💼 Business Terms

⏱ 15 min read

In this lesson you will learn useful English vocabulary and everyday expressions for talking about business, companies, clients, projects, contracts, sales, profits, and common business activities. Each English word or phrase includes a simple meaning plus translations in several languages.

🟢 Basic Business Vocabulary

💼 Business
the work of buying, selling, or running a company
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Negocio
🇫🇷 French: Affaires / Entreprise
🇩🇪 German: Geschäft / Business
🇮🇹 Italian: Affari / Business
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Negócio
🏢 Company
an organization that sells products or services
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Empresa
🇫🇷 French: Entreprise / Société
🇩🇪 German: Unternehmen / Firma
🇮🇹 Italian: Azienda / Impresa
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Empresa
🧑‍💼 Employee
a person who works for a company
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Empleado / Empleada
🇫🇷 French: Employé / Employée
🇩🇪 German: Mitarbeiter / Mitarbeiterin
🇮🇹 Italian: Dipendente / Impiegato
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Funcionário / Funcionária
🤝 Client
a person or company that buys your work
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Cliente
🇫🇷 French: Client / Cliente
🇩🇪 German: Kunde / Kundin
🇮🇹 Italian: Cliente
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cliente
📦 Product
something a company makes and sells
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Producto
🇫🇷 French: Produit
🇩🇪 German: Produkt
🇮🇹 Italian: Prodotto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Produto
🛠️ Service
help or work a company provides to clients
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Servicio
🇫🇷 French: Service
🇩🇪 German: Dienstleistung / Service
🇮🇹 Italian: Servizio
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Serviço

🟡 Business Operations Vocabulary

📊 Project
a piece of work with a goal and a deadline
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Proyecto
🇫🇷 French: Projet
🇩🇪 German: Projekt
🇮🇹 Italian: Progetto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Projeto
📄 Contract
a written agreement between two sides
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Contrato
🇫🇷 French: Contrat
🇩🇪 German: Vertrag
🇮🇹 Italian: Contratto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Contrato
💵 Sale
the act of selling a product or service
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Venta
🇫🇷 French: Vente
🇩🇪 German: Verkauf
🇮🇹 Italian: Vendita
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Venda
🛒 Customer
a person who buys from a business
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Cliente
🇫🇷 French: Client / Cliente
🇩🇪 German: Kunde / Kundin
🇮🇹 Italian: Cliente
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cliente
🏭 Supplier
a company that provides goods to another company
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Proveedor / Proveedora
🇫🇷 French: Fournisseur
🇩🇪 German: Lieferant / Lieferantin
🇮🇹 Italian: Fornitore
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fornecedor / Fornecedora
📅 Deadline
the last day work must be finished
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Fecha límite
🇫🇷 French: Date limite / Délai
🇩🇪 German: Frist / Deadline
🇮🇹 Italian: Scadenza
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Prazo / Data limite

🔵 Money & Business Vocabulary

📈 Profit
money left after costs are paid
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Ganancia / Beneficio
🇫🇷 French: Bénéfice / Profit
🇩🇪 German: Gewinn
🇮🇹 Italian: Profitto / Guadagno
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Lucro / Ganho
📉 Loss
money a business loses
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Pérdida
🇫🇷 French: Perte
🇩🇪 German: Verlust
🇮🇹 Italian: Perdita
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Prejuízo / Perda
💰 Revenue
the total money a company receives from sales
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Ingresos
🇫🇷 French: Revenus / Chiffre d'affaires
🇩🇪 German: Umsatz / Einnahmen
🇮🇹 Italian: Ricavi / Fatturato
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Receita / Faturamento
💸 Expense
money a company spends
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Gasto
🇫🇷 French: Dépense
🇩🇪 German: Ausgabe / Kosten
🇮🇹 Italian: Spesa
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Despesa / Gasto
💼 Investment
money put into a business to help it grow
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Inversión
🇫🇷 French: Investissement
🇩🇪 German: Investition
🇮🇹 Italian: Investimento
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Investimento
📊 Budget
a plan for how much money to spend
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Presupuesto
🇫🇷 French: Budget
🇩🇪 German: Budget / Haushaltsplan
🇮🇹 Italian: Budget / Bilancio
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Orçamento

