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French work vocabulary: explore the office on your first day

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Explore eight office objects, learn the phrases that go with them and practise asking about tasks and hours on your first day at work in French.

In short

For a first day at work, connect each object to something you need to say: le dossier → Où est le dossier ? Add a task with Je dois… and ask about hours with Quels sont mes horaires de travail ? Explore the office, then practise the short exchanges.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A welcoming French office with a desk, plain blue folder, notebook, printer and an arriving new colleague.
A first day gives purpose to le vocabulaire du travail. Illustration: Atelier

Your first morning: find eight things in the office

A bright small association office viewed as a cutaway from slightly above. A large window is on the right wall. At the front, near that window, is one desk hold

What do you say on your first day at work in French?

1

Find the folder

YouOù est le dossier pour l’atelier de demain ?Where is the folder for tomorrow’s workshop?
ColleagueC’est le dossier bleu, sur ton bureau.It’s the blue folder on your desk.
YouMerci, je l’ai trouvé.Thanks, I’ve found it.
2

Clarify a task

ColleagueTu peux imprimer la liste des participants ?Can you print the list of participants?
YouOui. Combien d’exemplaires ?Yes. How many copies?
ColleagueDeux exemplaires, s’il te plaît.Two copies, please.
YouD’accord. Je dois faire autre chose ?OK. Do I need to do anything else?
3

Ask about working hours

YouQuels sont mes horaires de travail ?What are my working hours?
ColleagueTu commences à neuf heures et tu termines à dix-sept heures.You start at nine and finish at five.
YouEt la réunion commence à quelle heure ?And what time does the meeting start?
ColleagueÀ dix heures, autour de la grande table.At ten, around the large table.
Put an action with each work word
WordAction phraseMeaning
une tâcheterminer une tâchefinish a task
un collègue / une collèguedemander à une collègueask a colleague
une réunionpréparer une réunionprepare a meeting
une consignenoter une consignewrite down an instruction
un documentclasser un documentfile a document
un atelierorganiser un atelierorganise a workshop

Bureau can mean desk or office. Mon carnet est sur le bureau places it on the desk; Je travaille dans un bureau names the room. Here, the blue dossier is a paper folder. On a computer, un dossier is a digital folder.

Question 1No account needed
What do you ask before printing the list?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Combien d’exemplaires ?. Combien d’exemplaires ? asks how many copies are needed.

Question 2No account needed
Choose the phrase for a task you need to do.Je ___ imprimer la liste.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

dois. Je dois plus an infinitive expresses what you need to do.

Question 3No account needed
In Mon carnet est sur le bureau, what is le bureau?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

The desk.. The notebook is resting on a desk: sur le bureau.

Question 4No account needed
When does the meeting start in the exchange?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

À dix heures.. Working hours begin at nine, but the meeting starts at ten.

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