Aujourd'hui, je travaille ailleurs.

Today, I am working elsewhere.

Breakdown of Aujourd'hui, je travaille ailleurs.

• je: I
• travailler: to work
• aujourd'hui: today
• ailleurs: elsewhere

Questions & Answers about Aujourd'hui, je travaille ailleurs.

Why does Aujourd'hui have an apostrophe, and is it just one word?

Yes—aujourd'hui is a single word with exactly one apostrophe. Historically it comes from au jour d’hui (“on the day of today”), where d’ is the elision of de before a vowel. The h in hui is silent, which is why the elision happens. It is never written with a hyphen or a space (not aujourd hui).

Is the comma after Aujourd'hui required?

No. The comma after a fronted time adverb like Aujourd’hui is optional. Both are correct:

• Aujourd’hui, je travaille ailleurs.
• Aujourd’hui je travaille ailleurs. The version with a comma suggests a small pause and slightly emphasizes “today.”

Can I move aujourd'hui to the end of the sentence?

Yes: Je travaille ailleurs aujourd’hui.
Starting with Aujourd’hui emphasizes the time; putting it at the end is neutral and quite common. When both place and time are at the end, French prefers the order place → time: … ailleurs aujourd’hui is more natural than … aujourd’hui ailleurs.

How do I pronounce the whole sentence?

• Whole sentence (IPA): [oʒuʁdɥi ʒə tʁavaj ajœʁ]
• Rough guide: oh-zhoor-DWEE, zhuh trah-VAI, eye-YEUR Notes:
• aujourd’hui = oh-zhoor-DWEE
• je = zhuh
• travaille = trah-VAI (final -e is silent; the -ill- gives a “y” glide)
• ailleurs = eye-YEUR

Why does je travaille end with -e, and what verb is it from?

It’s from the regular -ER verb travailler. In the present tense:

• je travaille
• tu travailles
• il/elle travaille
• nous travaillons
• vous travaillez
• ils/elles travaillent The final -e in je travaille is silent.

What’s the difference between travaille and travail?

• travaille: a verb form of travailler (e.g., je travaille = I work / I’m working).
• travail: a noun meaning “work” or “job” (e.g., le travail).

How do I say “I’m working” in French—do I need être en train de?

French normally uses the simple present: Je travaille covers both “I work” and “I’m working.” Use Je suis en train de travailler only if you want to stress the ongoing nature of the action “right this minute.”

What exactly does ailleurs mean? Do I need a preposition with it?

ailleurs is an adverb meaning “elsewhere / somewhere else.” It doesn’t take a preposition: travailler ailleurs = “to work elsewhere.”

What’s the difference between ailleurs and d’ailleurs?

• ailleurs = elsewhere/somewhere else (place).
• d’ailleurs = besides / moreover / incidentally (a connector), or “from elsewhere” in literal contexts.
  Example connector use: D’ailleurs, je pars tôt = “Besides, I’m leaving early.”

Where does ailleurs go in the sentence?

Typically right after the verb or the verb phrase: Je travaille ailleurs. With both place and time, French prefers place before time: Je travaille ailleurs aujourd’hui. Don’t say Je ailleurs travaille….

How do I say “elsewhere than X”?

Use ailleurs que + noun/pronoun/adverb:

• ailleurs qu’ici = elsewhere than here
• ailleurs que chez moi = somewhere other than my place
• ailleurs que dans ce bureau = somewhere other than this office

Can I say autre part instead of ailleurs?

Yes, (à) autre part also means “elsewhere,” but ailleurs is more common and idiomatic in modern French. Je travaille ailleurs will usually sound more natural than Je travaille à autre part.

Should je be capitalized? What about aujourd'hui?

• je is lowercase in French, except at the start of a sentence (unlike English I). In Aujourd’hui, je…, je stays lowercase.
• aujourd’hui is lowercase unless it’s the first word of the sentence, as here.

Can I use a future or near future to talk about a plan for today?

Yes:

• Aujourd’hui, je vais travailler ailleurs. (near future; plan/intention)
• Aujourd’hui, je travaillerai ailleurs. (simple future; a bit more formal or predictive) The simple present Aujourd’hui, je travaille ailleurs is also very natural for scheduled plans.

Why is there no article with aujourd'hui or ailleurs?

Because both aujourd’hui and ailleurs are adverbs, not nouns. Adverbs in French don’t take articles.

Any elisions or liaisons to watch for here?

• aujourd’hui already contains the elision d’ before hui (silent h), hence the apostrophe.
• There’s no special liaison to make between travaille and ailleurs; you’ll naturally glide from the “y” sound of -ille into the initial vowel of ailleurs.