Jobs and Professions in French (and How Gender Forms Work)
French job vocabulary by field, plus how professions change for gender: acteur/actrice, avocat/avocate - and which ones are still evolving.
French job vocabulary includes médecin (doctor), professeur(e) (teacher), avocat(e) (lawyer), ingénieur(e) (engineer). Many professions have distinct gender forms (acteur/actrice, infirmier/infirmière), though some traditionally invariable titles like professeur are increasingly used with feminine forms too.
Quick answer
French job vocabulary includes médecin (doctor), professeur(e) (teacher), avocat(e) (lawyer), ingénieur(e) (engineer). Many professions have distinct gender forms (acteur/actrice, infirmier/infirmière), though some traditionally invariable titles like professeur are increasingly used with feminine forms too.
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Common professions by field
| Field | French | English |
|---|---|---|
| Health | médecin, infirmier/infirmière | doctor, nurse |
| Education | professeur(e) | teacher |
| Business | avocat(e), comptable | lawyer, accountant |
| Trades | ingénieur(e) | engineer |
How profession gender forms work
Three patterns: add -e (avocat → avocate), change ending (acteur → actrice, infirmier → infirmière), or stay invariable (médecin, and historically professeur). Since 2019, the Académie française has formally endorsed the feminization of job titles - professeure, autrice/auteure, ingénieure, présidente and cheffe are all now accepted usage - while explicitly declining to publish one fixed, exhaustive list, since it considers everyday usage the real arbiter. In practice, this means you’ll still see some variation, but feminine forms like professeure are now standard rather than exceptional.
Saying what you do
Je suis + profession - no article! Je suis professeur(e), not je suis un professeur. This mirrors the bare-noun pattern explained in c’est vs il est.
Asking about someone’s job
Qu’est-ce que tu fais dans la vie ? (what do you do for a living?), tu travailles dans quoi ? (what field do you work in?). See also how to introduce yourself in French and French noun gender.
Talk about your work in French
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Questions about this note
Do all French job titles change for gender?
No - some add -e, some change endings, and some remain invariable or are still evolving in usage.
How do you say "I am a teacher" in French?
Je suis professeur(e) - no article before the profession.
What's the feminine of acteur?
Actrice.
How do you ask what someone does for a living?
Qu'est-ce que tu fais dans la vie ?
Why is there no article before a profession?
French treats bare professions like adjectives after être - see our c'est vs il est guide for the full rule.