Navigating the professional world in a new language can be tricky, and French is no exception. While 'collègue' is the direct translation for 'colleague,' the French language offers a variety of terms to describe the people you work with, each carrying its own subtle meaning.

Are they just a coworker, a close work friend, or part of your team? Choosing the right word can make all the difference in sounding natural and building strong professional relationships.

Let’s explore nine different ways to refer to your colleagues in French, so you can speak with confidence in any workplace situation!

The standard 'colleague' – un/une collègue

The standard 'colleague' – un/une collègue

Collègue is the most direct, common, and versatile word for 'colleague' or 'coworker' in French. It refers to someone you work with in the same company or professional environment.

A key feature of collègue is that it's an epicene noun, meaning the word itself doesn't change for gender. The gender is indicated by the article before it:

un collègue: a male colleague
une collègue: a female colleague
des collègues: multiple colleagues (male, female, or mixed)
mes collègues: my colleagues

This term is perfectly neutral and can be used in any professional setting, from a casual office chat to a formal business meeting. It's the standard term you'll hear and use most often.

While collègue is the universal term, in certain traditional professions like law or medicine, you might encounter confrère (for a male) or consœur (for a female). These terms imply a shared professional order or association and are much more formal. For everyday use, collègue is always the correct choice.

💡 * Je déjeune avec un collègue du marketing. (I'm having lunch with a colleague from marketing.)

Ma collègue m'a aidé à préparer la présentation. (My (female) colleague helped me prepare the presentation.)

Nous sommes collègues depuis plus de dix ans. (We have been colleagues for over ten years.)

Il a présenté sa nouvelle collègue à toute l'équipe. (He introduced his new (female) colleague to the whole team.)

Mes chers collègues, la réunion va commencer. (My dear colleagues, the meeting is about to begin.)

The 'fellow professional' (in the same field) – un confrère / une consœur

The 'fellow professional' (in the same field) – un confrère / une consœur

The terms un confrère (masculine) and une consœur (feminine) are used to refer to a colleague, but with a specific and formal nuance. They designate a 'fellow professional' who practices the same profession as the speaker, implying a shared expertise and community.

These terms are most common in liberal professions and established fields with a strong sense of internal community, such as medicine, law, academia, and journalism. A doctor would refer to another doctor as a confrère, or a lawyer to another lawyer as a consœur.

Using confrère or consœur adds a layer of formality and mutual respect that the more general word collègue (coworker) lacks. It acknowledges a shared professional identity and the standards that come with it.

The key difference is specificity. You can work with many collègues in a hospital, from nurses to administrators, but only other doctors are your confrères. It highlights a peer relationship within a specific profession, not just a shared workplace.

💡 * Mon confrère, le Dr. Dubois, prendra ma relève pendant mes vacances.

J'ai consulté une consœur avocate pour avoir un deuxième avis sur le dossier.

Cher confrère, je vous remercie pour votre précieuse collaboration à cette recherche.

La journaliste a partagé ses sources avec un confrère de confiance.

The formal 'collaborator' – un collaborateur / une collaboratrice

In a professional or formal context, you'll frequently encounter un collaborateur (male) and une collaboratrice (female). These terms are the standard way to refer to a colleague, coworker, or team member in a French workplace.

Literally translating to "collaborator," this word implies more than just sharing an office space. It suggests working together towards a common goal within a company or on a specific project, emphasizing teamwork and a shared professional mission.

This term is more formal than the more general un collègue. It's often used by management when referring to their staff or in official company communications. Using it shows a high level of professional French proficiency.

Remember to match the gender and number correctly:

un collaborateur: a male colleague
une collaboratrice: a female colleague
des collaborateurs: a group of male or mixed-gender colleagues
des collaboratrices: a group of all-female colleagues

Adding collaborateur/collaboratrice to your vocabulary is essential for navigating a French-speaking professional environment. It conveys respect and an understanding of corporate culture.

💡 * Je présente ma nouvelle collaboratrice à l'équipe. (I am introducing my new female colleague to the team.)

Une réunion est prévue avec tous les collaborateurs du département. (A meeting is scheduled with all the collaborators of the department.)

C'est un excellent collaborateur, toujours prêt à aider. (He is an excellent colleague, always ready to help.)

L'entreprise remercie l'ensemble de ses collaborateurs pour leurs efforts. (The company thanks all of its employees for their efforts.)

The 'business partner' or 'associate' – un/une associé(e)

In a professional or legal setting, the French term for a 'business partner' or 'associate' is un/une associé(e). This word implies a formal relationship with shared ownership or responsibilities in an enterprise.

This noun changes form based on gender. Use un associé for a male partner and une associée for a female partner. The distinction is crucial for correct grammar in formal communications.

It's important not to confuse associé(e) with collègue (colleague). An associé(e) is a partner with a stake in the business, whereas a collègue is simply someone you work with in the same company or office.

💡 * Je dois consulter mon associé avant de prendre une décision. (I must consult my partner before making a decision.)

Hélène est mon associée principale dans le cabinet d'avocats. (Hélène is my senior partner in the law firm.)

Les deux associés ont fondé l'entreprise il y a dix ans. (The two partners founded the company ten years ago.)

Elle recherche une associée pour son nouveau projet. (She is looking for a (female) partner for her new project.)

The 'workmate' or 'office mate' – un/une camarade de travail/bureau

For a more formal or neutral way to say 'workmate' or 'office mate,' you can use un/une camarade de travail or un/une camarade de bureau.

The word camarade itself means 'comrade' or 'mate' and often implies a shared activity or environment. Adding de travail (of work) or de bureau (of office) specifies the professional context.

A key feature of camarade is that the noun itself doesn't change. You indicate the person's gender with the article: un camarade for a male and une camarade for a female.

