On every street corner, you can hear this French phrase….
Why do I need to know projet perso?
This French phrase is handy to know if you’re working unrelated to work.
What does it mean?
The phrase projet perso, roughly pronounced pro-zhay pair-so, is short for projet personnel, which translates to “personal projet”.
It refers to something you’re working on independently, outside of formal obligations like school or work – whether that is a business plan, developing a hobby or something more personal like confronting your demons with the help of a therapist.
In this case, the term perso implies something creative and self-driven. It can also mean that a project hasn’t been commercialised yet.
It’s quite informal and used in spoken French. It can be used in professional contexts, especially in startups or in tech, for example.
In some cases, universities may require students to have this type of project. It is designed to help them develop their personal career plan and make initial contact with the professional world.
A life coach or therapist may also ask you to find a projet perso, which in this case refers to a personal development project. Working on a passion project can help develop your creativity, better organise your schedule, and reduce stress.
Use it like
Je suis en train d’avancer sur mon projet perso en ce moment, je n’ai pas trop le temps de sortir. – I’m working on my side project at the moment, I don’t have a lot of time to go out.
J’ai enfin trouvé un projet perso qui me motive. – I’ve finally found a passion project that motivates me.
Il travaille beaucoup sur son projet perso – c’est bon pour sa créativité. – He’s been working a lot on his side project; it’s good for creativity.
