01 First: les professions
To talk about your job, or the job of your parents, French uses être + the name of the profession with no article:
- Mon père est médecin. Ma mère est pharmacienne. — My father is a doctor. My mother is a pharmacist.
- Quelle est ta profession ? — What is your profession?
- Note the contrast with age: age uses avoir (J'ai seize ans), while nationality, profession and residence use être.
Core vocabulary
1le médecin (m / f)
English
- doctor (the word does not change)
2le professeur (m / f)
English
- teacher (invariable in form)
3l'ingénieur / l'ingénieure
English
- engineer
4le pharmacien / la pharmacienne
English
- pharmacist
5le journaliste (m / f)
English
- journalist
6l'infirmier / l'infirmière
English
- nurse
7l'avocat / l'avocate
English
- lawyer