travailler
/tʁa.va.je/
To work in French is travailler.
The verb travailler is used to describe engaging in physical or mental activity to achieve a result or to earn money.
Which one should you use?
While travailler is the standard term, bosser is a colloquial synonym used in casual conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Canadian French, you may hear the phrase travailler sur to mean working on something.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun form of travailler is le travail (work or job). To describe a person who works, use the masculine travailleur or the feminine travailleuse.
How do you pronounce it?
Travailler is pronounced /tʁa.va.je/ and has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The verb travailler shares an ancient root with the word for 'torture'. It stems from the Latin word 'tripālium', which referred to a torture instrument involving three stakes.
- In French, le travail refers both to a professional job and to the physical process of childbirth.
- If a chef or a sommelier says that a flavor travaille en bouche, they mean the taste is actively intensifying or developing on the palate.
Examples in context
- Je vais y travailler.I'm going to work on that.This sentence shows how to use travailler in the context of working on something.Tatoeba #6134177 by Aiji, translation #2544756 by CK
- Tu vas travailler seul.You're going to work alone.This sentence shows how to use travailler to describe working alone.Tatoeba #4069963 by Amastan, translation #9011841 by jaydenms
- Je vais travailler dur.I'm going to work hard.This sentence shows how to use travailler to express working hard.Tatoeba #5857611 by Aiji, translation #4918943 by CK
- Je travaille dans une grande entreprise.I work in a large company.
- J'exerce un emploi dans le domaine de la finance.I hold a job in the finance sector.
- Je suis employé(e) dans cette entreprise depuis deux ans.I have been an employee in this company for two years.
- J'occupe un poste de directeur des ventes.I hold a position as a sales director.
- Je bosse dans une boîte de communication.I work in a communications company.
- On a trimé dur cette semaine !We worked hard this week!
- Je fais juste mon boulot, rien de plus.I'm just doing my job, nothing more.
- 423 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are talking about their plans for Monday.
- EmmaEst-ce que tu vas travailler lundi ?Are you going to work on Monday?
- HugoOui, je dois travailler toute la journée.Yes, I have to work all day.
- EmmaMoi aussi, je vais travailler tard.Me too, I am going to work late.
- HugoBon courage pour travailler, Emma !Good luck with working, Emma!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry travailler, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries travailler, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
