Vocabulary Lesson

French Money Vocabulary

In this short lesson, you'll master essential money vocabulary in French. After learning the words, use the flashcards or quiz to reinforce your knowledge.

A1-C1 Audio Included Quiz Flashcards
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French Money Vocabulary

Start with the most common words, then expand your knowledge with intermediate and advanced vocabulary.

Beginner (A1)

  • money l'argent
  • bank la banque
  • credit card la carte de crédit
  • change la monnaie
  • coin la pièce
  • bill le billet
  • price le prix
  • cash les espèces

Elementary (A2)

  • purchase l'achat
  • expense la dépense
  • sale la vente
  • banknote le billet de banque
  • currency exchange le bureau de change
  • cashier le caissier/la caissière
  • exchange le change
  • check le chèque
  • pin code le code PIN
  • account le compte
  • cost le coût
  • ATM le distributeur automatique
  • deposit le dépôt
  • rent le loyer
  • payment le paiement
  • wallet le portefeuille
  • purse le porte-monnaie
  • tip le pourboire
  • loan le prêt
  • withdrawal le retrait
  • receipt le reçu
  • salary le salaire
  • savings les économies

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

  • fine l'amende
  • tax l'impôt
  • deposit (security) la caution
  • debt la dette
  • currency la devise
  • invoice la facture
  • loss la perte
  • discount le rabais
  • transaction la transaction
  • value la valeur
  • budget le budget
  • profit le bénéfice
  • checkbook le chéquier
  • credit le crédit
  • donation le don
  • duties les droits
  • debit le débit
  • toll le péage
  • refund le remboursement
  • balance le solde
  • fees les frais
  • tuition les frais de scolarité
  • interest les intérêts
  • down payment l'acompte
  • asset l'actif
  • stock l'action
  • allowance l'allocation
  • inheritance l'héritage
  • inflation l'inflation
  • investment l'investissement
  • scholarship la bourse
  • fundraiser la collecte de fonds
  • commission la commission
  • bankruptcy la faillite
  • fortune la fortune
  • installment le versement
  • poverty la pauvreté
  • pension la pension
  • premium la prime
  • wealth la richesse
  • subsidy la subvention
  • capital le capital
  • overdraft le découvert
  • fund le fonds
  • liability le passif
  • mortgage le prêt immobilier
  • settlement le règlement
  • stipend l'indemnité
  • bond l'obligation
  • endowment la dotation
  • deflation la déflation
  • liquidation la liquidation
  • dividend le dividende
  • embezzlement le détournement de fonds
  • forgery le faux-monnayage
  • portfolio le portefeuille
  • bribe le pot-de-vin
  • treasury le trésor
  • royalty les redevances

Practice What You've Learned

Review your French money vocabulary and test your knowledge with interactive practice.

Ready to take the quiz?

Put your new money vocabulary into practice and see how many words you can remember.

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Practice with flashcards

Review French money vocabulary and strengthen your memory with interactive flashcards.

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Example Sentences

In proper context. With highlighted verbs and adjectives.

Beginner & Elementary (A1-A2)

Basic verbs and adjectives used when buying items, handling change, and managing daily money.

  • Je paie le repas avec mon argent. I pay for the meal with my money.
  • Elle achète du pain avec de la monnaie. She buys bread with loose change.
  • Il retire des billets au distributeur automatique. He withdraws cash from the ATM.
  • Ce repas coûte vingt euros. This meal costs twenty euros.
  • Le client donne un pourboire au caissier. The customer gives a tip to the cashier.
  • Ce prix est très cher. This price is very expensive.
  • Le compte bancaire est vide. The bank account is empty.
  • Mon nouveau portefeuille est petit. My new wallet is small.
  • Le reçu est gratuit. The receipt is free.
  • Cet homme est très riche. This man is very rich.

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

More complex financial terms, investment vocabulary, and describing economic situations.

  • La banque rembourse les frais après l'erreur de paiement. The bank refunds the fees after the payment error.
  • L'entreprise investit son capital dans de nouvelles actions. The company invests its capital in new stocks.
  • Il emprunte de l'argent pour payer son prêt immobilier. He borrows money to pay his mortgage.
  • Elle ne gaspille jamais ses économies pour des achats inutiles. She never wastes her savings on useless purchases.
  • L'employeur verse une prime à la fin de l'année. The employer pays out a bonus at the end of the year.
  • Le conseiller propose un placement très rentable. The advisor proposes a very profitable investment.
  • Cette décision aura un impact financier important. This decision will have a major financial impact.
  • Le loyer mensuel dépasse nos prévisions budgétaires. The monthly rent exceeds our budget forecasts.
  • Le montant des impôts semble excessif cette année. The tax amount seems excessive this year.
  • Nous avons ouvert un nouveau compte bancaire. We opened a new bank account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Essential guidelines and vocabulary tips for banking, shopping, and paying in French-speaking countries.

Asking for the check in a French restaurant or cafe follows specific cultural conventions.

  • Use « L'addition, s'il vous plaît » when asking for the bill at a restaurant table.
  • In quick counter service or cafes, you might hear « Le ticket » for a register slip.
  • Remember that a facture is an itemized invoice for business or utilities, not a restaurant bill.

While card payments are standard across France, cash terms remain very common in speech.

  • To say pay in cash, use « payer en espèces » or informally « payer en liquide ».
  • To pay by card, use « payer par carte » or « payer par carte bancaire (CB) ».
  • Contactless payment is referred to as « le paiement sans contact ».

Both French words translate closely to wallet or purse in English, but refer to different accessories.

  • Le portefeuille is a wallet designed for bank bills, identity cards, and credit cards.
  • Le porte-monnaie is specifically a coin purse used for holding loose change (la monnaie).

Tipping culture in France and Belgium differs significantly from North America.

  • Service is always legally included in prices (service compris).
  • A tip (le pourboire) is optional and usually consists of rounding up to the nearest euro or leaving 1-2 € for great service.
  • Leaving large percentage tips (such as 15-20%) is uncommon.

Managing money requires combining financial nouns with specific action verbs.

  • Retirer de l'argent: To withdraw cash from an ATM.
  • Faire un virement: To make a bank transfer between accounts.
  • Déposer un chèque / des espèces: To deposit a check or cash into an account.
  • Être à découvert: To have an overdrawn bank account.

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