Work is a universal aspect of life, as we spend most of our time working.
One of the frequent questions when we meet someone for the first time is:
What is your job? Che lavoro fai?
Understanding how to talk about work and professions in Italian is crucial for a few reasons.
It helps you communicate better with Italian-speaking people at work.
It lets you understand Italian culture and society.
If you're looking for a job in Italy or with Italian companies, speaking Italian about work can give you an advantage.
So, learning to talk about work and professions in Italian isn't just helpful—it's essential for success!
Let's start by learning some words and expressions related to jobs and professions in Italian.
Basic Vocabulary
Here is a list of common job titles and professions in Italian.
As you can notice, some of masculine professions end in -tore, and feminine in – trice.
attore – attrice
pittore – pittrice
scrittore – scrittrice
Professions ending in -ista never change from masculine to feminine, however the article does. That is how you can recognize if we are talking about a man or a woman.
il dentista (m) – la dentista (f)
il farmacista (m) – la farmacista (f)
il giornalista (m) – la giornalista (f)
Let’s see some examples.
L'insegnante insegna matematica a scuola. (The teacher teaches math at school.)
Il dottore cura i pazienti. (The doctor treats patients.)
L'avvocato difende i suoi clienti. (The lawyer defends his clients.)
L'ingegnere costruisce cose come i ponti e le strade. (The engineer builds things like bridges and roads.)
L'architetto disegna i piani per le case e gli edifici. (The architect draws plans for houses and buildings.)
L'imprenditore ha la sua azienda. (The entrepreneur has his own business.)
Il programmatore scrive codice per fare funzionare i computer. (The programmer writes code to make computers work.)
Il cuoco cucina cibo buono in un ristorante. (The chef cooks delicious food in a restaurant.)
Il cameriere serve cibo e bevande ai tavoli. (The waiter serves food and drinks at the tables.)
L'archivista tiene i documenti importanti in ordine. (The archivist keeps important documents in order.)
ASKing And ANSWERing QUESTIONS About JOB
In Italian you have two options to ask someone about their profession:
Che lavoro fai? (informal)
Che lavoro fa? (formal)
To answer the question, you have three excellent possibilities to use:
1. Faccio il fotografo / la fotografa (Verb “fare” + definite article)
Faccio il fotografo / la fotografa: This option uses the verb "fare" (to do/make) followed by the definite article "il" for masculine and "la" for feminine, along with the profession. It literally translates to "I do/make the photographer."
2. Sono un fotografo / una fotografa (Verb “essere” + indefinite article)
Sono un fotografo / una fotografa: Here, the verb "essere" (to be) is used with the indefinite article "un" for masculine and "una" for feminine, followed by the profession. This option translates to "I am a photographer."
3. Lavoro come fotografo / fotografa (“I work as” + profession)
Lavoro come fotografo / fotografa: This option uses the verb "lavoro" (to work) followed by "come" (as) and the profession. It translates to "I work as a photographer."
All three options are commonly used in Italian conversations.
Let’s practice them together.
Faccio il cuoco. (I am a chef.)
Maria fa l'avvocato. (Maria is a lawyer.)
Giovanni fa l'ingegnere. (Giovanni is an engineer.)
Sono un musicista. (I am a musician.)
Giulia è un'insegnante. (Giulia is a teacher.)
Siamo degli architetti. (We are architects.)
Lavoro come veterinario. (I work as a veterinarian.)
Marco lavora come programmatore. (Marco works as a programmer.)
Noi lavoriamo come infermieri. (We work as nurses.)
Faccio il giornalista. (I am a journalist.)
Sono un bibliotecario. (I am a librarian.)
Lavoro come agricoltore. (I work as a farmer.)
Maria fa l'artista. (Maria is an artist.)
Lei è una psicologa. (She is a psychologist.)
Marco lavora come barista. (Marco works as a barista.)
Io sono un architetto. - I am an architect.
Tu sei un dottore. - You are a doctor.
Lui/Lei è un programmatore/una programmatrice. - He/She is a programmer.
Noi siamo ingegneri. - We are engineers.
Voi siete insegnanti. - You all are teachers.
Loro sono camerieri/cameriere. - They are waiters/waitresses.
Essential Vocabulary for the Workplace
You may consider familiarizing yourself with the vocabulary below.
Knowing the right words and phrases helps you express yourself clearly and understand instructions better. This will build trust and rapport with your colleagues and supervisors.
Posto fisso - Permanent position
Lavoratore dipendente - Employee
Lavoratore autonomo - Self-employed worker
Libero professionista - Freelance, self-employed
Stagista - Trainee
Contratto di lavoro - Employment contract
A tempo determinato – con una data di fine rapporto - Fixed-term contract – with an end date
A tempo indeterminato – senza data di fine rapporto - Permanent contract – without an end date
Contratto a progetto - Project-based contract
Lavoro stagionale - Seasonal work
Lavoro su turni - Shift work
Volontariato - Voluntary work
Formazione - Training
Stipendio/Salario - Salary
Ferie - Vacation days/leave days
Licenziamento (da parte del lavoratore) - Resignation (done by the employee)
Dare le dimissioni/Licenziarsi (da parte mia) - Resignation (done on my part)
Disoccupazione - Unemployment
Disoccupato – Unemployed
Busta Paga – Payslip
Capo – Boss
Collega - Workmate
Liquidazione – Severance pay
Orario di lavoro – Working timetable
Ufficio – Office
Azienda, Impresa, Ditta – Company
Datore di lavoro – Employer
(Lavoratore) dipendente - Employee
Pensione - Pension
Pensionato - Retiree
Here are a few examples.
Sono un impiegato a tempo pieno. (I am a full-time employee.)
Ho 10 giorni di ferie all'anno. (I have 10 vacation days per year.)
Ho firmato il mio contratto di lavoro. (I signed my employment contract.)
Lei ha un contratto a tempo indeterminato. (She has a permanent contract.)
Lui ha un contratto a tempo determinato fino alla fine dell'anno. (He is on a fixed-term contract until the end of the year.)
Sono dissocupata. (I am unemployed.)
Mastering conversations about work and professions in Italian is a valuable skill.
With these basics, you are ready to engage in work-related conversations in Italian.
Practice regularly, immerse yourself in the language, and watch as your confidence grows!
I hope you found these tips helpful😊
Stay tuned for more language-learning insights and resources.
A presto! (See you soon!)