je travaille
The English phrase "I work" is translated into French as je travaille.
je travaille is a statement used to say that one has a job or is currently performing a task. Other ways to express related ideas include saying Je suis en activité to indicate you are currently employed, or J'occupe un poste dans… to emphasize a specific job position or field. If you want to say you work without disclosing too many details, you can use Je suis dans le monde professionnel.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the subject pronoun je (I) and the first-person singular conjugation of the verb travailler (to work).
How does it change in a sentence?
In French, the present tense je travaille covers both the English "I work" (habitual) and "I am working" (present continuous).
Did you know?
- The verb travailler is derived from the Latin word tripalium, which was a three-staked instrument of torture used on slaves.
- To describe working intensely or being extremely busy, French speakers often use the phrase être dans le jus, meaning to be 'in the juice'.
- If you want to say you are working very hard, you might say you are 'au charbon', which literally translates to 'at the coal'.
Examples in context
- Je travaille au zoo.I work at the zoo.This sentence is useful for mentioning a specific place of work using je travaille.Tatoeba #11571877 by Aiji, translation #2549132 by CK
- Je travaille à Milan.I work in Milan.This sentence is useful for mentioning a specific city using je travaille.Tatoeba #468034 by Bruno, translation #466631 by FeuDRenais
- Je travaille de nuit.I work during the night.This sentence is useful for describing the time of day you work using je travaille.Tatoeba #1341587 by sacredceltic, translation #1341578 by marco87
- J'occupe un poste dans la financeI work in finance
- Je travaille comme graphisteI work as a graphic designer
- Je travaille dans l'informatique.I work in IT.
- 143 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking on the phone about their schedules.
- HugoTu es libre demain ?Are you free tomorrow?
- ManonNon, je travaille toute la journée.No, I work all day.
- HugoMoi aussi, je travaille demain.Me too, I work tomorrow.
- ManonBon courage à nous deux !Good luck to us both!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
