Dépenser is undoubtedly the most common way to say “to spend” (money) in French. But just like in English, there are many other expressions you can use to talk about parting with your cash.

As you navigate French culture, whether you're shopping in a bustling market or discussing your budget with friends, knowing a variety of ways to express "to spend" will make your conversations much richer and more natural.

Let’s explore 9 different ways to say “to spend” (money) in French, helping you add a touch of fluency to your financial vocabulary!

The standard 'to spend' – dépenser

The standard 'to spend' – dépenser

Dépenser is the most common and direct French verb for 'to spend'.

It is primarily used when talking about spending money, but can also refer to expending energy or resources.

As a regular -er verb, dépenser follows a straightforward conjugation pattern, making it relatively easy to learn for French students.

You'll frequently hear it in expressions like dépenser de l'argent (to spend money), dépenser son énergie (to spend one's energy), or dépenser des calories (to burn calories).

It's crucial to distinguish dépenser from passer. While both can mean 'to spend' in English, dépenser is exclusively for money, energy, or resources, whereas passer is used for spending time (e.g., passer du temps - to spend time).

For instance, J'ai dépensé beaucoup d'argent pour ce voyage (I spent a lot of money on this trip) clearly indicates monetary expenditure.

Similarly, Il dépense toute son énergie à travailler (He spends all his energy working) refers to expending effort or vitality.

💡 * Je ne veux pas dépenser trop d'argent ce mois-ci. (I don't want to spend too much money this month.)

• Nous devons dépenser moins. (We must spend less.)
• Elle a dépensé toutes ses économies pour acheter une maison. (She spent all her savings to buy a house.)
• Les athlètes dépensent beaucoup d'énergie pendant l'entraînement. (Athletes spend a lot of energy during training.)
• C'est une voiture qui dépense beaucoup d'essence. (It's a car that consumes a lot of gas.)

The 'to pay' – payer

The “to pay” – payer

When you need to express the action of 'to pay' in French, the verb you'll almost always use is payer. It's a fundamental verb for daily transactions, whether you're buying groceries, settling a bill, or paying for a service.

Payer is generally considered a regular -er verb, but it has a slight spelling change in some conjugations. In the present tense, for example, the 'y' often changes to an 'i' before a silent 'e' (e.g., je paie, tu paies, il/elle/on paie, ils/elles paient). However, the form with 'y' is also acceptable and often used (je paye, tu payes, etc.).

To say you're paying for something, you directly follow payer with the item or service. For instance, you 'pay the bill' (payer l'addition) or 'pay the rent' (payer le loyer). There's no preposition like 'for' needed in French before the direct object.

You can also use payer to indicate paying a person. For example, 'to pay a worker' would be payer un ouvrier. Again, no preposition is typically used before the direct object representing the person being paid.

Beyond its literal meaning, payer appears in several common expressions. For instance, payer cher means 'to pay dearly' or 'to pay a high price' (literally or figuratively), while payer l'apéro means 'to buy a round of drinks' or 'to treat someone to drinks'.

While payer is the most common verb for 'to pay', you might also encounter régler. Régler often implies 'to settle' or 'to sort out' a payment, especially in a more formal context or when referring to paying a specific amount due, like a bill or an invoice. However, for everyday 'paying', payer is usually preferred.

💡 * Je paie mes courses à la caisse. (I pay for my groceries at the checkout.)

• Il a payé l'addition au restaurant. (He paid the bill at the restaurant.)
• Nous allons payer le loyer demain. (We are going to pay the rent tomorrow.)
• Elle paie ses employés tous les vendredis. (She pays her employees every Friday.)
• Tu vas payer cher pour cette erreur ! (You're going to pay dearly for this mistake!)

The 'to buy' – acheter

The fundamental French verb for 'to buy' is acheter.

Acheter is a regular -ER verb, which means it generally follows predictable conjugation patterns. However, it has an important stem-changing characteristic that affects its pronunciation and spelling in certain forms.

In most singular forms (je, tu, il/elle/on) and the ils/elles plural form of the present tense, the 'e' in the stem of acheter changes to an 'è'. For example, j'achète (I buy), tu achètes (you buy), il achète (he buys), ils achètent (they buy). Notice the 'nous' and 'vous' forms do not have this change: nous achetons, vous achetez.

When you want to express buying an item, acheter works similarly to 'to buy' in English, taking a direct object. For instance, J'achète un livre (I buy a book).