🧠 Talking About Business

💡 Use do business to talk generally about conducting business activities.
We do business with international companies.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Hacemos negocios con empresas internacionales.
🇫🇷 Nous faisons des affaires avec des entreprises internationales.
🇩🇪 Wir machen Geschäfte mit internationalen Unternehmen.
🇮🇹 Facciamo affari con aziende internazionali.
🇵🇹 Fazemos negócios com empresas internacionais.
They want to do business in other countries.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Quieren hacer negocios en otros países.
🇫🇷 Ils veulent faire des affaires dans d'autres pays.
🇩🇪 Sie wollen in anderen Ländern Geschäfte machen.
🇮🇹 Vogliono fare affari in altri paesi.
🇵🇹 Eles querem fazer negócios em outros países.
💡 Use sign a contract when talking about signing a contract.
We're going to sign the contract tomorrow.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Vamos a firmar el contrato mañana.
🇫🇷 Nous allons signer le contrat demain.
🇩🇪 Wir werden den Vertrag morgen unterschreiben.
🇮🇹 Firmiamo il contratto domani.
🇵🇹 Vamos assinar o contrato amanhã.
The client already signed the contract.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 El cliente ya firmó el contrato.
🇫🇷 Le client a déjà signé le contrat.
🇩🇪 Der Kunde hat den Vertrag bereits unterschrieben.
🇮🇹 Il cliente ha già firmato il contratto.
🇵🇹 O cliente já assinou o contrato.
💡 Use increase and decrease to describe changes in business results.
Sales increased this year.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Las ventas aumentaron este año.
🇫🇷 Les ventes ont augmenté cette année.
🇩🇪 Die Verkäufe sind in diesem Jahr gestiegen.
🇮🇹 Le vendite sono aumentate quest'anno.
🇵🇹 As vendas aumentaram este ano.
Expenses decreased last month.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Los gastos disminuyeron el mes pasado.
🇫🇷 Les dépenses ont diminué le mois dernier.
🇩🇪 Die Ausgaben sind letzten Monat gesunken.
🇮🇹 Le spese sono diminuite il mese scorso.
🇵🇹 As despesas diminuíram no mês passado.

❓ Useful Business Questions

💼 What does the company do?
asking what the company sells or offers
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿A qué se dedica la empresa?
🇫🇷 French: Que fait l'entreprise ?
🇩🇪 German: Womit beschäftigt sich das Unternehmen?
🇮🇹 Italian: Di cosa si occupa l'azienda?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Com o que a empresa trabalha?
📦 What products do you sell?
asking which goods the company sells
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Qué productos venden?
🇫🇷 French: Quels produits vendez-vous ?
🇩🇪 German: Welche Produkte verkaufen Sie?
🇮🇹 Italian: Quali prodotti vendete?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quais produtos vocês vendem?
🛠️ What services do you offer?
asking what work the company provides
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Qué servicios ofrecen?
🇫🇷 French: Quels services offrez-vous ?
🇩🇪 German: Welche Dienstleistungen bieten Sie an?
🇮🇹 Italian: Quali servizi offrite?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quais serviços vocês oferecem?
📄 When can we sign the contract?
asking the date to sign the agreement
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Cuándo podemos firmar el contrato?
🇫🇷 French: Quand pouvons-nous signer le contrat ?
🇩🇪 German: Wann können wir den Vertrag unterschreiben?
🇮🇹 Italian: Quando possiamo firmare il contratto?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quando podemos assinar o contrato?
📊 What is the budget for this project?
asking how much money is planned
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Cuál es el presupuesto para este proyecto?
🇫🇷 French: Quel est le budget pour ce projet ?
🇩🇪 German: Wie hoch ist das Budget für dieses Projekt?
🇮🇹 Italian: Qual è il budget per questo progetto?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Qual é o orçamento para este projeto?
📅 What is the deadline?
asking the last day the work is due
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Cuál es la fecha límite?
🇫🇷 French: Quelle est la date limite ?
🇩🇪 German: Was ist die Frist?
🇮🇹 Italian: Qual è la scadenza?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Qual é o prazo?

