embaucher
/ɑ̃.bo.ʃe/
To hire in French is to say embaucher. Wiktionary also lists employer and engager.
Meaning: to employ (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| embaucher | /ɑ̃.bo.ʃe/ |
| employer | /ɑ̃.plwa.je/ |
| engager | /ɑ̃.ɡa.ʒe/ |
The verb means to employ.
Which one should you use?
embaucher is the most common term used specifically for the formal process of hiring an employee into a company.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle embauché can be used as an adjective to describe someone who has been hired.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ɑ̃.bo.ʃe/ and has 3 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use louer to mean hiring a person. However, louer is used for renting objects like cars or apartments.
Did you know?
- The word engager shares its DNA with the English word 'wed', as both stem from ancient roots meaning to make a 'pledge' or 'vow'.
- The verb engager is used for hiring but also to describe starting a fight or beginning a conversation, reflecting the idea of 'committing' to an action.
- Although louer means to rent, if a French speaker says louer les services de quelqu'un, they are referring to hiring a freelancer or a consultant rather than a full-time employee.
Examples in context
- Personne ne va t'engager.Nobody's going to hire you.This sentence is useful for seeing the use of engager.Tatoeba #2099396 by sacredceltic, translation #2093051 by CK
- Qui voudrait l'embaucher ?Who would want to hire her?This sentence is useful for seeing the use of embaucher.Tatoeba #10791498 by filbert, translation #3914746 by CH
- Qui voudrait t'embaucher ?Who'd want to hire you?Tatoeba #10954816 by lbdx, translation #3914736 by CH
- Nous souhaitons vous embaucher pour notre entreprise.We would like to hire you for our company.
- Nous cherchons à engager du nouveau personnel pour notre équipe.We are looking to hire new staff for our team.
- Notre entreprise souhaite recruter des talents exceptionnels.Our company wants to hire exceptional talents.
- Nous recherchons un directeur des ventes à engager .We are looking to hire a Sales Manager.
- Je vais embaucher ton cousin dans mon entreprise.I'm going to hire your cousin in my company.
- On devrait engager un nouvel employé pour alléger notre charge de travail.We should hire a new employee to lighten our workload.
- J'ai engagé un plombier pour réparer les fuites dans la salle de bains.I've hired a plumber to fix the leaks in the bathroom.
- 51 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are talking about a job opening at her company.
- LéaMon entreprise veut embaucher un nouveau stagiaire.My company wants to hire a new intern.
- LucasC'est génial, je cherche justement un travail !That's great, I'm actually looking for a job!
- LéaJe peux demander s'ils veulent t'embaucher, Lucas.I can ask if they want to hire you, Lucas.
- LucasMerci beaucoup, Léa, c'est très gentil.Thank you very much, Léa, that's very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hire” translations and entries embaucher, employer, engager, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries embaucher, employer, engager, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
