These are the most essential words and phrases you’ll need to talk about paying and prices in French. They cover everything from asking “How much does it cost?” to understanding store signs and being polite when paying.
Nouns
Here are the main nouns you’ll encounter when dealing with money, prices, and payments in French.
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| le prix | les prix | price | prices | Quel est le prix de ce livre ? | What is the price of this book? |
| l’argent | — | money | — | Je n’ai pas assez d’argent. | I don’t have enough money. |
| la monnaie | — | change | — | Donnez-moi la monnaie, s’il vous plaît. | Give me the change, please. |
| le paiement | les paiements | payment | payments | Le paiement s’effectue par carte. | Payment is made by card. |
| la carte (bancaire) | les cartes | (bank) card | cards | Je paie avec ma carte bancaire. | I’m paying with my bank card. |
| le billet | les billets | bill | bills (banknotes) | J’ai un billet de vingt euros. | I have a twenty-euro bill. |
| la pièce | les pièces | coin | coins | Il y a des pièces dans ma poche. | There are coins in my pocket. |
| la facture | les factures | invoice / bill | invoices / bills | Voici la facture pour votre achat. | Here is the bill for your purchase. |
| le client | les clients | customer | customers | Le client attend à la caisse. | The customer is waiting at the checkout. |
| la remise | les remises | discount | discounts | Ils offrent une remise de 10 %. | They offer a 10% discount. |
What is the French word for a discount?
la remise
'La remise' means discount. 'La facture' means bill or invoice, 'le client' means customer, and 'le paiement' means payment.
Verbs
These verbs will help you express actions related to paying, buying, and handling money.
| French Infinitive | English Infinitive | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| payer | to pay | Je vais payer en liquide. | I’m going to pay in cash. |
| coûter | to cost | Combien ça coûte ? | How much does it cost? |
| acheter | to buy | J’achète une baguette. | I’m buying a baguette. |
| vendre | to sell | Ce magasin vend des vêtements. | This store sells clothes. |
| donner | to give | Donnez-moi la monnaie, s’il vous plaît. | Give me the change, please. |
| recevoir | to receive | J’ai reçu un reçu. | I received a receipt. |
| rendre | to give back | Le vendeur a rendu 5 euros. | The seller gave back 5 euros. |
| réserver | to reserve | J’ai réservé une table. | I reserved a table. |
| demander | to ask | Je demande le prix. | I ask for the price. |
| commander | to order | Je commande un café. | I order a coffee. |
Fill in the blank: Donnez-moi la monnaie, s’il vous _____. (Give me the change, please.) (vous, pouvoir)
plaît
The phrase 's’il vous plaît' is a fixed polite expression meaning 'please.'
Question Words
These question words and phrases are essential for asking about prices and payments in a store or restaurant.
| French Question | English Question | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| combien | how much | Combien ça coûte ? | How much does it cost? |
| quel / quelle / quels / quelles | which / what | Quel est le prix ? | What is the price? |
| comment | how | Comment puis-je payer ? | How can I pay? |
| où | where | Où est la caisse ? | Where is the checkout? |
| est-ce que | (introduces yes/no question) | Est-ce que je peux payer par carte ? | Can I pay by card? |
| qu’est-ce que | what (thing) | Qu’est-ce que c’est ? | What is this? |
| à combien | at how much | À combien sont les pommes ? | How much are the apples? |
| à quelle heure | at what time | À quelle heure ferme le magasin ? | What time does the store close? |
| pourquoi | why | Pourquoi c’est si cher ? | Why is it so expensive? |
| quand | when | Quand dois-je payer ? | When do I have to pay? |
Fill in the blank: _____ puis-je payer ? (How can I pay?)
Comment
'Comment' means 'how' and is used to ask about the manner or method of an action.
Articles and Quantities
French uses different articles and expressions depending on whether you’re talking about something specific, something general, or a part of something.
| French Expression | English Translation | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| un / une | a / an | Je voudrais un café. | I would like a coffee. |
| le / la / les | the | Le prix est élevé. | The price is high. |
| du / de la / des | some | Je veux du fromage. | I want some cheese. |
| un peu de | a little bit of | Je prends un peu de sucre. | I’ll take a little sugar. |
| beaucoup de | a lot of | Il y a beaucoup de clients. | There are many customers. |
| trop de | too much / too many | C’est trop cher. | It’s too expensive. |
| combien de | how many / how much | Combien de pommes ? | How many apples? |
| aucun / aucune | none | Je n’ai aucune monnaie. | I have no change. |
| plusieurs | several | Plusieurs clients attendent. | Several customers are waiting. |
| chaque | each / every | Chaque article est en solde. | Every item is on sale. |
Useful Phrases
These common phrases will help you navigate paying and prices in real-life situations.
| French Phrase | English Translation | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| C’est combien ? | How much is it? | C’est combien, ce gâteau ? | How much is this cake? |
| Ça coûte ... | It costs ... | Ça coûte dix euros. | It costs ten euros. |
| Je voudrais ... | I would like ... | Je voudrais deux billets. | I would like two bills. |
| L’addition, s’il vous plaît. | The bill, please. | L’addition, s’il vous plaît ! | The bill, please! |
| Avez-vous de la monnaie ? | Do you have change? | Avez-vous de la monnaie pour dix euros ? | Do you have change for ten euros? |
| Puis-je payer par carte ? | Can I pay by card? | Puis-je payer par carte ou en liquide ? | Can I pay by card or in cash? |
| Gardez la monnaie. | Keep the change. | Gardez la monnaie, merci. | Keep the change, thank you. |
| C’est en solde. | It’s on sale. | Ce pull, c’est en solde. | This sweater is on sale. |
| Je prends ça. | I’ll take that. | Je prends ça, merci. | I’ll take that, thank you. |
| Où est la caisse ? | Where is the checkout? | Où est la caisse, s’il vous plaît ? | Where is the checkout, please? |
Prepositions
Here are the most common prepositions used when talking about prices and payments in French.
| French Preposition | English Preposition | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| à | at / for | C’est à dix euros. | It’s ten euros. |
| en | in / by | Je paie en espèces. | I pay in cash. |
| par | by / through | Paiement par carte. | Payment by card. |
| avec | with | Je paie avec ma carte. | I pay with my card. |
| sans | without | Je voudrais sans sac. | I would like without a bag. |
| de | of / from | Un kilo de pommes. | A kilo of apples. |
| pour | for | C’est pour vous. | This is for you. |
| sur | on | Une réduction sur le prix. | A discount on the price. |
| chez | at (someone’s place / store) | J’achète chez le boulanger. | I buy at the baker’s. |
| contre | against / for | Je donne quinze euros contre deux baguettes. | I give fifteen euros for two baguettes. |
Summary
The French vocabulary for paying and prices covers nouns, verbs, question words, and useful phrases that will help you handle money, ask for prices, and make payments confidently. With these words, you’ll be ready for everyday shopping and dining situations.
Flashcards (1 of 60)
- English Singular: price
- English Plural: prices
- English Example: What is the price of this book?
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
