Stage or cours? French words for placements, workshops and classes
Compare un stage and un cours with work, photography and French-class examples. Learn faire un stage, suivre un cours and the theatre word scène.
In short
Un stage can be a work placement or a focused training course: un stage dans une agence, un stage de photographie. Un cours is a class or course of instruction: un cours de français. Use the setting and programme to choose the English meaning.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
What is the difference between stage and cours?
un stage en entreprisean internship or work placement
Focus: a period of practical experience in a workplace
faire un stage dans une entreprise
Lina fait un stage de trois mois dans une agence.
Lina is doing a three-month placement in an agency.
Pendant son stage, elle aide l’équipe à préparer une exposition.
During her placement, she helps the team prepare an exhibition.
un stage de photographiea photography workshop or training course
Focus: a focused programme of training
faire / suivre un stage de + activity
Je suis un stage de photographie de deux jours.
I’m taking a two-day photography workshop.
Le stage comprend trois séances de pratique.
The workshop includes three practice sessions.
un cours de françaisa French class or course
Focus: instruction in a subject, as one class or a series
suivre un cours / prendre des cours
Je prends des cours de français tous les mardis.
I take French classes every Tuesday.
Le cours de ce soir dure deux heures.
Tonight’s class lasts two hours.
The terms can overlap in training programmes. A stage intensif de français can contain several cours. Un cours intensif de français is also a natural name for an intensive French course. Read the description: “placement in an agency” and “two days of photography practice” make the two meanings of stage clear.
- Marc
Tu travailles cet été ?
Are you working this summer?
- Lina
Oui, je fais un stage dans une agence. Et toi ?
Yes, I’m doing a placement in an agency. What about you?
- Marc
Je prends des cours de français le soir. Et ce week-end, je fais un stage de photographie de deux jours.
I take French classes in the evening. And this weekend, I’m doing a two-day photography workshop.
- Lina
Deux jours pour apprendre à faire de meilleures photos ? Ça me plairait !
Two days to learn to take better photos? I’d like that!
Keep the article and the verb with the noun
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un stage → des stages | a placement/workshop → placements/workshops |
| un cours → des cours | a class → classes; the written s stays in the singular |
| faire un stage | to do a placement or training course |
| suivre un cours | to take a class or course |
| donner un cours | to teach a class |
Does stage mean stage in French?
Les élèves suivent un stage de théâtre. Le dernier jour, ils montent sur scène.
The students are taking a drama workshop. On the last day, they go on stage.
Un stage de théâtre is the training event. La scène is the performance stage. Keep the accent in scène.