licencié
/li.sɑ̃.sje/
The English phrase 'laid off' is translated into French as licencié.
The term licencié is used when a person loses their job because the employer no longer requires their services.
Which one should you use?
While licencié generally refers to being laid off, you can specify that someone was fired for misconduct by using the phrase licencié pour faute.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word licencié must agree in gender and number with the person being laid off. The masculine singular is licencié, the feminine singular is licenciée, the masculine plural is licenciés and the feminine plural is licenciées.
How do you pronounce it?
/li.sɑ̃.sje/
Did you know?
- In a casual setting, a French speaker might not say je suis licencié, but instead use the slang verb se faire lourder, which literally means 'to be made heavy' or 'to be dropped'.
- In French, the same root used for being laid off, licencié, is used for the noun licence, which refers to a university degree or a professional permit.
- Because French layoff laws are so strict, employers often avoid licenciement entirely by proposing a rupture conventionnelle, a mutual agreement to part ways.
Examples in context
- Nous avons tous été licenciés.We've all been laid off.This sentence uses licencié to show a group of people being laid off.Tatoeba #1140666 by sacredceltic, translation #1140044 by CK
- Nous n'avons encore licencié aucun employé.We haven't laid off any employees yet.This sentence uses licencié to show that no employees have been laid off yet.Tatoeba #5620085 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #5619599 by CK
- De nombreux ouvriers ont été licenciés de cette usine.Many workers were laid off at that plant.This sentence uses licencié to describe workers being laid off from a factory.Tatoeba #9099360 by lbdx, translation #48010 by CM
- J'ai perdu mon boulot aujourd'hui. C'est vraiment dur.I got laid off today. It's really tough.
- Mon frère a été licencié hier. Il ne le méritait pas.My brother was laid off yesterday. He didn't deserve it.
- Malheureusement, vous êtes congédié en raison des réductions budgétaires.Unfortunately, you are being laid off due to budget cuts.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are talking about a former colleague.
- GabrielTu as entendu pour Marc ?Did you hear about Marc?
- EmmaOui, il a été licencié hier.Yes, he was laid off yesterday.
- GabrielC'est terrible, il aimait son travail.That's terrible, he loved his job.
- EmmaL'entreprise réduit ses effectifs.The company is reducing its workforce.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry licencié, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
