French Phrase
Pourquoi tu veux ce job ?
Meaning
Literally, “Why do you want this job?” It asks for the reason behind a person’s interest in a particular position. The tone is informal, suitable for a conversation with a peer or a casual interview setting.
When to use
Use this sentence when you’re speaking with someone you know well, such as a friend, a classmate, or a junior colleague. In a formal job interview you would switch to the polite ‘vous’ form and replace ‘job’ with ‘poste’ or ‘emploi’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Pourquoituveuxcejob?
Pourquoi (question word)
‘Pourquoi’ introduces a why‑question and is placed at the beginning of the clause.
Subject pronoun ‘tu’
‘Tu’ is the informal second‑person singular pronoun; it signals a casual register.
Verb ‘vouloir’ – present
‘Veux’ is the 2nd‑person singular present of ‘vouloir’; remember it is irregular (je veux, tu veux, il/elle veut…).
Demonstrative adjective ‘ce’
‘Ce’ agrees with the masculine singular noun that follows (here ‘job’).
Loanword ‘job’
‘Job’ is an anglicism used mainly in informal speech; the more formal equivalent is ‘poste’ or ‘emploi’.
No inversion
In spoken French, the simple order ‘Pourquoi tu veux…’ is common; a formal version would use inversion: ‘Pourquoi voulez‑vous…’ or ‘Pourquoi veux‑tu…’.
🗨In Conversation
Pourquoi tu veux ce job ?
Why do you want this job?
Parce que j’aime travailler en équipe et relever des défis.
Because I like working in a team and taking on challenges.
✕Common Mistakes
Pourquoi tu voulez ce job ?
‘Voulez’ is the 2nd‑person plural or polite form; with ‘tu’ you must use ‘veux’.
Pourquoi est‑ce que tu veux ce job ?
Adding ‘est‑ce que’ after ‘pourquoi’ creates a redundant structure; choose one or the other.
Pourquoi tu veux ce travail ?
‘Travail’ is a correct noun but changes the register; mixing ‘job’ (informal) with ‘travail’ (formal) can sound inconsistent.
↔Alternatives
Pourquoi veux‑tu ce poste ?
Why do you want this position?
Qu’est‑ce qui te motive pour ce poste ?
What motivates you for this position?
Pourquoi souhaitez‑vous ce poste ?
Why do you wish for this position?
Cultural Tip
In French professional contexts, the polite ‘vous’ form and the word ‘poste’ are preferred. Using ‘tu’ and the anglicism ‘job’ can come across as too casual, especially with a recruiter. However, among peers or in a startup’s relaxed culture, the informal version is perfectly acceptable. Also, French speakers often expect a brief, concrete answer that highlights skills or values rather than a long personal story.