When you first learn French, "travailler" is the go-to word for "to work." And while it's certainly essential, French, like any rich language, offers a variety of ways to express this fundamental concept.

Depending on the context – whether you're talking about a job, a task, an effort, or even something functioning – a different verb might be more appropriate, adding nuance and precision to your speech.

Let's dive into 9 different ways to say "to work" in French, helping you sound more natural and sophisticated!

The standard 'to work' – travailler

When you want to express the act of 'to work' in French, the go-to verb is travailler. It's the most common and versatile verb for this concept.

Good news for learners! Travailler is a regular -er verb, which means its conjugations follow a predictable pattern. Once you learn the conjugation for one regular -er verb, you'll know how to conjugate many others, including travailler.

Its primary and most frequent use is to talk about having a job, being employed, or performing professional duties. It covers everything from 'I work at an office' to 'She works as a doctor'.

Travailler can also describe something functioning or someone putting effort into an activity. For example, a machine 'works' or 'functions', or you 'work on' a project, implying effort.

When specifying where or on what you work, travailler often pairs with prepositions. Common ones include travailler à (to work at/on), travailler pour (to work for a company/person), and travailler chez (to work at a company/at someone's place).

You'll frequently encounter travailler in various expressions. For instance, travailler dur means 'to work hard', and travailler en équipe means 'to work as a team'.

💡 * Je travaille à Paris. (I work in Paris.)

• Elle travaille pour une grande entreprise. (She works for a big company.)
• Nous travaillons sur un nouveau projet. (We are working on a new project.)
• Mon ordinateur ne travaille plus. (My computer isn't working anymore.)
• Il faut travailler ses muscles. (You need to work out your muscles.)
• Ils travaillent dur pour réussir. (They work hard to succeed.)

The informal 'to work hard' or 'to slog' – bosser

The informal verb bosser is your go-to when you want to express 'to work' or 'to study' in a casual, everyday French context.

While travailler is the standard, formal verb for 'to work,' bosser often carries the connotation of 'to work hard,' 'to slog,' or 'to toil.' It implies effort and sometimes a bit of drudgery.

You'll hear bosser frequently among friends, family, and colleagues in informal settings. It's common in conversations about daily tasks, schoolwork, or professional projects.

However, avoid using bosser in formal situations, such as a job interview, academic paper, or when speaking to someone you need to show respect to (like a superior you don't know well). Travailler is always the safer, more polite option.

It's often used with intensifiers, like bosser dur (to work hard) or bosser comme un fou (to work like crazy/mad). It can also simply mean 'to study' when referring to schoolwork.

As a regular -er verb, bosser conjugates just like parler (to speak). For example, je bosse, tu bosses, il/elle/on bosse, nous bossons, vous bossez, ils/elles bossent.

Bosser is deeply ingrained in informal French, reflecting a common, often lighthearted, acknowledgment of effort. It's a key part of speaking like a native.

💡 * Je dois bosser ce soir pour mon examen. (I have to study hard tonight for my exam.)

• Il bosse comme un fou pour finir le projet. (He's working like crazy to finish the project.)
• On a bossé toute la journée. (We worked hard all day.)
• Arrête de bosser et viens te détendre! (Stop working and come relax!)

The formal 'to work for a cause' or 'to contribute' – œuvrer

While travailler is the general verb for 'to work,' the verb œuvrer carries a more specific and formal meaning: 'to work for a cause,' 'to contribute,' or 'to strive towards a goal.'

Unlike simple labor, œuvrer implies an active, often sustained effort directed towards a specific objective, a project, or a greater good. It suggests a purposeful contribution rather than just performing a job.

This verb is considered quite formal and is typically encountered in written contexts, official speeches, or discussions about significant societal, artistic, or humanitarian endeavors. It's less common in casual spoken French.

Œuvrer is a regular -ER verb, meaning its conjugation follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -er (e.g., j'œuvre, tu œuvres, il œuvre, nous œuvrons, vous œuvrez, ils œuvrent).

It is frequently used with prepositions like à or pour to specify the cause or goal. For example, œuvrer à la paix (to work for peace) or œuvrer pour le bien commun (to work for the common good).

💡 *Le gouvernement doit œuvrer pour le bien-être de tous les citoyens. (The government must work for the well-being of all citizens.)
*Elle œuvre activement à la protection de l'environnement. (She actively works for the protection of the environment.)
*Ils ont œuvré ensemble à la réussite du projet. (They worked together for the success of the project.)
*Les artistes œuvrent pour enrichir la culture. (Artists contribute to enriching culture.)

