ressources humaines
/ʁə.suʁ.s‿y.mɛn/
In French, HR is ressources humaines.
This phrase refers to the department within a company that is responsible for managing employees.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The full term ressources humaines is used in formal contexts. In everyday office conversation, it is standard to use the abbreviation RH.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the abbreviation RH to refer to the department, it is almost always preceded by the definite article les, forming les RH.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁə.suʁ.s‿y.mɛn/
Did you know?
- The word ressources in ressources humaines shares the same Latin root as the English word 'source'. Both come from resurgere, meaning 'to rise again' or 'spring up'.
- France has a highly codified system of labor laws, meaning les RH in a French company often spend significantly more time on legal compliance and contracts than HR departments in the US or UK.
- While RH is the standard abbreviation, you will often see the term DRH in job listings. This stands for Directeur des ressources humaines, which refers specifically to the HR Director rather than the general department.
Examples in context
- Appelle les ressources humaines.Call HR.This sentence is useful for practicing how to tell someone to contact the ressources humaines department.Tatoeba #12476784 by always, translation #10856529 by Amastan
- J'ai rendez-vous avec les Ressources Humaines pour discuter de ma promotion.I have an appointment with HR to discuss my promotion.
- Je t'envoie un e-mail avec toutes les informations, car j'ai contacté le Service du Personnel.I will send you an email with all the information because I contacted the Personnel Department.
- Elle travaille aux ressources humaines.She works in human resources.
- Je dois contacter les ressources humaines.I need to contact human resources.
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are discussing a work matter at the office.
- LéaEst-ce que tu as parlé aux ressources humaines ?Did you speak to human resources?
- HugoNon, pas encore.No, not yet.
- LéaTu devrais le faire rapidement.You should do it quickly.
- HugoD'accord, je vais les appeler.Okay, I will call them.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ressources humaines, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
