French Phrase
Je bosse, tu sais.
Meaning
Literally ‘I work, you know.’ The sentence is a casual way of telling someone that you’re busy with work, often as a gentle excuse or to emphasize that you’re occupied.
When to use
Use this phrase in informal conversations with friends, classmates, or coworkers when you want to explain why you can’t join an activity, or simply to remind the listener that you’re currently working.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jebosse,tusais.
Subject pronoun – Je
‘Je’ is the first‑person singular subject pronoun, used before a verb to mean ‘I’. It contracts with verbs that start with a vowel (e.g., j’aime).
Verb – bosser (present, 1st person)
‘Bosser’ is informal slang for ‘to work’. In the present tense, the 1st‑person singular form is ‘bosse’ (je bosse).
Connector – tu sais
‘Tu sais’ literally means ‘you know’. It is often used as a conversational filler to stress a statement or to make it sound more personal.
Punctuation – comma
The comma separates the two clauses, giving a slight pause that mirrors natural speech.
🗨In Conversation
Tu veux aller au cinéma ce soir ?
Do you want to go to the movies tonight?
Je bosse, tu sais.
I’m working, you know.
✕Common Mistakes
Je bosse, vous savez.
‘Vous savez’ switches to the formal/plural ‘you’, which sounds odd after an informal ‘bosse’. Keep the same register: use ‘tu sais’.
Je bosse, tu sais ?
Adding a question mark turns the clause into a question (‘you know?’). The original phrase is a statement, not a question.
Je bosse, je sais.
‘Je sais’ means ‘I know’, which changes the meaning entirely.
↔Alternatives
Je travaille, tu sais.
I work, you know.
Je suis occupé, tu sais.
I’m busy, you know.
Je suis en train de bosser.
I’m in the middle of working.
J’ai du boulot, tu sais.
I’ve got work, you know.
Cultural Tip
‘Bosser’ is slang and should be reserved for informal settings; in a formal email or a business meeting you’d use ‘travailler’. Adding ‘tu sais’ at the end is a typical French filler that softens the statement and makes it sound conversational, similar to ‘you know’ in English. Be aware that the tone can be slightly defensive if used repeatedly.