The very informal 'to toil' or 'to work hard' – charbonner

The very informal “to toil” or “to work hard” – charbonner

Charbonner is a highly informal French verb meaning “to toil,” “to work hard,” or even “to slave away.” It literally comes from charbon (coal), evoking the strenuous, often dirty work of a coal miner.

This verb is used to describe intense, often physically demanding, or mentally exhausting work. It carries a strong connotation of effort and dedication, usually in a context where one needs to put in a lot of hours or physical exertion.

Charbonner is a regular -er verb, making its conjugation straightforward. It's common in spoken French among younger generations or in very casual settings.

💡 * Je dois charbonner toute la nuit pour finir ce projet. (I have to work hard all night to finish this project.)

• Ils ont charbonné toute la semaine pour le spectacle. (They toiled all week for the show.)
• C'est un travail où il faut vraiment charbonner. (It's a job where you really have to work hard.)
• On va charbonner pour que tout soit prêt à temps. (We're going to toil so everything is ready on time.)

The casual 'to work' (from 'le taf') – taffer

The verb taffer is the informal, slang equivalent of "to work" in French, directly derived from the popular slang noun le taf (work/job).

Essentially, taffer means "to work" or "to do a job," but it carries a distinctly relaxed, everyday, and often slightly gritty connotation.

This verb belongs firmly to informal and colloquial French. You'll frequently hear it among young people, friends, and colleagues in casual settings, but rarely in formal contexts.

Its origin is rooted in le taf, which is a widely used slang term for "work" or "a job." Just as le taf replaced le travail in casual speech, taffer offers a more laid-back alternative to travailler.

Use taffer when you want to sound authentic and casual, especially when describing your daily grind or a strenuous task. However, it's best to avoid it in professional reports, academic papers, or formal conversations with superiors.

For learners, the good news is that taffer is a regular -er verb. This means it conjugates just like common verbs such as parler (to speak) or aimer (to love), making it straightforward to use once you know the basic -er verb patterns.

💡 * Je taffe comme un fou en ce moment. (I'm working like crazy right now.)

• Tu taffes où ? (Where do you work? - casual)
• On a bien taffé aujourd'hui. (We worked well today.)
• Il faut que je taffe pour finir ce projet. (I need to work to finish this project.)
• Elle taffe dans le marketing. (She works in marketing. - casual)

The 'to be employed' or 'to be active professionally' – être en activité

The French phrase être en activité literally translates to "to be in activity." However, in a professional context, its most common and significant meaning is "to be employed" or "to be professionally active." It signifies that an individual is currently working or engaged in a professional capacity.

This expression is frequently used to describe someone's current professional status, often serving as a contrast to being retired (être à la retraite), unemployed (être au chômage), or on extended leave. It clearly indicates active participation in the workforce.

While its meaning is clear in everyday conversation, être en activité typically finds its place in more formal, administrative, or official contexts. You'll commonly encounter it on official forms, in legal documents, or when discussing employment statistics and human resources.

Although similar to travailler (to work), être en activité carries a slightly more formal and often more encompassing sense of being professionally engaged as a status, rather than merely performing a specific job or task. It emphasizes the state of being employed.

To effectively use être en activité, remember it highlights an ongoing professional status. It's particularly useful when you need to specify that someone is currently working in a formal context or to differentiate their status from retirement or unemployment.

💡 * Elle est toujours en activité, même après 60 ans. (She is still professionally active, even after 60.)

• Mon père est en activité depuis plus de trente ans dans la même entreprise. (My father has been employed for over thirty years in the same company.)
• Pour bénéficier de cette aide, il faut être en activité au moment de la demande. (To benefit from this aid, one must be employed at the time of application.)
• Le nombre de personnes en activité a légèrement augmenté ce trimestre. (The number of professionally active people slightly increased this quarter.)
• Malgré son âge avancé, il est toujours en pleine activité professionnelle et ne compte pas s'arrêter. (Despite his advanced age, he is still fully professionally active and doesn't intend to stop.)

The 'to earn one's living' – gagner sa vie

The phrase gagner sa vie is a fundamental French idiom meaning 'to earn one's living' or 'to make a living'. It's essential for discussing work, income, and financial independence.