To indicate that you are buying something for someone, you typically use the preposition à followed by the person. For example, J'achète un cadeau à ma sœur (I buy a gift for my sister). You can also use pour for emphasis or when the beneficiary is more of a recipient than an indirect object.

You'll frequently encounter acheter in common phrases such as acheter des provisions (to buy groceries), acheter en ligne (to buy online), or acheter cher/bon marché (to buy expensive/cheap).

💡 * J'achète du pain. (I am buying bread.)

• Elle achète un cadeau pour sa mère. (She is buying a gift for her mother.)
• Nous achetons une nouvelle voiture. (We are buying a new car.)
• Qu'est-ce que tu achètes ? (What are you buying?)
• Ils achètent toujours leurs légumes au marché. (They always buy their vegetables at the market.)

The 'to consume' – consommer

The verb consommer directly translates to 'to consume' in English.

Its most common usage is in the context of eating or drinking something. It implies the act of ingesting or using up food and beverages.

Beyond food, consommer also applies to the act of using or acquiring goods and services, reflecting economic consumption.

Furthermore, it can refer to the consumption of energy (e.g., electricity, fuel) or even abstract concepts like time or resources, highlighting its versatility.

💡 * Nous consommons beaucoup de fruits et légumes. (We consume a lot of fruits and vegetables.)

• Cette voiture consomme trop d'essence. (This car consumes too much gasoline.)
• Les Français consomment de plus en plus de produits bio. (French people consume more and more organic products.)
• Il ne faut pas consommer de drogues. (One must not consume drugs.)

The informal 'to blow' or 'to splurge' – claquer

The informal verb claquer translates to 'to blow' or 'to splurge' when referring to money.

In its most common informal usage, claquer means to spend a significant amount of money quickly, often implying a degree of extravagance or even waste.

This verb is highly informal and carries a connotation of spending impulsively or without much thought, similar to 'blowing' your cash or 'splurging' it away.

You'll hear claquer frequently in conversations about finances, particularly when someone spends a large sum on something non-essential, like a fancy meal, a new gadget, or a night out.

Claquer is a regular -er verb, making its conjugation straightforward. It typically takes a direct object, such as de l'argent (money) or une somme (a sum).

Reserve claquer for casual discussions among friends or family. It's too informal for formal settings or professional contexts.

💡 * J'ai claqué tout mon salaire en un week-end ! (I blew my whole salary in one weekend!)

• Il a claqué une fortune pour cette voiture. (He splurged a fortune on that car.)
• Ne va pas claquer ton argent dans des bêtises. (Don't go blowing your money on silly things.)
• On a claqué 200 euros au restaurant hier soir. (We blew 200 euros at the restaurant last night.)
• Elle rêve de claquer son héritage en voyage. (She dreams of splurging her inheritance on travel.)

The 'to waste' (money) – gaspiller

In French, the verb gaspiller is the most common and direct translation for 'to waste,' especially when referring to wasting money, food, time, or resources. It implies squandering or using something inefficiently or unnecessarily.

While often associated with finances, gaspiller extends beyond just money. You can gaspiller son temps (to waste one's time), gaspiller son énergie (to waste one's energy), or gaspiller les ressources naturelles (to waste natural resources). It carries a strong connotation of misuse or unnecessariness, suggesting a poor allocation of something valuable.

Some common phrases include gaspiller de l'argent (to waste money), gaspiller de la nourriture (to waste food), and gaspiller de l'eau (to waste water). It's a versatile verb for expressing the act of squandering various valuable commodities, emphasizing the loss due to poor management.

Gaspiller is a regular -ER verb, which means its conjugation follows a predictable pattern, making it relatively easy to learn. For example, in the present tense, it conjugates as je gaspille, tu gaspilles, il/elle gaspille, nous gaspillons, vous gaspillez, ils/elles gaspillent.

Using gaspiller often implies a negative judgment about the act of wasting. It highlights the idea that something valuable is being lost without good reason, reflecting a cultural value placed on efficiency and not squandering resources, whether tangible or intangible.

💡 *Il gaspille tout son argent dans des choses inutiles. (He wastes all his money on useless things.)
*Ne gaspillez pas la nourriture, il y a des gens qui ont faim. (Don't waste food, there are people who are hungry.)
*Nous gaspillons trop d'eau en prenant de longues douches. (We waste too much water by taking long showers.)
*Arrête de gaspiller ton temps à regarder la télévision. (Stop wasting your time watching television.)
*Elle a gaspillé une excellente opportunité. (She wasted an excellent opportunity.)

