What do you do?
The everyday way to ask about someone's job is ¿A qué te dedicas?, from the reflexive verb dedicarse a (to do something for a living). Answer with me dedico a + a field, or simply with ser + the profession.
| What do you do for a living? | ¿A qué te dedicas? |
| I work in the theatre. | Me dedico al teatro. |
| What is your profession? | ¿Cuál es tu profesión? |
No article after ser
English says I'm *a nurse. Spanish says the profession with *no article after ser:
| My mother is a nurse. | Mi madre es enfermera. |
| My brother is a lawyer. | Mi hermano es abogado. |
| He isn't a doctor, he's a nurse. | No es médico, es enfermero. |
With an article the noun is a specific person, as the subject of a sentence:
| The nurse works in the hospital. | El enfermero trabaja en el hospital. |
Masculine and feminine
Most professions follow the -o / -a pattern. Nouns in -ista and -ante are the same for a man and a woman — only the article changes. Actor and actriz are two different words.
| man | woman |
|---|---|
| el enfermero | la enfermera |
| el abogado | la abogada |
| el ingeniero | la ingeniera |
| el camarero | la camarera |
| el bombero | la bombera |
| el director | la directora |
| el taxista | la taxista |
| el cantante | la cantante |
| el actor | la actriz |
| She is a waitress at the hotel. | Ella es camarera en el hotel. |
| The head teacher of the school is very nice. | La directora de la escuela es muy simpática. |
Out of work
In Spain, someone without a job está en el paro (is unemployed). El paro is unemployment — and also the benefit an unemployed person receives.
| My neighbour is unemployed. | Mi vecino está en el paro. |
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