Learn basic French vocabulary for occupations
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| vendeur |
| ingénieur |
| programmeur |
| What do these words mean? Stick around. |
| In this quick lesson, you’ll learn French vocabulary for occupations. |
| Before we start, did you know there’s a unique job in France where people train to have an amazing sense of smell? Do you know what these scent experts are called? |
| Keep watching for the answer at the end. |
| employé |
| "employee" |
| [SLOW] employé |
| employé |
| Did you know that in France, there's a famous law called the "35-hour workweek"? |
| Most employees are only supposed to work 35 hours a week! |
| Of course, reality can be different… but the idea of work-life balance is very French. |
| And the word employé comes from the verb employer, meaning "to use" or "to hire." |
| Patricia and Steve discuss their work environment. |
| Patricia: Les employés aiment leur travail. |
| Steve: C'est super d'entendre ça ! |
| vendeur |
| "salesperson" |
| [SLOW] vendeur |
| vendeur |
| In France, being a vendeur isn’t just about selling — it’s often about advising. |
| Go into a Parisian shop, and the vendeur might offer you style advice like a fashion consultant. |
| Selling in France is almost an art! |
| Tom talks to Hugues about a recent visit to a car dealership. |
| Tom: Le vendeur m'a montré beaucoup de voitures. |
| Hugues: Est-ce que tu as aimé une voiture parmi celles qu'il t'a montrées ? |
| ingénieur |
| "engineer" |
| [SLOW] ingénieur |
| ingénieur |
| French ingénieurs have a long tradition — think Eiffel, as in the Eiffel Tower! |
| Gustave Eiffel was a brilliant ingénieur who designed not just towers, but also bridges and even contributed to the Statue of Liberty. |
| Lina discusses a friend's career with Susan. |
| Lina: Mon amie est très intelligente. C'est une bonne ingénieure. |
| Susan: L'ingénierie est difficile. Elle doit être douée. |
| programmeur |
| "programmer" |
| [SLOW] programmeur |
| programmeur |
| French programmers often mix English with French when coding — a blend called Franglais. |
| You might hear someone say: “Je vais debugger ce programme,” mixing French grammar with English tech words! |
| Steve tells Daphne about a recent issue at work. |
| Steve: Nous avons eu un problème avec notre site web, mais le programmeur l'a réparé. |
| Daphne: Je suis contente que ce soit bon maintenant. |
| agriculteur |
| "farmer" |
| [SLOW] agriculteur |
| agriculteur |
| Every year in Paris, farmers from all over France gather for a huge event called Le Salon de l’Agriculture. |
| It’s like the Olympics of farming. For many agriculteurs, it’s a moment of pride. |
| Tom tells Geoffroy about a visit to a farm. |
| Tom: Je suis allé dans une ferme hier. Le fermier avait beaucoup de vaches. |
| Geoffroy: Ça a l'air d'être une grande ferme. |
| secrétaire |
| "secretary" |
| [SLOW] secrétaire |
| secrétaire |
| In French homes, a secrétaire is also a piece of furniture — a beautiful old desk with drawers and a writing board. |
| So if someone says “J’ai un secrétaire à la maison,” they might be talking about a desk… or a person. Context is everything! |
| Anne tells Alexandre about her workplace. |
| Anne: Notre secrétaire est toujours occupée. |
| Alexandre: C'est important d'avoir une bonne secrétaire. |
| banquier |
| "banker" |
| [SLOW] banquier |
| banquier |
| Did you know there is a European Central Bank? |
| It takes care of the euro. |
| Then, in France, there is la Banque de France. After that, there are many private banks. |
| Les banquiers work everywhere—at the European, national, and private banks. |
| Hugues discusses financial matters with Patricia. |
| Hugues: J'ai demandé des informations à propos des prêts à un banquier. |
| Patricia: Qu'est-ce que le banquier a dit ? |
| Let's review. |
| You'll see the words in English and your job is to say the words in French. |
| Ready? |
| Do you remember how to say "employee"? |
| employé |
| employé |
| And how to say "salesperson"? |
| vendeur |
| vendeur |
| How about "engineer"? |
| ingénieur |
| ingénieur |
| Do you remember how to say "programmer"? |
| programmeur |
| programmeur |
| And how to say "farmer"? |
| agriculteur |
| agriculteur |
| Let's try "secretary"! |
| secrétaire |
| secrétaire |
| What about "banker"? |
| banquier |
| banquier |
| Did you know there’s a unique job in France where people train to have an amazing sense of smell? Do you know what these scent experts are called? |
| They’re known as “nez” literally "nose" meaning "perfumers"! In France, these experts learn to create perfumes by blending different smells in special ways. Their job is a mix of art and science and takes years of practice to recognize even the smallest scents. |
| Thanks for watching! Don't forget to practice these new words and phrases, and see you next time! |
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