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How to Say ‘Why do you want to work’ in French

Pourquoi voulez-vous travailler

poor-kwah voo-LAY voo trah-vah-YAY

[poor-kwah voo-LAY voo trah-vah-YAY]

💬 Usage Tip: In formal questions, the verb jumps in front of vous and is joined to it with a hyphen: voulez-vous. The same pattern works with other verbs, as in Parlez-vous anglais ? "Do you speak English?"

Phrase Breakdown

Pourquoi voulez-vous

poor-kwah voo-LAY voo

Why do you want

This is a question formed by inverting the subject and verb. Say 'poor-kwa voo-lay voo'.

Example

Pourquoi voulez-vous partir ?

Why do you want to leave?

Words in this phrase

Pourquoi

[poor-kwah]

Why

Used to ask for a reason or explanation.

Example

Pourquoi es-tu triste?

Why are you sad?

voulez

[voo-LAY]

want

Form of the verb 'vouloir' (to want) used with 'vous'.

Example

Vous voulez un café ?

Do you want a coffee?

-vous

[voo]

you

Formal or plural 'you', attached by a hyphen after the verb in an inverted question.

Example

Avez-vous une table libre ?

Do you have a free table?

travailler

[trah-vah-YAY]

to work

Infinitive verb meaning to work or do a task.

Example

Elle aime travailler dans le jardin.

She likes working in the garden.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.

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