Gap-fill
Travail or emploi? Fill the gaps in a French job search
Practise travail, emploi, travaux and mode d’emploi in a short job-search story. Compare work to do, a job position and instructions for use.
- A2
- 6 gaps
- Translation included
- Learn this in the A2 notebook →
In short
Le travail is work: an activity, a task or a job. Un emploi is a job position, and emploi also means “use” in un mode d’emploi (instructions). Chercher du travail and chercher un emploi can describe the same search.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learnRed watch out
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| du travail | work to do | J’ai beaucoup de travail cette semaine. |
| un emploi | a job position | Elle cherche un emploi à temps partiel. |
| des travaux | works, roadworks or renovation work | Il y a des travaux dans la rue. |
| un mode d’emploi | instructions for use | Je lis le mode d’emploi. |
Both nouns are masculine: un travail, un emploi. Their plurals differ: des travaux, des emplois. For three advertised jobs, say trois emplois. For roadworks, use des travaux. In j’aime mon travail, the work may include the job, the tasks and the daily activity.
A CV, an advert and a busy morning
Complete the story from these meanings. Each hint tells you whether the gap needs work to do, a position, roadworks or instructions. The person in the story is preparing an application, then visiting the company.
Le rendez-vous de Lina
Lina cherche du (work in general) depuis trois semaines. Elle lit les annonces chaque matin. Aujourd’hui, elle trouve une offre d’(a job position) dans une petite entreprise. Le poste est à temps partiel.
Elle veut envoyer son CV avant midi, mais elle a beaucoup de (work to do) pour le mettre à jour. Son imprimante est neuve. Elle ouvre le mode d’(instructions for use) et suit les étapes.
Le lendemain, Lina part pour son entretien. Il y a des (roadworks) devant la gare, alors elle passe par une autre rue. Elle arrive à l’heure. Dans l’entrée de l’entreprise, une affiche présente deux (job positions, plural) disponibles.
Read it in English
Lina has been looking for work for three weeks. She reads the adverts every morning. Today she finds a job advert at a small company. The position is part-time.
She wants to send her CV before midday, but she has a lot of work to do to update it. Her printer is new. She opens the instructions and follows the steps.
The next day, Lina leaves for her interview. There are roadworks outside the station, so she takes another street. She arrives on time. In the company entrance, a poster presents two available jobs.
What is the difference between travail and emploi?
J’ai trouvé du travail !
I’ve found work!
J’ai trouvé un emploi !
I’ve found a job!
The first announces work in a broad, everyday way. The second explicitly names a job position. Au travail is another useful expression: Je suis au travail means “I’m at work”; Je vais au travail means “I’m going to work”.