This expression specifically refers to earning the money necessary to cover one's daily expenses and maintain a lifestyle. It often implies the effort and work involved in securing an income, rather than just receiving money.

The phrase is composed of the verb gagner (to earn, to win), the possessive adjective sa (one's, referring to 'his/her/its' life), and the noun vie (life). The possessive adjective changes according to the subject, e.g., gagner ma vie (my living), gagner ta vie (your living), gagner leur vie (their living).

💡 * Il travaille jour et nuit pour gagner sa vie. (He works day and night to earn his living.)

• Comment gagne-t-elle sa vie depuis qu'elle a quitté son emploi ? (How does she make a living since she left her job?)
• C'est difficile de gagner sa vie en tant qu'artiste. (It's hard to earn one's living as an artist.)
• Ils ont déménagé à la campagne pour gagner leur vie autrement. (They moved to the countryside to earn their living differently.)

The 'to get down to work' or 'to tackle a task' – s'atteler à la tâche

The French idiom s'atteler à la tâche directly translates to 'to harness oneself to the task,' effectively meaning 'to get down to work' or 'to tackle a task with determination.'

This versatile phrase is used to describe the act of starting a task, project, or piece of work with serious intent and effort. It implies a readiness to commit and apply oneself.

The reflexive verb s'atteler (from atteler, 'to harness') evokes the image of a draft animal being harnessed for work, conveying a strong sense of focused effort and commitment to the task at hand.

Remember that s'atteler is a reflexive verb and is always followed by the preposition à (to), connecting it to the task (la tâche) or another noun/infinitive verb.

💡 * Il est temps de s'atteler à la tâche et de finir ce rapport. (It's time to get down to work and finish this report.)

• Elle s'est attelée à la rédaction de son roman. (She tackled the writing of her novel.)
• Après les vacances, nous devrons nous atteler à nos nouvelles responsabilités. (After the holidays, we will have to get down to our new responsibilities.)
• Ils se sont attelés à la résolution du problème. (They tackled the problem's resolution.)

The 'to be busy' or 'to be occupied' (with work) – être occupé(e)

The most direct and common way to say “to be busy” or “to be occupied” in French is être occupé(e). This versatile phrase is used in a variety of contexts, from work to personal activities.

As occupé is an adjective, it must agree in gender and number with the subject of the verb être. This means you'll see four forms: occupé (masculine singular), occupée (feminine singular), occupés (masculine plural), and occupées (feminine plural).

When expressing what someone is busy with, you typically use prepositions. Use être occupé(e) à + infinitive to say 'to be busy doing something' (e.g., Elle est occupée à travailler). Use être occupé(e) par + noun to say 'to be busy with something/someone' (e.g., Il est occupé par une réunion).

Être occupé(e) is a very natural and frequently used expression. While it's the primary way to convey busyness, you might also hear phrases that imply busyness without using occupé, such as J'ai beaucoup de travail (I have a lot of work) or Je n'ai pas le temps (I don't have time).

💡 *Je suis occupé en ce moment, je te rappelle plus tard. (I'm busy right now, I'll call you back later.)
*Elle est occupée à préparer le dîner. (She is busy preparing dinner.)
*Nous sommes très occupés par les préparatifs du mariage. (We are very busy with the wedding preparations.)
*Les enfants sont occupés à jouer dans le jardin. (The children are busy playing in the garden.)
*Étaient-ils occupés quand tu les as vus? (Were they busy when you saw them?)

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

Are there other ways to say “to work” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “to work” in French, covering various contexts from professional employment to general functioning. But the French language, like any other, is rich with nuances, including old-fashioned terms, regional expressions, and evolving slang.

To explore further, you might do an online search for “comment dire travailler en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local idioms.

You might find interesting synonyms or alternative phrases for travailler through your research. Always make sure to check a word’s definition and observe how it’s used in context before incorporating it into your vocabulary.

As you immerse yourself in French media — reading, watching, and listening — pay close attention to how native speakers express the idea of 'to work.' You may discover new and subtle distinctions.

For a comprehensive look at travailler and related concepts, the WordReference entry for travailler is an excellent starting point, offering numerous conjugations, definitions, and idiomatic expressions.

I hope this article has provided a solid foundation for understanding how to say 'to work' in French. As the French writer Albert Camus once said, “Le vrai travail, c’est celui qu’on fait avec passion.” (The true work is that which one does with passion.) May your language learning journey be filled with passion and rewarding effort.