Patron (or its feminine form, patronne) is the most common way to say “boss” in French. But there are several other options.\n\nWhether you're working in a French-speaking environment, watching a French movie, or just want to expand your vocabulary, knowing how to refer to your superior can be very useful!\n\nLet’s explore some common and less common ways to say “boss” (and, sometimes, more than just “boss”) in French!

The standard 'boss' – le patron/la patronne

The standard “boss” – le patron/la patronne

Le patron (masculine) and la patronne (feminine) are the most common and direct words for “boss” in French.

Like many French nouns, this word changes based on gender and number: le patron - a male boss or an unspecified boss la patronne - a female boss les patrons - multiple male bosses or a group of male and female bosses les patronnes - multiple female bosses

These terms are widely used in professional settings, from small businesses to large corporations, and are generally considered appropriate in both formal and informal contexts when referring to one's employer or direct superior.

However, le patron and la patronne can also carry other meanings, such as “owner” of a business or even a “regular customer” in certain contexts.

To distinguish the meaning, context is crucial: When referring to someone who employs you or is your direct superior, it means boss. When speaking about the person who owns a shop, restaurant, or business, it often means owner. In some traditional settings, particularly cafés or bars, le patron can refer to a loyal, regular customer, though this usage is less common nowadays and highly context-dependent.

For example, if you say Mon patron m’a donné une augmentation, it clearly means “My boss gave me a raise.” But Le patron du café est très sympathique would mean “The owner of the cafe is very friendly.”

While patron/patronne is standard for 'boss', other terms like directeur/directrice (director) or responsable (manager/person in charge) are also used, often indicating a specific hierarchical role rather than just 'the boss' in general.

Fortunately, the specific meaning of patron/patronne is usually clear from the surrounding conversation and situation. If you're talking about work, it's your boss; if you're discussing a business, it's likely the owner.

In France, the relationship with one's patron can be quite direct. While respect is expected, it's common for employees to have a more personal, albeit still professional, interaction with their boss, especially in smaller structures.

💡 * J'ai une réunion avec mon patron demain matin. (I have a meeting with my boss tomorrow morning.)

La patronne de l'entreprise a annoncé de bonnes nouvelles. (The owner/boss of the company announced good news.)

C'est la patronne qui décide des horaires. (It's the boss/owner who decides the schedules.)

Les patrons sont partis en vacances. (The bosses went on vacation.)

Il faut demander au patron s'il y a du travail. (You have to ask the boss if there's work.)

The 'manager' – le gérant/la gérante

The “manager” – le gérant/la gérante

Gérant (masculine) and gérante (feminine) are common French terms used to refer to a manager, particularly in the context of a business, shop, or property. These terms emphasize the operational oversight of a specific entity.

You'll frequently hear le gérant or la gérante for someone who manages a retail store, a restaurant, a hotel, or any commercial establishment. They are typically responsible for the day-to-day operations and staff within that specific unit.

Beyond retail, gérant can also refer to a property manager (gérant immobilier) or someone who manages a specific department or branch within a larger company. It implies a hands-on role in running affairs.

While directeur (director) often implies a higher-level, strategic, or executive role, gérant focuses more on the operational, day-to-day management of a specific unit or entity. A gérant might report to a directeur.

As with many French nouns, gérant changes to gérante to agree with the gender of the person it refers to. Always remember to use the correct article (le for masculine, la for feminine) as well.

In essence, if someone is in charge of running a specific place, a particular business, or managing a property, le gérant or la gérante is the appropriate and most common term to use.

💡 * Le gérant du magasin est très serviable. (The store manager is very helpful.)

La gérante de l'hôtel a résolu notre problème rapidement. (The hotel manager resolved our problem quickly.)

Il est le gérant de cette petite entreprise familiale. (He is the manager of this small family business.)

J'ai rendez-vous avec la gérante de la succursale. (I have an appointment with the branch manager.)

Elle travaille comme gérante immobilière depuis dix ans. (She has been working as a property manager for ten years.)

The 'director' – le directeur/la directrice

When you need to refer to a 'director' in French, the words you'll use are directeur for a male director and directrice for a female director.

Like many French nouns, the word for 'director' changes based on the gender of the person. You'll use le directeur for a male director and la directrice for a female director.

This term is widely used across various domains. You'll find a directeur or directrice heading a school (directeur d'école), a company (directeur d'entreprise), or even a department (directeur de département).

