je travaille chez
The English phrase "I work at" is translated into French as je travaille chez.
This phrase is used to state the name of the company or employer where one is employed.
What does it mean word for word?
The preposition chez literally implies being at the place or establishment of a person or entity.
Which one should you use?
Use chez when the object is a person or a company name, but use à when referring to a specific physical location or a generic type of place (e.g., à la banque).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, Je travaille dans is used to mean "I work at" when referring to a workplace.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use à with company names, but in French, chez is the standard preposition for a named employer (e.g., chez Google).
Did you know?
- The preposition chez used in je travaille chez actually traces its roots back to the Latin word casa, which means 'house'.
- In French, chez is used for professionals like doctors or hairdressers, so je travaille chez le coiffeur refers to the person's business rather than just the building.
- French has a specific preposition, chez, to denote a place associated with a person, a concept that English lacks a single dedicated word for.
Examples in context
- Je travaille chez moi.I work at home.This sentence shows how to use je travaille chez to express working at home.Tatoeba #9939336 by Adelpa, translation #2549653 by CK
- Je travaille à la banque.I work at the bank.
- Je travaille à l'hôpital.I work at the hospital.
- Je bosse à la librairie.I work at the bookstore.
- Je bosse à la boulangerie.I work at the bakery.
- Je travaille dans une usine.I work at a factory.
- Je travaille dans un restaurant.I work at a restaurant.
- Je travaille à la bibliothèqueI work at the library
- Je travaille aux écolesI work at the schools
- Je travaille à l'hôpital en tant qu'infirmierI work at the hospital as a nurse
- J'exerce dans un cabinet d'avocatsI work at a law firm
- J'occupe un poste dans une entrepriseI hold a position at a company
- Je travaille chez Renault.I work at Renault.
- Je travaille chez un avocat.I work for a lawyer.
Example conversation
Two acquaintances meet at a cafe and talk about their jobs.
- LéaSalut Nathan, tu fais quoi dans la vie ?Hi Nathan, what do you do for a living?
- NathanJe travaille chez Google maintenant.I work at Google now.
- LéaC'est super ! Moi, je travaille chez L'Oréal.That's great! As for me, I work at L'Oréal.
- NathanFélicitations, Léa, c'est une belle entreprise.Congratulations, Léa, that is a great company.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chez, je, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
