votre profession
The English phrase "your profession" is translated into French as votre profession.
This phrase refers to the type of work or career that a person has.
Which one should you use?
While votre profession is used for formal career titles, votre métier is often used to refer to a person's specific craft or trade.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because profession is a feminine noun, any accompanying adjectives must be in the feminine form. For example, if you say "your profession is…", you would use votre profession est…
Did you know?
- While profession is common, French speakers often avoid asking Quelle est votre profession? and instead ask Qu'est-ce que vous faites dans la vie?, which literally means 'What do you do in life?'
- Historically, the distinction between profession and métier was strictly social, as the former referred to liberal arts like law or medicine and the latter to manual trades.
- While profession sounds very prestigious, if you ask a person about their work in a casual setting, using this term can sound slightly stiff or like a police interrogation.
Examples in context
- Je suis médecin.I am a doctor.
- Je suis avocat.I am a lawyer.
- Je suis enseignant(e).I am a teacher.
- Je suis ingénieur(e).I am an engineer.
- Je travaille comme serveur/serveuse.I work as a waiter/waitress.
- Je suis professeur de musique.I am a music teacher.
- Je suis informaticien(ne).I am an IT specialist.
- J'exerce le métier de journaliste.I practice the profession of a journalist.
- Quelle est votre profession ?What is your profession?
- Votre profession est très intéressante.Your profession is very interesting.
Example conversation
Lucas is interviewing Emma for a club membership.
- LucasEst-ce que je peux connaître votre profession, Emma ?May I know your profession, Emma?
- EmmaJe suis architecte.I am an architect.
- LucasC'est passionnant !That's fascinating!
- EmmaMerci beaucoup, Lucas.Thank you very much, Lucas.