The terms directeur and directrice carry a formal and professional tone, indicating a position of leadership and authority. They are not typically used in casual conversation to refer to someone's general role unless it's their official title.

To refer to multiple directors, the plural forms are les directeurs (for male or mixed groups) and les directrices (for female groups).

Often, directeur or directrice is followed by the preposition de to specify what they are directing, such as directeur des ventes (sales director) or directrice des ressources humaines (human resources director).

Understanding directeur and directrice is essential for recognizing leadership roles in French-speaking environments, from educational institutions to corporate settings.

💡 * Le directeur de l'école est très respecté. (The school director is very respected.)* Elle est la nouvelle directrice marketing. (She is the new marketing director.)* Les directeurs se réunissent demain. (The directors are meeting tomorrow.)* J'ai rendez-vous avec la directrice générale. (I have an appointment with the CEO/General Manager.)* Mon frère est directeur des ventes. (My brother is a sales director.)

The 'chief' (often for a team or department) – le chef/la cheffe

The terms le chef (masculine) and la cheffe (feminine) refer to a 'chief', 'head', or 'leader', often in a professional context such as a team, department, or kitchen.

While le chef has been traditionally used for both genders, the feminine form la cheffe is increasingly common to specifically refer to a female head or leader. This term is widely used across various fields, from business to culinary arts.

You'll frequently hear le chef d'équipe (team leader), le chef de projet (project manager), or le chef de cuisine (head chef). The use of la cheffe follows the same patterns when referring to a woman in these roles.

💡 * Le chef de projet a approuvé le plan. (The project manager approved the plan.)

La cheffe de l'entreprise est très respectée. (The head of the company is highly respected.)

Où est le chef? Je dois lui parler. (Where is the chief? I need to speak to him/her.)

Elle est la cheffe de notre département. (She is the head of our department.)

Le chef cuisinier a préparé un plat délicieux. (The head chef prepared a delicious dish.)

The 'superior' – le supérieur/la supérieure

In French, le supérieur (masculine) and la supérieure (feminine) refer to a person who holds a higher position or rank than another, typically in a professional or hierarchical context.

This term is formal and is commonly used in professional environments, such as workplaces, military, or religious institutions, to denote someone in authority.

The gender of the noun changes to match the gender of the person: le supérieur for a male superior and la supérieure for a female superior. It's essential to use the correct article and ending.

You would use le supérieur or la supérieure when referring to your boss, manager, or anyone above you in the chain of command. It implies respect for their position.

While similar to 'boss', le supérieur/la supérieure carries a slightly more formal and often institutional connotation than the more common le chef or le patron.

💡 * Je dois en parler à mon supérieur. (I need to talk about it with my superior.)

Elle est ma supérieure directe. (She is my direct superior.)

Nos supérieurs ont pris une décision. (Our superiors made a decision.)

Veuillez contacter votre supérieur hiérarchique. (Please contact your hierarchical superior.)

Il a été convoqué par sa supérieure. (He was summoned by his female superior.)

The 'employer' – l'employeur/l'employeuse

In French, the word for 'employer' is generally l'employeur. This masculine noun refers to the person or entity that hires and pays employees. However, if the employer is specifically a woman, you can use l'employeuse, which is the feminine form.

These terms are predominantly used in formal contexts, such as legal documents, employment contracts, official communications, or when discussing labor relations in a professional setting. They are the direct and precise equivalents of 'employer' in English.

It's important to differentiate l'employeur from other related terms like le patron (boss, often more informal or referring to the owner of a smaller business) or le chef (manager, head of a department). While le patron or le chef might be a representative of the employer, l'employeur specifically denotes the legal entity or individual holding the employing responsibility.

You will frequently encounter phrases such as les obligations de l'employeur (the employer's obligations) or les droits de l'employeur (the employer's rights) in discussions concerning labor law, human resources, or workplace regulations. These highlight the formal nature of the terms.

💡 * L'employeur doit respecter le code du travail. (The employer must respect the labor code.)

Mon employeuse m'a offert un nouveau contrat. (My female employer offered me a new contract.)

Cette entreprise est un employeur important dans la région. (This company is a major employer in the region.)

Les obligations de l'employeur sont clairement définies par la loi. (The employer's obligations are clearly defined by law.)

The 'head of department/team' – le responsable/la responsable

In a professional context, le responsable or la responsable refers to the 'head of department,' 'team leader,' or 'manager.' It signifies someone in charge of a specific area or team.

