French Business Vocabulary: Business Words in French

French Business Vocabulary

Start with the most common words, then expand your knowledge with intermediate and advanced vocabulary.

Beginner (A1)

team l'équipe
office le bureau
market le marché
product le produit
service le service

Elementary (A2)

employee l'employé/l'employée
company l'entreprise
interview l'entretien
deadline la date limite
brand la marque
share la part
promotion la promotion
meeting la réunion
client le client/la cliente
colleague le collègue/la collègue
consumer le consommateur/la consommatrice
resume le CV
department le département/le service
payment le paiement
project le projet
receipt le reçu
salary le salaire

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

stock le stock
employer l'employeur
tax l'impôt/la taxe
freelancer l'indépendant/l'indépendante
agenda l'ordre du jour
competition la concurrence
debt la dette
expense la dépense
invoice la facture
training la formation
warranty la garantie
strike la grève
memo la note de service
loss la perte
budget le budget
profit le bénéfice
compromise le compromis
minutes le compte-rendu
competitor le concurrent/la concurrente
consultant le consultant/la consultante
contract le contrat
quotation le devis
director le directeur/la directrice
supplier le fournisseur/la fournisseure
manager le manager/la manageure
draft la version préliminaire
loan le prêt
inventory le stock
union le syndicat
business les affaires
interest les intérêts
asset l'actif
shareholder l'actionnaire
audit l'audit
deadlock l'impasse
investment l'investissement
confidentiality la confidentialité
resignation la démission
bankruptcy la faillite
subsidiary la filiale
merger la fusion
trademark la marque déposée
negotiation la négociation
liability la responsabilité/le passif
strategy la stratégie
branch la succursale
patent le brevet
revenue le chiffre d'affaires
dividend le dividende
deficit le déficit
layoff le licenciement
partnership le partenariat
turnover le taux de rotation
headquarters le siège social
surplus le surplus
overhead les frais généraux
acquisition l'acquisition
cash flow le flux de trésorerie

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Example Sentences

In proper context. With highlighted verbs and adjectives.

Beginner & Elementary (A1-A2)

Essential sentences using basic business vocabulary for everyday workplace situations.

Le directeur signe le contrat ce matin. The director signs the contract this morning.
Nous cherchons un nouvel employé pour l'équipe. We are looking for a new employee for the team.
Elle organise une réunion importante au bureau. She is organizing an important meeting at the office.
L'entreprise vend un produit populaire sur le marché. The company sells a popular product on the market.
Vous payez la facture par carte bancaire. You pay the invoice by credit card.
Notre nouvel employé est très efficace. Our new employee is very efficient.
C'est un projet très important pour le bureau. It is a very important project for the office.
Ce client est toujours satisfait du service. This client is always satisfied with the service.
La date limite est trop courte pour l'équipe. The deadline is too short for the team.
Ce produit est disponible sur le marché. This product is available on the market.

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

More complex professional sentences discussing corporate strategy, finance, and operations.

L'entreprise embauche de nouveaux consultants cette année. The company is hiring new consultants this year.
Nous négocions un partenariat stratégique avec un concurrent. We are negotiating a strategic partnership with a competitor.
Le directeur réduit les dépenses pour éviter le déficit. The director is reducing expenses to avoid a deficit.
Les actionnaires approuvent la fusion des deux filiales. The shareholders approve the merger of the two subsidiaries.
L'audit révèle une baisse importante du chiffre d'affaires. The audit reveals a significant drop in revenue.
Ce document contient des informations extrêmement confidentielles. This document contains extremely confidential information.
Le marché actuel est très concurrentiel pour notre marque. The current market is very competitive for our brand.
L'investissement reste profitable malgré la crise économique. The investment remains profitable despite the economic crisis.
Notre stratégie globale est particulièrement ambitieuse cette année. Our overall strategy is particularly ambitious this year.
La situation financière de la filiale est stable actuellement. The financial situation of the subsidiary is currently stable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about French business terms and corporate culture.

In French professional settings, acronyms are frequently used in written and spoken communication:

CDI (Contrat à Durée Indéterminée): Permanent contract, the standard employment model in France.
CDD (Contrat à Durée Déterminée): Fixed-term temporary contract.
PME (Petites et Moyennes Entreprises): Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
RH (Ressources Humaines): Human Resources department.
CA (Chiffre d'affaires): Total turnover or revenue.

Understanding professional etiquette in French offices depends on corporate culture and company size:

Vous is expected by default with clients, external partners, senior executives, and during job interviews.
Tu is increasingly common in startups, tech companies, and among close team colleagues.
When in doubt, start with vous and wait for the other person to offer: "On peut se tutoyer?" (Can we use 'tu'?).

To participate actively in French corporate meetings, master these core verbs:

Animer / Mener: To host or lead a meeting (e.g., mener la réunion).
Négocier: To negotiate conditions, terms, or contracts.
Planifier / Programmer: To schedule or organize an event on the calendar.
Rédiger: To draft or write reports, emails, or contract versions.
Trancher: To make a final executive decision when consensus is difficult.

Key adjectives and expressions are used when presenting financial figures and company performance:

Rentable / Profitable: Profitable or cost-effective.
Déficitaire: Operating at a loss or showing a deficit.
En hausse / En baisse: On the rise / declining (used for revenue or market shares).
Concurrentiel: Competitive (describing a market, pricing structure, or salary).

French-speaking regions often adopt different terms for modern corporate vocabulary:

In France, anglicisms like e-mail, planning, and feedback are widely used in offices.
In Quebec (Canada), official language policies prefer native French alternatives like courriel, horaire, and rétroaction.
In Belgium and Switzerland, regional terms such as patronat or localized banking terms are occasionally preferred.

French Business Vocabulary