The 'to disburse' or 'to pay out' – débourser

The French verb débourser translates directly to 'to disburse', 'to pay out', or 'to spend' (money).

It specifically refers to the act of paying money out of one's pocket or from a fund, often implying an expense or a sum that needs to be paid. It's frequently used in financial or administrative contexts.

While similar to payer ('to pay'), débourser often emphasizes the outlay or expenditure of a specific amount, rather than just the general act of paying. It is a regular -er verb.

💡 *Il a dû débourser une grosse somme pour réparer sa voiture. (He had to disburse a large sum to repair his car.)
*L'entreprise a déboursé des millions pour le nouveau projet. (The company paid out millions for the new project.)
*Combien avez-vous déboursé pour ce voyage ? (How much did you spend for this trip?)
*Je ne veux pas débourser un centime de plus. (I don't want to spend another cent.)

The 'to make expenses' – faire des dépenses

The phrase faire des dépenses literally translates to “to make expenses” and is used to describe the act of incurring costs or spending money, often in a planned or significant way.

While similar to the verb dépenser (to spend), faire des dépenses often implies a more formal or deliberate act of incurring multiple costs, or expenses related to a specific project, business, or household budget.

This expression is commonly used when discussing financial management, budgeting, or the costs associated with running a household or business. It highlights the action of creating or incurring these expenses.

It's important to distinguish faire des dépenses from simply dépenser. Dépenser is a general verb for spending money, while faire des dépenses specifically refers to the act of making or generating expenses, usually in a plural sense.

💡 * Il doit faire des dépenses importantes pour rénover sa maison. (He has to make significant expenses to renovate his house.)

• L'entreprise a fait des dépenses imprévues ce mois-ci. (The company incurred unforeseen expenses this month.)
• Nous devons faire attention à ne pas faire trop de dépenses inutiles. (We must be careful not to make too many unnecessary expenses.)
• Pour le projet, nous devrons faire des dépenses considérables. (For the project, we will have to make considerable expenses.)

The 'to invest' – investir

The verb for 'to invest' in French is investir. It's a versatile verb used in various contexts, from financial investments to dedicating time or effort into something.

Investir belongs to the group of regular -IR verbs, making its conjugation predictable. For example, in the present tense, it follows the pattern: j'investis, tu investis, il/elle/on investit, nous investissons, vous investissez, ils/elles investissent.

When specifying what one is investing in, investir is typically followed by the preposition dans (in/into). For instance, investir dans l'immobilier (to invest in real estate) or investir dans un projet (to invest in a project).

Beyond monetary investments, investir can also mean to 'invest oneself' or 'get deeply involved' when used reflexively as s'investir. This form emphasizes personal commitment and dedication, such as s'investir dans son travail (to invest oneself in one's work).

The corresponding noun is un investissement (an investment). You might also encounter phrases like faire un investissement (to make an investment) or investir en bourse (to invest in the stock market), highlighting its financial relevance.

💡 * Il a décidé d'investir dans l'immobilier. (He decided to invest in real estate.)

• Elle investit beaucoup de temps dans ses études. (She invests a lot of time in her studies.)
• Nous devons nous investir pleinement dans ce projet. (We must invest ourselves fully in this project.)
• C'est important d'investir pour l'avenir. (It's important to invest for the future.)
• J'investis en bourse chaque mois. (I invest in the stock market every month.)

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

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

Our list features the most common ways to say “to spend” in French, covering both time and money. However, the French language is rich with nuances, and there are always other terms, from very specific contexts to regional expressions, or even new slang.

To discover more, you can do an online search for “comment dire dépenser en ___” or “comment dire passer du temps en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting alternatives for dépenser or passer on these lists. As always, make sure to check a word’s precise definition and try to see it used in various contexts before incorporating it into your vocabulary.

Pay close attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you’ll likely discover different verbs for spending time or money that are specific to certain situations or dialects.

For a comprehensive look at verbs related to 'spending' (both time and money) and their various conjugations and uses, the WordReference entries for dépenser and passer are excellent starting points!

I hope this article has clarified the main ways to say 'to spend' in French. Remember, mastering these verbs will significantly enhance your ability to discuss daily activities and financial matters. As the French proverb says, Le temps, c'est de l'argent (Time is money) – and now you know how to talk about spending both!