Part-time jobs and money (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
Part-time jobs and money
Key vocabulary
Learning vocabulary about part-time jobs and money is essential for discussing work experiences and financial matters in French. This topic allows you to express your job preferences, describe working conditions, and talk about earning money.
Mastering this vocabulary will enable you to have real conversations about work and money - topics that frequently come up in everyday French conversations and GCSE speaking exams.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| gagner de l'argent | to earn money |
| argent (m) | money |
| bien payé(e) | well-paid |
| boulot (m) | job |
| bureau (m) | office |
| café (m) | café |
| chercher | to look for |
| désirer | to desire |
| emploi (m) | job, position |
| gagner | to earn |
| heure (f) | hour |
| magasin (m) | shop |
| mal payé(e) | badly-paid |
| patron (m) / patronne (f) | boss |
| payer | to pay |
| restaurant (m) | restaurant |
| supermarché (m) | supermarket |
| travail (m) | work |
| obliger | to require, force, oblige |
Using the conditional to express wishes
When talking about jobs you would like to have or expressing preferences about work, you'll often use the conditional form of the verb 'vouloir' (to want). This is equivalent to saying "would like" in English.
Conjugation of 'voudrais' (would like):
- je voudrais = I would like / I'd like
- tu voudrais = you'd like
- il / elle / on voudrait = he / she / one would like
- nous voudrions = we'd like
- vous voudriez = you'd like
- ils / elles voudraient = they'd like
Example sentences:
- Je voudrais trouver un emploi. (I'd like to find a job.)
- J'aimerais gagner de l'argent. (I'd like to earn money.)
You can also use 'j'aimerais' as an alternative to 'je voudrais' when expressing preferences. Both are polite ways to express wishes about future jobs.
Example sentences in context
Understanding how to use job vocabulary in different tenses helps you describe past work experiences and current employment situations.
Present tense examples:
- Je travaille dans un café le week-end. (I work in a café at the weekend.)
- Je gagne de l'argent en travaillant le samedi. (I earn money by working on Saturday.)
- Mon patron est très poli avec les employés. (My boss is very polite with the employees.)
Past tense examples:
- J'ai travaillé dans un supermarché l'été dernier. (I worked in a supermarket last summer.)
- J'ai gagné assez d'argent pour mes vacances. (I earned enough money for my holidays.)
- C'était un travail assez barbant. (It was quite a boring job.)
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Mastering both the grammatical rules and pronunciation will help you sound more natural when discussing work and money in French.
Grammar tips:
- Remember that job-related nouns often have different masculine and feminine forms (patron/patronne)
- When using 'bien payé' or 'mal payé', make sure to agree the adjective with the gender of the person (bien payée for feminine)
- The conditional tense is formed by adding conditional endings to the infinitive stem
Pronunciation tips:
- 'Argent' is pronounced [ar-ZHON] - the 't' is silent
- 'Travail' is pronounced [tra-VAY] - the 'l' is silent
- 'Gagner' sounds like [ga-NYAY] - the 'gn' makes a 'ny' sound
Translation exercise
Practice translating between French and English to reinforce your understanding of job-related vocabulary and structures.
Translation Exercise:
French to English:
- Je voudrais travailler dans un magasin.
- C'est un boulot bien payé mais très difficile.
English to French: 3. I work in a restaurant at weekends. 4. My boss is really nice.
Answers:
- I would like to work in a shop.
- It's a well-paid job but very difficult.
- Je travaille dans un restaurant le week-end.
- Mon patron est vraiment sympa. / Ma patronne est vraiment sympa.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use 'je voudrais' or 'j'aimerais' to express job preferences and wishes about work
- Learn both masculine and feminine forms of job-related vocabulary (patron/patronne)
- 'Gagner de l'argent' is the key phrase for earning money
- The conditional tense is essential for discussing future job aspirations
- Practice listening for key job vocabulary in French audio materials to improve comprehension skills