 by TRANG, translation #5943 by Zifre
- Je suis un collègue de ton père.I'm your father's colleague.This sentence shows a relationship between two people using the form collègue.Tatoeba #6085236 by christian63, translation #6089464 by AsaeP
- Je souhaite présenter mes collègues aux membres de la directionI would like to introduce my colleagues to the management team
- Je suis ravi de travailler avec mes confrères dans le domaine juridiqueI am delighted to work with my colleagues in the legal field
- J'ai rencontré mon confrère lors de la conférence internationale des médecinsI met my colleague at the international conference of doctors
- Je déjeune souvent avec mes copains de boulotI often have lunch with my work buddies
- Je vais prendre un café avec mes copains de boulot, ça te dit de te joindre à nous ?I'm going to grab a coffee with my work buddies, would you like to join us?
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a coffee shop during a lunch break.
- NathanEst-ce que Marc est un nouveau collègue ?Is Marc a new colleague?
- ManonOui, c'est un collègue très sympathique.Yes, he is a very nice colleague.
- NathanIl travaille avec toi ?Does he work with you?
- ManonNon, il travaille avec mon collègue de la comptabilité.No, he works with my colleague from accounting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “colleague” translations and entries collègue, confrère, consœur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries collègue, confrère, consœur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
