Tu travailles ?
The English phrase "do you work?" is translated into French as Tu travailles ?
This phrase is used to ask whether a person has a job or is currently engaged in work.
Which one should you use?
You can form this question in different ways depending on the context. In casual spoken French, you can simply say Tu travailles ? by turning the statement into a question through rising intonation. For a standard way to form the question, you can add Est-ce que to the front of the sentence to say Est-ce que tu travailles ?
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing a group or using a formal tone, you should use Vous travaillez ? instead of Tu travailles ? Additionally, adding Est-ce que to the beginning of a sentence, as in Est-ce que tu travailles ?, is a standard method for forming questions in French.
Did you know?
- If you are asking someone about their career path rather than their current job, you might use Tu fais quoi dans la vie ?, which translates literally to 'What do you do in life?'
- In France, asking Tu travailles ? can be a sensitive topic because French culture generally prefers to keep professional and private lives separate, often avoiding work talk during social gatherings.
- The pronoun tu used in Tu travailles ? shares the same Proto-Indo-European root as the English word 'thou'.
Examples in context
- Excusez-moi, travaillez-vous ici?Excuse me, do you work here?
- Pardon, travaillez-vous dans cette entreprise?Pardon me, do you work in this company?
- Pourriez-vous me dire si vous travaillez pour le gouvernement?Could you please tell me if you work for the government?
- Ça va? Tu travailles toujours dans la même entreprise?How are you? Are you still working in the same company?
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are meeting for the first time at a party.
- GabrielEnchanté, Chloé. Tu travailles ?Nice to meet you, Chloé. Do you work?
- ChloéOui, je suis infirmière.Yes, I am a nurse.
- GabrielC'est super ! Tu travailles où ?That's great! Where do you work?
- ChloéJe travaille à l'hôpital central.I work at the central hospital.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