💬 Common Business Phrases

📊 We are working on an important project.
the team is busy with a key project
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Estamos trabajando en un proyecto importante.
🇫🇷 French: Nous travaillons sur un projet important.
🇩🇪 German: Wir arbeiten an einem wichtigen Projekt.
🇮🇹 Italian: Stiamo lavorando a un progetto importante.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Estamos trabalhando em um projeto importante.
📅 The deadline is next Friday.
Friday is the last day to finish
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: La fecha límite es el próximo viernes.
🇫🇷 French: La date limite est vendredi prochain.
🇩🇪 German: Die Frist ist nächsten Freitag.
🇮🇹 Italian: La scadenza è il prossimo venerdì.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O prazo é na próxima sexta-feira.
📄 We need to review the contract.
the agreement must be checked first
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Necesitamos revisar el contrato.
🇫🇷 French: Nous devons revoir le contrat.
🇩🇪 German: Wir müssen den Vertrag überprüfen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Dobbiamo rivedere il contratto.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Precisamos revisar o contrato.
🤝 The client is very satisfied with the service.
the client is happy with the work
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: El cliente está muy satisfecho con el servicio.
🇫🇷 French: Le client est très satisfait du service.
🇩🇪 German: Der Kunde ist mit dem Service sehr zufrieden.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il cliente è molto soddisfatto del servizio.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O cliente está muito satisfeito com o serviço.

💬 Everyday Conversations

Discussing a project
asking how work is going and when it is due
A: How is the new project going?
B: It's going very well, but we have a lot of work.
A: What's the deadline?
B: We have to finish it before Friday.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: ¿Cómo va el nuevo proyecto?
🇪🇸 B: Va muy bien, pero tenemos mucho trabajo.
🇪🇸 A: ¿Cuál es la fecha límite?
🇪🇸 B: Tenemos que terminarlo antes del viernes.

🇫🇷 A: Comment avance le nouveau projet ?
🇫🇷 B: Ça avance très bien, mais nous avons beaucoup de travail.
🇫🇷 A: Quelle est la date limite ?
🇫🇷 B: Nous devons le terminer avant vendredi.

🇩🇪 A: Wie läuft das neue Projekt?
🇩🇪 B: Es läuft sehr gut, aber wir haben viel Arbeit.
🇩🇪 A: Was ist die Frist?
🇩🇪 B: Wir müssen es vor Freitag fertigstellen.

🇮🇹 A: Come va il nuovo progetto?
🇮🇹 B: Va molto bene, ma abbiamo molto lavoro.
🇮🇹 A: Qual è la scadenza?
🇮🇹 B: Dobbiamo finirlo prima di venerdì.

🇵🇹 A: Como está o novo projeto?
🇵🇹 B: Está indo muito bem, mas temos muito trabalho.
🇵🇹 A: Qual é o prazo?
🇵🇹 B: Temos que terminá-lo antes de sexta-feira.
Discussing a contract
checking if the client accepted and when to sign
A: Did the client accept our proposal?
B: Yes, the client wants to work with us.
A: When are we going to sign the contract?
B: Probably next week.
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 A: ¿El cliente aceptó nuestra propuesta?
🇪🇸 B: Sí, quiere trabajar con nosotros.
🇪🇸 A: ¿Cuándo vamos a firmar el contrato?
🇪🇸 B: Probablemente la próxima semana.

🇫🇷 A: Le client a-t-il accepté notre proposition ?
🇫🇷 B: Oui, il veut travailler avec nous.
🇫🇷 A: Quand allons-nous signer le contrat ?
🇫🇷 B: Probablement la semaine prochaine.

