Argent is the most common way to say "money" in French. But just like in English, there are many other colorful and useful terms to talk about cash, funds, and finances in French. Understanding these different expressions will not only enrich your vocabulary but also help you navigate everyday conversations, from shopping to discussing your budget. Let's dive into some common and not-so-common ways to talk about money in French!

The standard 'money' – l'argent

L'argent is the most common and standard word for 'money' in French.

In French, argent is a masculine noun. It is always used in the singular form and typically preceded by the definite article l' (a contraction of le before a vowel). So you will almost always see it as l'argent.

You can use l'argent in virtually any situation, formal or informal, to refer to money in general or a specific sum.

While l'argent directly translates to 'money', it's also central to many common French expressions that broaden its meaning.

Some important phrases include: avoir de l'argent (to have money), gagner de l'argent (to earn money), dépenser de l'argent (to spend money), and faire de l'argent (to make money, often implying profit or a business venture).

For instance, if someone says J'ai besoin d'argent, they mean 'I need money'. Or Il a beaucoup d'argent means 'He has a lot of money'.

While l'argent is standard, you might also hear la monnaie (currency, change) or les sous (colloquial for money, coins, similar to 'bucks' or 'quid'). However, l'argent remains the most versatile and generally applicable term.

Don't worry about choosing the wrong word; l'argent is almost always the correct choice when you want to say 'money' in French. The context usually clarifies if you're talking about cash, funds, or wealth.

In French culture, while money is a necessity, openly discussing personal finances or wealth can sometimes be considered less polite than in some other cultures. It's often seen as a private matter, though this varies greatly by individual and social circle.

💡 * J'ai besoin d'argent pour acheter un nouveau livre. (I need money to buy a new book.)

Il gagne bien son argent. (He earns his money well / He makes a good living.)

Tu as de l'argent sur toi ? (Do you have money on you?)

L'argent ne fait pas le bonheur. (Money doesn't buy happiness.)

Elle a dépensé tout son argent en vacances. (She spent all her money on vacation.)

The 'currency' or 'change' – la monnaie

The “currency” or “change” – la monnaie

When learning French, understanding the nuances of common nouns is crucial. One such word is la monnaie, a feminine noun that you'll hear frequently in various contexts, especially when dealing with money.

La monnaie holds two primary meanings in French, both related to money: it can refer to the currency system of a country, or, more commonly in daily interactions, to small change or coinage.

In its first sense, la monnaie refers to the official system of money used in a particular country or region. For example, you might talk about la monnaie européenne (the European currency) or ask Quelle est la monnaie du Japon ? (What is the currency of Japan?).

The more frequent use of la monnaie in everyday conversation is to mean change – specifically, the coins or small bills you receive back after a purchase, or simply small denominations of money in general. Think of it as 'loose change' or 'coinage'.

This meaning comes with several useful phrases. To give back change, you'd say rendre la monnaie. If you need to break a bill, you might ask Avez-vous de la monnaie sur un billet de 20 euros ? (Do you have change for a 20-euro note?). You might also hear petite monnaie for small change.

It's important to differentiate la monnaie from l'argent. While l'argent is the general term for money (like wealth or funds), la monnaie is more specific, referring either to the currency system or to the physical change itself. You have l'argent, and within that, you might have de la monnaie.

💡 * Quelle est la monnaie officielle de la France ? (What is the official currency of France?)

Je n'ai pas de monnaie pour le distributeur automatique. (I don't have any change for the vending machine.)

Le caissier m'a rendu la monnaie exacte. (The cashier gave me the exact change.)

Avez-vous de la petite monnaie pour le pourboire ? (Do you have any small change for the tip?)

Il faut toujours avoir un peu de monnaie sur soi. (You should always have a bit of change on you.)

The informal 'cash' or 'coins' – les sous

In French, while l'argent is the general word for money, you'll often hear the informal term les sous used to refer specifically to 'cash' or 'coins'.

Historically, un sou was a small French coin, similar to a penny or a cent. Although the coin itself is no longer in use, the word persists.

Today, les sous (always used in the plural) is a very common, informal way to say 'money' or 'cash' in everyday conversation. Think of it like saying 'dough' or 'bucks' in English.

This term is distinctly informal. You would use les sous with friends, family, or in casual settings, but less so in formal business contexts or official documents.

While l'argent covers all forms of money (cash, credit, digital), les sous often implies physical money – the coins and bills you carry in your pocket.

You'll frequently hear it in phrases like avoir des sous (to have money), manquer de sous (to be short on cash), or gagner des sous (to earn money).

💡 * J'ai besoin de sous pour acheter mon café. (I need some cash to buy my coffee.)

Tu as des sous sur toi ? (Do you have any cash on you?)

Je n'ai pas beaucoup de sous en ce moment. (I don't have much money right now.)

Elle a oublié ses sous à la maison. (She forgot her money at home.)

The slang 'dough' or 'moolah' – le fric

The French slang term le fric translates to 'dough,' 'moolah,' or 'cash' in English, referring to money in a very informal and colloquial way.

This term is widely used in casual conversations among friends, family, or in informal settings. It conveys a sense of everyday, readily available money, often contrasting with more formal terms like l'argent or les finances.

Fric is a masculine noun in French. It is always preceded by a masculine article, such as le (the) or un (a/an). For example, le fric (the dough) or du fric (some dough).

While le fric is not considered rude or offensive, its highly informal nature means it should be avoided in professional or very formal contexts. Stick to l'argent when speaking with strangers, superiors, or in business settings.

💡 * J'ai pas de fric en ce moment. (I don't have any dough right now.)

Il faut gagner du fric pour s'offrir des vacances. (You need to earn some moolah to afford a vacation.)

Tu as du fric sur toi pour le café ? (Do you have any cash on you for coffee?)

