Bedeutung
To work continuously without stopping.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In France, 'travailler sans relâche' is often linked to the concept of 'le mérite' (merit). It is a key phrase in the 'discours républicain' (republican discourse) about social mobility through hard work. Be careful! In Quebec, 'la relâche' is the specific name for the school spring break. If you say you work 'pendant la relâche', people will think you are working during your vacation, not necessarily that you are working tirelessly. In many West African countries, the value of hard work is often expressed through idioms involving 'courage'. 'Travailler sans relâche' is understood but might be replaced by 'travailler avec courage' in local parlance. In the modern startup scene in Paris or Montreal, 'travailler sans relâche' is being replaced by the English loanword 'grinder' or 'être en mode grind', though 'sans relâche' remains the standard for formal communication.
Use it in Cover Letters
It's a powerful phrase to show you are a hard worker without using boring adjectives like 'motivé'.
The 'Relax' Trap
Never translate 'relâche' as 'relax'. If you want to say 'without relaxing', use 'sans se reposer'.
Bedeutung
To work continuously without stopping.
Use it in Cover Letters
It's a powerful phrase to show you are a hard worker without using boring adjectives like 'motivé'.
The 'Relax' Trap
Never translate 'relâche' as 'relax'. If you want to say 'without relaxing', use 'sans se reposer'.
Pair with 'pour'
The phrase is most effective when followed by 'pour' + infinitive to show the goal of the hard work.
Quebec Spring Break
Remember that in Montreal, 'la relâche' is a happy time for kids, not a time of hard work!
Teste dich selbst
Complete the sentence with the correct form of the idiom.
Les scientifiques cherchent un remède et ils travaillent ______.
'Sans relâche' is the fixed idiom. Remember, it's not 'relax'!
Which sentence is the most formal and appropriate for a professional report?
How would you describe a dedicated employee?
'Travailler sans relâche' is professional and carries a positive connotation of dedication.
Fill in the speaker's response.
A: Tu as fini ton projet ? B: Pas encore, mais je ______ pour le terminer demain.
The speaker is emphasizing their continuous effort to meet a deadline.
Match the situation to the most likely use of 'travailler sans relâche'.
Match: 1. A doctor during a pandemic, 2. Someone watching TV, 3. A student during summer break.
The phrase implies intense, purposeful effort, which fits a doctor in a crisis but not watching TV or a typical student break.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Intensity Levels
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenLes scientifiques cherchent un remède et ils travaillent ______.
'Sans relâche' is the fixed idiom. Remember, it's not 'relax'!
How would you describe a dedicated employee?
'Travailler sans relâche' is professional and carries a positive connotation of dedication.
A: Tu as fini ton projet ? B: Pas encore, mais je ______ pour le terminer demain.
The speaker is emphasizing their continuous effort to meet a deadline.
Match: 1. A doctor during a pandemic, 2. Someone watching TV, 3. A student during summer break.
The phrase implies intense, purposeful effort, which fits a doctor in a crisis but not watching TV or a typical student break.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
14 FragenUsually positive, as it implies dedication and grit. However, it can be negative if it implies someone is overworking themselves.
Yes! 'Il s'entraîne sans relâche pour le marathon' is very common.
'Sans cesse' just means 'without stopping' (like rain), while 'sans relâche' implies a conscious effort or work.
It is always singular: 'sans relâche'.
No, you would say 'une personne qui travaille sans relâche'. The phrase modifies the action, not the person directly.
Yes, it's very common in both spoken and written French.
It sounds like the 'sh' in 'sheep'.
Only if you are 'working' on the relationship, e.g., 'Il travaille sans relâche pour sauver son mariage.'
Yes, but it's more formal and specifically about work/effort.
It's a fixed prepositional phrase. Many French idioms with 'sans' drop the article (e.g., sans peur, sans faim).
Absolutely! It's a perfect way to describe intense studying.
Yes, it's a favorite of managers to describe team efforts.
The opposite would be 'paresseusement' (lazily) or 'par intermittence' (on and off).
No, it's a noun. The verb is 'relâcher'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
travailler d'arrache-pied
synonymTo work very hard and persistently.
mettre les bouchées doubles
similarTo work twice as hard to catch up.
se tuer à la tâche
specialized formTo work oneself to death.
chômer
contrastTo be idle or unemployed.
suer sang et eau
similarTo sweat blood and water (to work extremely hard).
avoir du pain sur la planche
builds onTo have a lot of work to do.
