Learn both the French name and its gender (most are masculine, but there are important exceptions).
| French | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| le français | French | masc |
| les maths (f pl) | Maths | fem pl |
| l'histoire-géo (f) | History and Geography | fem |
| les sciences (f pl) | Science(s) | fem pl |
| l'anglais (m) | English | masc |
| la musique | Music | fem |
| le dessin / les arts plastiques | Art / Fine arts | masc / masc pl |
| l'EPS (f) — l'éducation physique et sportive | PE | fem |
| l'informatique (f) | Computing / ICT | fem |
| la technologie | Technology / Design & Technology | fem |
| la chimie / la biologie / la physique | Chemistry / Biology / Physics | fem |
| les langues vivantes (f pl) | Modern languages | fem pl |
L'école — School places and people
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le collège | secondary school (11–15, up to Year 10) |
| le lycée | sixth-form / upper secondary (15–18) |
| la cantine | school canteen / dinner hall |
| la récré(ation) | break time |
| le CDI (Centre de Documentation et d'Information) | school library / resource centre |
| le proviseur / la directrice | headteacher (m/f) |
| le/la prof(esseur) | teacher |
| le brevet | French national exam at 15 (equivalent of GCSEs) |
| le baccalauréat (le bac) | French A-level equivalent, taken at 18 |
Opinions on school — Essential phrases
| French | English |
|---|---|
| J'aime / Je n'aime pas... | I like / I don't like... |
| Je trouve ça intéressant(e) / ennuyeux(-euse) | I find it interesting / boring |
| Je trouve ça utile / inutile | I find it useful / useless |
| Je trouve ça difficile / facile | I find it difficult / easy |
| Je suis fort(e) / nul(le) en... | I am good / rubbish at... |
| Mon/ma prof est sympa / sévère / strict(e) | My teacher is nice / tough / strict |
| Mon/ma prof explique bien / mal | My teacher explains things well / badly |
| La matière qui me passionne, c'est... | The subject I'm passionate about is... |
Ma matière préférée, c'est l'histoire-géo parce que je trouve ça très intéressant et mon prof explique bien. Par contre, je suis nul en maths — je les trouve trop difficiles.
My favourite subject is History and Geography because I find it very interesting and my teacher explains things well. On the other hand, I am rubbish at Maths — I find it too difficult.
- Ma matière préférée, c'est... — emphatic structure with dislocation: more natural than ma matière préférée est
- Par contre — contrast connective: earns AO2 marks for coherent sequencing
- nul en maths — idiomatic phrase with elision: note nul not nuls (agrees with je, singular)
- je les trouve — pronoun replacement of les maths: shows grammatical range
L'avenir — Future plans and careers
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je voudrais être... | I would like to be... |
| Je vais faire des études de... | I am going to study... |
| Mon métier idéal serait... | My ideal job would be... |
| Je vais aller à l'université | I am going to go to university |
| Je préfère faire un apprentissage | I prefer to do an apprenticeship |
| travailler dans... | to work in... |
| gagner de l'argent | to earn money |
| aider les autres | to help others |
Les métiers — Jobs vocabulary
| Masculine form | Feminine form | English |
|---|---|---|
| médecin | médecin (invariable) | doctor |
| infirmier | infirmière | nurse |
| professeur / prof | professeure / prof | teacher |
| acteur | actrice | actor / actress |
| chanteur | chanteuse | singer |
| ingénieur | ingénieure | engineer |
| avocat | avocate | lawyer |
| chef cuisinier | cheffe cuisinière | chef |
| journaliste | journaliste (invariable) | journalist |
| informaticien | informaticienne | IT specialist / programmer |
| vétérinaire | vétérinaire (invariable) | vet |
Je voudrais être médecin parce que j'aime aider les autres. Pour atteindre cet objectif, je vais faire des études de médecine à l'université.
I would like to be a doctor because I like helping others. To achieve this goal, I am going to study medicine at university.
- être médecin — in French, NO article before a job: je voudrais être médecin NOT être un médecin
- pour atteindre cet objectif — purpose + demonstrative: AO3 complexity marker
- je vais faire des études de — near future tense: shows time frame awareness
Même si les études peuvent être longues et coûteuses, il est essentiel d'investir dans sa formation professionnelle afin de réaliser ses ambitions et contribuer positivement à la société.
Even if studies can be long and expensive, it is essential to invest in your professional training in order to achieve your ambitions and contribute positively to society.
- Même si — concessive clause: introduces a counter-argument before the main point
- afin de + infinitif — formal purpose connector: distinguishes Higher writing from Foundation
- contribuer positivement à la société — abstract argument: exactly the kind of content examiners reward in Band 4 writing
⭐ No article with jobs in French
After être, devenir, rester, and similar verbs, French drops the article before a job title: Je veux être infirmière (NOT être une infirmière). This is different from English — "I want to be A nurse." This rule applies even when you add an adjective: je voudrais être un bon médecin — the adjective brings the article back. Without adjective = no article.
This deep dive covers Les matières scolaires — School subjects within Education and work for GCSE French. Revise Education and work in Theme 1: People and Lifestyle for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 2 of 4 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Practice questions for Education and work
What does 'le collège' mean in English?
A French student says: 'Je fais un stage cette semaine.' What are they doing?