French for Business Part 2: 85 French Terms Related to Business and Employment
Planning to do business in France anytime soon? Whether you’re popping in for a quick business trip or relocating to a French-speaking country for work, it’s good to brush up on French words that you might definitely come across with.
If you haven’t checked it yet, you should also go over the Guide to French Business Culture here. As the first installment in this 2-part French for Business Series, it covers most of the things you need to know to navigate the French corporate world with ease.
And now for the vocabulary list.
You can also download the PDF version of the vocabulary list.
1. les affaires business
2. l’homme d’affaires businessman
3. la femme d’affaires businesswoman
4. le voyage d‘affaires business trip
5. le déjeuner d’affaires business lunch
6. le client client
7. l’acheteur buyer
8. le vendeur seller
9. l’associé partner
10. le bail lease/ rental contract
11. le bénéfice profit
12. les biens assets
13. brut gross
14. le chiffre d’affaire sales/ turnover
15. le concurrent competitor
16. la compte account
17. la direction management
18. la gérance management
19. la gestion management
20. l’entrepreneur entrepreneur
21. l’étude de marché market study
22. créer une entreprise to set up a business
23. faire faillite to go bankrupt
24. les frais fees
25. l’impôt tax
26. la liquidation liquidation
27. la location rental
28. la main-d’oeuvre workforce
29. le paiement payment
30. la perte loss
31. le contrat business deal
32. le directeur général managing director
33. le chef boss
34. le portable laptop
35. la société company
36. Une société par actions a joint-stock company
37. Une société à responsabilité limitée a limited-liability company
38. Une multinationale a multinational company
39. Une maison mère a parent company
40. Une association (à but non lucratif) a non-profit organization
41. PME – petite et moyenne entreprise a small and medium-sized business (SMB)
42. le personnel staff/employees
43. le siège social head office
44. la succursale branch
45. comité de direction or codir for short top management
46. le service marketing marketing department
47. les services de vente sales department
48. la comptabilité (or la compta) acocunting department
49. le service de contentieux legal department
50. le service de ressources humaines human resources department
51. les honoraires fees
52. le bulletin de salaire wage slip
53. le salaire salary
54. le registre du personnel payroll
55. Un licenciement layoff/ lay-off
56. Une avance advance payment
57. Un règlement par virement bancaire payment by bank transfer
58. la formation training
59. la marque déposée registered trademark
60. Un rapport annuel annual financial statement
61. Un employeur employer
62. les employés employees
63. stagiaires interns
64. Un apprenti apprentice
65. PDG (président-directeur général) CEO
66. le chef, le patron, le boss the boss
67. une annonce announcement
68. une candidature application
69. une lettre de motivation cover/ covering letter
70. un entretien an interview (note: une interview is used mainly for journalism-related interviews)
71. un poste position
72. Un travail job
73. une réunion business meeting
74. un rendez-vous an appointment or social meeting
75. prendre rendez-vous to make an appointment
76. un appel d’offres call for bids/ invitation for tenders
77. répondre à un appel d'offres to bid for a contract
78. un sous-traitant subcontractor
79. un contrat à durée indéterminée (CDI) A CDI is a long-term contract that cannot be terminated by either party without two months (sometimes three months) notice.
80. un contrat à durée déterminée (CDD) A short-term contract
81. Une évaluation evaluation
82. Un compte-rendu minutes of the meeting; write-up
83. comportement de l'entreprise corporate behaviour
84. délocaliser to relocate
85. démissionner to resign
Don’t see the work-related terms you’re looking for? It might be in this article about Work and Status or here in this vocabulary list for Essential Work-Related Words.
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About the Author Frederic Bibard
Frederic Bibard is the founder of Talk in French, a company that helps french learners to practice and improve their french. Macaron addict. Jacques Audiard fan. You can contact him on Twitter and Google +