This expression carries a more formal and slightly distant tone compared to the more common collègue. It emphasizes the shared professional space rather than a personal relationship.

While collègue is the go-to term for 'colleague,' use camarade de travail/bureau when you want to specifically and neutrally refer to someone you share a workspace with, without implying a close bond.

💡 * J'ai déjeuné avec une camarade de travail hier. (I had lunch with a female workmate yesterday.)

Mon camarade de bureau est en vacances cette semaine. (My male office mate is on vacation this week.)

Nous sommes de simples camarades de travail, pas des amis. (We are just workmates, not friends.)

The 'teammate' – un coéquipier / une coéquipière

The 'teammate' – un coéquipier / une coéquipière

In French, the word for 'teammate' is un coéquipier for a male and une coéquipière for a female. The word is a compound of co- (meaning 'with' or 'jointly') and équipier/équipière (a team member), which itself comes from the word équipe (team).

When referring to a group of teammates, you use des coéquipiers for an all-male or mixed-gender group. For an all-female group, the term is des coéquipières. This follows standard French grammar rules where the masculine form takes precedence in mixed groups.

While most commonly heard in sports contexts, coéquipier and coéquipière can also be used in a professional or academic setting to refer to a member of a project team or workgroup. It implies a sense of shared goals and collaboration, just like its English equivalent.

💡 * Mon coéquipier m'a aidé à marquer le but. (My teammate helped me score the goal.)

C'est un plaisir de travailler avec une coéquipière aussi talentueuse. (It's a pleasure to work with such a talented teammate.)

Les coéquipiers se sont entraînés dur pour le match. (The teammates trained hard for the game.)

Toutes ses coéquipières la soutiennent. (All of her teammates support her.)

2. The 'counterpart' in another company – un/une homologue

In a professional or political context, the word for 'counterpart' is un/une homologue. This term is essential for business communication.

Un/une homologue refers to a person who holds the same job or a similar position but in a different organization, company, or country. It’s a more formal term than ami or collègue and is used specifically to show a parallel professional relationship.

This word can be masculine (un homologue) or feminine (une homologue). However, note that with possessive adjectives (my, your, his/her), you always use mon, ton, or son before homologue for both genders to avoid a vowel clash (e.g., mon homologue, Marie).

💡 * Le président français va rencontrer son homologue américain.
(The French president is going to meet his American counterpart.)

Ma nouvelle homologue chez notre partenaire est très compétente.
(My new counterpart (female) at our partner company is very competent.)

J'ai une réunion avec mon homologue du bureau de Berlin demain.
(I have a meeting with my counterpart from the Berlin office tomorrow.)

The informal 'work buddy' – un/une pote du boulot

The informal 'work buddy' – un/une pote du boulot

This common phrase literally means 'a buddy from work.' It's a combination of two very popular slang terms: pote (buddy, pal) and boulot (work, job). It's the go-to expression for a casual workplace friendship.

You'd use un/une pote du boulot to describe a colleague you get along with, have lunch with, or chat with during breaks. It perfectly captures the friendly but often context-specific nature of friendships formed at the office. It's informal and should be used in casual conversation.

The word pote is versatile and can refer to a man (un pote) or a woman (une pote). The rest of the phrase, du boulot, does not change, making it easy to apply to any work friend.

💡 * Je vais boire un verre avec des potes du boulot ce soir. (I'm going for a drink with some work buddies tonight.)

C'est ma meilleure pote du boulot, on s'entend super bien. (She's my best work buddy, we get along really well.)

Il m'a présenté à un pote du boulot qui travaille dans le marketing. (He introduced me to a work friend who works in marketing.)

The 'partner' in a project or business – un/une partenaire

When you need to say 'partner' in a professional, business, or project context, the most accurate French term is un partenaire (for a male or masculine entity) or une partenaire (for a female or feminine entity). This word directly translates to 'partner' in these situations.

The term partenaire is used to describe a person, group, or company with whom you are collaborating on a shared goal. You can use it for a business partner (partenaire d'affaires), a project collaborator, or an allied organization. It emphasizes a relationship of cooperation and mutual interest.

It's crucial to distinguish this from a romantic partner. While partenaire can occasionally be used for a life partner (e.g., partenaire de vie), it is far more common in a professional setting. To talk about a romantic partner, you would more typically use words like mon compagnon / ma compagne (my companion/partner) or mon conjoint / ma conjointe (my spouse/partner).

💡 * Mon partenaire et moi allons lancer un nouveau produit le mois prochain.

Elle est une partenaire d'affaires très respectée dans notre secteur.

L'université travaille avec plusieurs partenaires internationaux sur ce projet de recherche.

Nous recherchons un partenaire financier pour développer notre start-up.

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

Our list features the most common ways to say 'colleague' in French. But the professional world is diverse, and you may hear other terms based on industry, company hierarchy, or even the specific region of the French-speaking world you're in.

To discover more specific terms, you can do an online search for 'vocabulaire du bureau en français' or 'synonyme de collègue'. This can help you find words that fit particular professional contexts.

When you encounter a new word for 'colleague', pay attention to its usage. Is it formal or informal? Is it used for someone at the same level, or a subordinate? Understanding this context is key to using the term correctly and professionally.

Pay attention when you watch French movies or TV shows set in a workplace, or when you read articles about business in French. You'll start to notice the subtle differences in how people refer to their coworkers.

If you're looking for more vocabulary related to the workplace, the WordReference entry for collègue is a great resource. The forums often contain discussions by native speakers about the nuances of different terms.

I hope this article has helped you feel more confident about discussing your professional life in French. To finish, here is a perfect French proverb about the power of teamwork: Seul on va plus vite, ensemble on va plus loin. (Alone, one goes faster; together, one goes further.)

'9 ways to say "colleague" in French'