le bureau
le bureau is the French way to say the office.
le bureau is used to refer to a single-room office or a specific department/unit within a larger company. In casual conversations, you can use the phrase La série "The Office"" to refer to the series."
What does it mean word for word?
The word bureau literally means desk, but it is also used to mean office.
Which one should you use?
Depending on the context, le bureau can refer to the physical piece of furniture (the desk) or the room/workplace (the office).
Did you know?
- In French, le bureau can refer to a committee or the board of directors of an organization.
- The word bureau has an unexpected connection to textiles. It originates from bure, a type of coarse woolen cloth, and originally referred to a desk covered with such fabric.
- The French word bureau is the direct ancestor of the English word 'bureau' used for a chest of drawers.
Examples in context
- Le bureau est vide.The office is empty.This sentence shows how to describe the state of le bureau being empty.Tatoeba #7089129 by Aiji, translation #3426311 by CK
- Le bureau est fermé.The office is closed.This sentence is useful for describing how le bureau is closed.Tatoeba #10722597 by Orange, translation #8048016 by OsoHombre
- Ferme le bureau à clé.Lock the office.This sentence is a way to give an instruction to lock le bureau.Tatoeba #5494617 by Aiji, translation #2249545 by CK
- As-tu déjà vu "Le Bureau"? Il est vraiment drôle!Have you ever seen "The Office"? It's really funny!
- J'ai regardé quelques épisodes de la série "The Office" hier soir, c'était vraiment amusant!I watched a few episodes of "The Office" last night, it was really fun!
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are at home in the morning.
- GabrielOù est mon sac pour le bureau ?Where is my bag for the office?
- ManonIl est sur le bureau, Gabriel.It is on the desk, Gabriel.
- GabrielMerci, je vais vite au bureau.Thanks, I am going quickly to the office.
- ManonBon courage pour ta journée au bureau !Good luck with your day at the office!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bureau, le, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
