indépendant
/ɛ̃.de.pɑ̃.dɑ̃/
The English phrase self-employed is translated into French as indépendant.
The term is used to describe someone who works for themselves rather than for an employer. While indépendant is an adjective, you may also use the common verbal phrase travailler à son compte to express the action of working for oneself. To describe the opposite of being self-employed, such as being an employee or a salaried worker, use the word salarié.
Meaning: working for oneself (adj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, the term Artisan is often used to describe self-employed craftsmen.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, indépendant must agree in gender and number with the person it describes. Use the feminine form indépendante for a woman, the masculine plural indépendants and the feminine plural indépendantes.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and is pronounced /ɛ̃.de.pɑ̃.dɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- While indépendant means self-employed, the word salarié describes an employee. Unlike the English 'salary', which suggests a high pay grade, salarié applies to any worker receiving a wage.
- In France, many self-employed workers are legally categorized under a specific social status called micro-entrepreneur, which dictates how they pay taxes and social security.
- In the French professional world, an artisan is not just an artist. It is a formal legal category for self-employed skilled tradespeople like bakers or carpenters.
Examples in context
- Mon frère est un travailleur indépendant.My brother is self-employed.
- Il a démarré son entreprise en tant qu'entrepreneur individuel.He started his business as a self-employed individual.
- Mon voisin est un travailleur autonome, il est informaticien.My neighbor is self-employed, he's a computer specialist.
- Je suis indépendant, je travaille à mon compte.I am self-employed, I work for myself.
- Il est indépendant depuis deux ans.He has been self-employed for two years.
- Elle veut devenir indépendante l'année prochaine.She wants to become self-employed next year.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are discussing their career paths at a cafe.
- ChloéEst-ce que tu es encore salarié ?Are you still an employee?
- NathanNon, je suis maintenant indépendant.No, I am self-employed now.
- ChloéC'est génial, Nathan !That is great, Nathan!
- NathanMerci, c'est beaucoup plus libre.Thanks, it is much more free.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “self-employed” translations and entries indépendant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