🇩🇪 A: Hat der Kunde unseren Vorschlag akzeptiert?
🇩🇪 B: Ja, der Kunde möchte mit uns zusammenarbeiten.
🇩🇪 A: Wann werden wir den Vertrag unterschreiben?
🇩🇪 B: Wahrscheinlich nächste Woche.

🇮🇹 A: Il cliente ha accettato la nostra proposta?
🇮🇹 B: Sì, vuole lavorare con noi.
🇮🇹 A: Quando firmiamo il contratto?
🇮🇹 B: Probabilmente la prossima settimana.

🇵🇹 A: O cliente aceitou a nossa proposta?
🇵🇹 B: Sim, ele quer trabalhar conosco.
🇵🇹 A: Quando vamos assinar o contrato?
🇵🇹 B: Provavelmente na próxima semana.

📝 Example Sentences

🏢 The company opened a new office in another country.
the business now has an office abroad
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: La empresa abrió una nueva oficina en otro país.
🇫🇷 French: L'entreprise a ouvert un nouveau bureau dans un autre pays.
🇩🇪 German: Das Unternehmen hat in einem anderen Land ein neues Büro eröffnet.
🇮🇹 Italian: L'azienda ha aperto un nuovo ufficio in un altro paese.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A empresa abriu um novo escritório em outro país.
📈 Sales increased significantly during the last quarter.
the company sold much more in the last three months
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Las ventas aumentaron significativamente durante el último trimestre.
🇫🇷 French: Les ventes ont considérablement augmenté au cours du dernier trimestre.
🇩🇪 German: Die Verkäufe sind im letzten Quartal deutlich gestiegen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Le vendite sono aumentate significativamente nell'ultimo trimestre.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: As vendas aumentaram significativamente durante o último trimestre.
📄 Before signing, we must review all the terms of the contract.
every condition should be checked first
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Antes de firmar, debemos revisar todas las condiciones del contrato.
🇫🇷 French: Avant de signer, nous devons revoir toutes les conditions du contrat.
🇩🇪 German: Vor der Unterzeichnung müssen wir alle Vertragsbedingungen prüfen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Prima di firmare, dobbiamo rivedere tutte le condizioni del contratto.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Antes de assinar, devemos revisar todas as condições do contrato.
💰 The company earned higher profits this year than last year.
this year's leftover money is larger
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: La empresa obtuvo mayores ganancias este año que el año pasado.
🇫🇷 French: L'entreprise a réalisé des bénéfices plus élevés cette année que l'année dernière.
🇩🇪 German: Das Unternehmen hat in diesem Jahr höhere Gewinne erzielt als im letzten Jahr.
🇮🇹 Italian: L'azienda ha ottenuto profitti più alti quest'anno rispetto all'anno scorso.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A empresa obteve lucros maiores este ano do que no ano passado.
🤝 Maintaining a good relationship with clients is important for the business.
happy clients help the company succeed
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Mantener una buena relación con los clientes es importante para el negocio.
🇫🇷 French: Maintenir une bonne relation avec les clients est important pour l'entreprise.
🇩🇪 German: Eine gute Beziehung zu den Kunden zu pflegen ist wichtig für das Geschäft.
🇮🇹 Italian: Mantenere un buon rapporto con i clienti è importante per l'attività.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Manter um bom relacionamento com os clientes é importante para o negócio.
📊 We have to reduce expenses without affecting the quality of the service.
spend less, but keep the service good
Show translationsHide translations🇪🇸 Spanish: Tenemos que reducir los gastos sin afectar la calidad del servicio.
🇫🇷 French: Nous devons réduire les dépenses sans affecter la qualité du service.
🇩🇪 German: Wir müssen die Ausgaben senken, ohne die Qualität des Service zu beeinträchtigen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Dobbiamo ridurre le spese senza influire sulla qualità del servizio.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Temos que reduzir as despesas sem afetar a qualidade do serviço.

🏆 Final Practice

English in the Real World:

Read the situation. Choose the best word or phrase from the lesson.
Question 1 of 8
✅ Correct: 0
❓ Questions: 0
🎯 Accuracy: 0%