Unlike many French nouns, responsable maintains the same form for both masculine and feminine. Its gender is indicated by the article: le responsable for a male and la responsable for a female.

This term is widely used across various industries to denote someone with leadership and accountability for a particular function or group, emphasizing their role as the 'one in charge.'

💡 * Le responsable du service marketing a approuvé la nouvelle campagne. (The head of the marketing department approved the new campaign.)

Elle est la responsable de projet pour cette initiative. (She is the project manager for this initiative.)

Vous devez parler à votre responsable avant de prendre cette décision. (You must speak to your manager before making this decision.)

Qui est le responsable de l'équipe technique ? (Who is the head of the technical team?)

The 'team leader' – le chef d'équipe/la cheffe d'équipe

In French, to refer to a 'team leader,' you'll use le chef d'équipe for a male leader or la cheffe d'équipe for a female leader. This term is widely used in professional contexts to designate the person responsible for guiding and managing a specific team.

It's important to note the gender agreement: chef is masculine, and cheffe is feminine. Both are followed by d'équipe (of the team), which remains constant. While chef historically referred to both genders, cheffe is now commonly accepted and preferred for women in this role.

This role implies leadership, organization, and often direct reporting responsibilities. It's a standard professional title you'll encounter in various industries, from IT to manufacturing, whenever a group of people works collaboratively under a designated leader.

💡 *Le chef d'équipe a organisé la réunion hebdomadaire. (The team leader organized the weekly meeting.)
*La cheffe d'équipe est très appréciée par ses collaborateurs. (The female team leader is highly valued by her colleagues.)
*Nous avons besoin d'un nouveau chef d'équipe pour le projet X. (We need a new team leader for project X.)
*Elle a été promue cheffe d'équipe le mois dernier. (She was promoted to team leader last month.)
*Les chefs d'équipe sont responsables de la performance de leurs membres. (Team leaders are responsible for their members' performance.)

The 'big boss' (informal or referring to top management) – le grand patron/la grande patronne

When you want to refer to the 'big boss' in French, especially in an informal context or when speaking about top management, the most common expressions are le grand patron for a male and la grande patronne for a female.

These phrases literally translate to 'the big boss'. Just like many French nouns and adjectives, the form changes based on the gender of the person you're referring to: grand (masculine) becomes grande (feminine), and patron (male boss) becomes patronne (female boss).

While 'patron' itself means 'boss,' adding grand(e) emphasizes their position as the ultimate authority or head of an organization. It's often used informally among employees but can also be used respectfully to refer to the CEO or head of a company.

For a more formal and precise term, especially in written documents or official settings, you might use le PDG (Président-Directeur Général) for a male CEO or la PDG (Présidente-Directrice Générale) for a female CEO, though le grand patron is widely understood.

💡 * Le grand patron a annoncé de nouvelles mesures. (The big boss announced new measures.)

J'ai une réunion avec la grande patronne cet après-midi. (I have a meeting with the big boss this afternoon.)

C'est une décision du grand patron, pas la mienne. (It's the big boss's decision, not mine.)

La grande patronne de l'entreprise est très respectée. (The big boss of the company is very respected.)

On attend le grand patron pour commencer la présentation. (We are waiting for the big boss to start the presentation.)

Are there other ways to say 'boss' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'boss' in French. However, French, like any language, is rich with nuances. You might encounter other terms, from formal business jargon to informal slang, and even regional expressions, some of which might be very specific to certain industries or workplaces.

You can also explore by doing an online search for 'comment dire patron en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country, region, or even industry (e.g., 'comment dire patron en Québec' or 'comment dire patron en restauration').

As you discover new terms, always make sure to check their exact definition and context. Observing how native speakers use them in real-world conversations or professional settings will help you understand their appropriate usage.

Pay attention as you read business articles, watch French TV shows set in workplaces, or listen to podcasts about career development in French — you may discover different ways to refer to a 'boss' that are specific to certain contexts or social levels.

For a comprehensive look at synonyms and related terms for 'boss' or 'employer' in French, the WordReference entry for patron is an excellent starting point. It often includes nuances and usage examples.

I hope this article has clarified the various ways to refer to a 'boss' in French. Here's a thought from Napoleon Bonaparte, which, while not directly about bosses, speaks to leadership: 'Un chef est un marchand d'espérance.' (A leader is a dealer in hope.)

9 ways to say "boss" in French