Ce nouveau téléphone coûte un max de fric. (This new phone costs a ton of dough.)

On a dépensé tout notre fric hier soir. (We spent all our cash last night.)

The slang 'loot' or 'wonga' – le pognon

In French slang, le pognon is a very informal term for 'money,' akin to English expressions like 'cash,' 'dough,' 'moolah,' 'loot,' or even 'wonga.'

It's highly colloquial and used exclusively in casual, relaxed conversations among close friends or family. You wouldn't use it in a formal or professional context.

While it simply means 'money,' le pognon often carries a slightly less neutral, more 'grubby' or 'hard-earned' feel than the standard l'argent. It's about the raw cash.

Due to its extreme informality, absolutely avoid using le pognon in formal settings, business discussions, or when addressing someone you don't know well or need to show respect to.

💡 * J'ai besoin de pognon pour payer mon loyer. (I need some cash to pay my rent.)

Il a fait beaucoup de pognon avec son nouveau boulot. (He made a lot of dough with his new job.)

Tu as du pognon sur toi ? (Do you have any cash on you?)

Arrête de gaspiller tout ton pognon ! (Stop wasting all your money!)

The informal 'cash' or 'bucks' – les thunes

Just like English speakers use 'cash,' 'bucks,' or 'dough' to refer to money informally, French has its own colorful slang terms. One of the most common and widely understood is les thunes.

Literally, thune (singular) used to be an old slang term for a five-franc coin. Today, les thunes is exclusively used in the plural and refers to money in general, especially cash. It's a very colloquial and familiar way to talk about money.

You'll hear les thunes commonly used among friends, family, and in casual settings. It's prevalent in everyday conversations, particularly among younger generations or in informal circles, making it a staple of French street language.

Always remember that thunes is a feminine plural noun. You'll typically use it with definite or indefinite articles, like avoir des thunes (to have some cash) or manquer de thunes (to be short on cash).

While widely understood, les thunes should be reserved for informal situations. Using it in formal contexts, like a business meeting or with someone you don't know well, would be considered inappropriate and too familiar.

💡 *J'ai pas de thunes pour acheter ça. (I don't have any cash to buy that.)
*Tu as des thunes sur toi ? (Do you have any cash on you?)
*Il me faut des thunes pour le loyer. (I need some bucks for the rent.)
*Elles ont gagné plein de thunes. (They won a lot of money/bucks.)

The slang 'bread' or 'dough' – le blé

In French slang, le blé is a common and informal term for money, akin to 'bread' or 'dough' in English.

Literally, blé means 'wheat' or 'corn'. Its transformation into a slang term for money likely stems from the historical value of grains as a form of currency or essential commodity.

It's important to remember that le blé is highly colloquial. You'll hear it among friends and in casual conversations, but it's not appropriate for formal settings or professional discussions.

💡 *J'ai besoin de blé pour acheter des chaussures. (I need some dough to buy shoes.)
*Il a fait beaucoup de blé avec son entreprise. (He made a lot of money with his business.)
*Tu as du blé sur toi ? (Do you have any money on you?)
*On n'a pas beaucoup de blé ce mois-ci. (We don't have much money this month.)

The 'cash' (physical money) – les espèces

To refer to physical money – banknotes and coins – in French, you use the term les espèces.

It's crucial to remember that espèces is always used in the plural and is a feminine noun. Thus, you'll always say les espèces. This term specifically denotes physical currency, distinguishing it from other payment methods like credit cards.

The most common way you'll encounter this term is in the phrase payer en espèces, meaning 'to pay in cash'. You might also hear avoir des espèces (to have cash on hand) or retirer des espèces (to withdraw cash).

💡 * Puis-je payer en espèces? (Can I pay in cash?)

Je n'ai pas assez d'espèces sur moi. (I don't have enough cash on me.)

Le magasin n'accepte que les espèces. (The store only accepts cash.)

Il a retiré des espèces au distributeur. (He withdrew cash from the ATM.)

The 'stash' or 'hoard' – le magot

The French term for a 'stash' or 'hoard' of money or valuables, often kept secret or saved up, is le magot. It's a masculine noun, so it's always un magot or le magot.

Le magot most commonly refers to a significant sum of money, savings, or even treasure that is hidden away, accumulated over time, or obtained. It carries a connotation of being somewhat secret, personal, or sometimes even illicit, like a criminal's loot.

While le magot can simply mean a personal nest egg, it often implies a hidden or secretive nature. For more neutral terms, you might use les économies (savings) or le trésor (treasure), but le magot specifically highlights the idea of a personal, often clandestine, accumulation.

💡 * Il a enfin trouvé le magot que son grand-père avait caché. (He finally found the hoard his grandfather had hidden.)

Après des années de travail, elle a un joli magot pour sa retraite. (After years of work, she has a nice nest egg for her retirement.)

Les policiers ont découvert le magot des cambrioleurs dans une cave. (The police discovered the burglars' loot in a cellar.)

Mon rêve est de me faire un magot pour acheter une maison. (My dream is to save up a stash to buy a house.)

Are there other ways to say 'money' in French?

Are there other ways to say “money” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “money” in French. But French, like any language, is rich with synonyms, slang, and regional expressions for currency, from formal terms to colorful street slang!

You can also do an online search for “comment dire argent en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local variations.

You might find some interesting synonyms for argent or monnaie when exploring. Of course, always make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it yourself.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about money, especially in informal settings like movies or music.

And if you’re looking for a comprehensive list of terms related to money, including slang and idiomatic expressions, the WordReference entry for argent or monnaie is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is a fitting quote to finish it with, courtesy of Sacha Guitry: L'argent ne fait pas le bonheur, mais il y contribue. (Money doesn't buy happiness, but it contributes to it.)

9 ways to say "money" in French