You’re standing in a boulangerie in the Marais, or maybe a tiny café in Lyon, and the total comes to five euros. You reach for your wallet. You want to sound natural, like you’ve lived there for years, but your brain freezes on the one word you thought you knew. Is it l'argent? Is it le fric? Or is that weird word you heard in a rap song more appropriate?
Most people think there's just one way to say it.
Honestly, the way you say money in French depends entirely on who you’re talking to and how much of a "proper" vibe you’re trying to give off. If you’re at a bank, you’re talking about les fonds. If you’re at a bar with friends, you’re talking about la thune. It’s a linguistic minefield, but once you navigate it, you stop sounding like a tourist and start sounding like a local.
The Standard Answer: L'Argent
Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. If you look up "how do you say money in French" in a dictionary, you get l’argent.
This word is the safe bet. It’s the vanilla ice cream of French vocabulary. It literally translates to "silver," which makes sense when you consider the history of currency in Europe. You can use it in literally any context—business, casual, formal—and nobody will look at you twice.
But here’s the thing. Nobody only says l’argent.
If you’re talking about a specific amount, like a price, you’d say le prix or la somme. If you’re talking about change (the coins rattling in your pocket), you say la monnaie. This is where English speakers get tripped up. We see "monnaie" and think "money," but if you tell a French shopkeeper you have "beaucoup de monnaie," they’ll think you’re carrying five pounds of nickels.
Breaking Down the Slang: Why "Thune" and "Fric" Rule the Streets
French culture is obsessed with slang, specifically argot. If you really want to know how do you say money in French in a way that shows you actually understand the culture, you have to look at the informal terms.
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La thune is probably the most common slang term you’ll hear in 2026. It used to refer to a five-franc coin back in the day, but now it just means "cash" or "dough." You’ll hear teenagers say "J’ai pas de thune" (I have no money) or "C’est trop de thunes" (That’s too much money). It feels young. It feels effortless.
Then there’s le fric.
This one feels a bit more "old school" but it’s still everywhere. Think of it as the French equivalent of "moolah" or "bread." If someone is "fricoté," they’re well-off. It’s slightly more aggressive than la thune. It’s often used when talking about big corporations or people who are obsessed with wealth.
The Weird Ones: Oseille, Blé, and Pognon
Why does French have so many words for money? Because French people love talking about what they don't have. Or what others have too much of.
- Le blé: This literally means "wheat." Much like the English "bread," it’s an agricultural metaphor for the stuff that keeps us alive. "Se faire du blé" means to make a lot of money.
- L’oseille: This is "sorrel," a green herb. Why an herb? No idea. But if someone asks if you have l'oseille, they’re asking if you’re flush.
- Le pognon: This is a bit more "gritty." It’s the kind of word a character in a French noir film from the 70s would use while holding a briefcase full of cash. It’s blunt. It’s effective.
Context is Everything (Don't Get Slapped)
You wouldn't walk into a high-end law firm in Bordeaux and ask about the pognon. You just wouldn't.
In professional settings, French becomes very precise. This is where the "standard" vocabulary gets specialized. If you’re discussing a salary, it’s le salaire. If you’re looking at a budget, it’s le budget. If you’re talking about investment capital, you’re looking at les capitaux.
Interestingly, the French are notoriously private about money. While Americans might brag about their 401k or their hourly rate over appetizers, doing so in France is often seen as vulgaire. So, even if you know twenty different ways to say money in French, the most "French" thing you can do is not talk about it at all.
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Verlan: Backwards Money
If you’re hanging out in the banlieues or listening to French hip-hop, you’ll encounter Verlan. This is a type of slang where syllables are reversed.
Argent becomes Gens-bon (though this is rare).
L'argent becomes L'en-ca (sometimes).
But the most common Verlan for money isn't actually a reversal of argent. It’s a reversal of other slang. It gets complicated fast. The point is, if you hear someone talking about "le caillou" or "les balles," they’re talking about money. Speaking of balles—that’s the slang for Euros.
"Dix balles" is ten euros. It’s the equivalent of saying "ten bucks." It’s ubiquitous. It’s easy. It’s essential.
Common Mistakes English Speakers Make
The biggest trap? Thinking la monnaie means "money" in a general sense.
I’ve seen it a hundred times. A tourist tries to pay for a souvenir and says "J’ai la monnaie," meaning "I have the money." The cashier looks at them expectantly, waiting for the coins. The tourist hands over a 20-euro bill. Confusion ensues.
La monnaie is specifically change or currency.
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Another one is using riche too liberally. In French, being riche is a heavy statement. If you want to say someone is well-off without the baggage, use aisé or fortuné. It’s more subtle. It’s more French.
How to Actually Use This Knowledge
Don't try to use all these words at once. You'll sound like a dictionary threw up on you.
If you're a beginner, stick to l'argent. It’s impossible to get wrong. As you get more comfortable, start swapping in balles when you're at the market. "Ça fait cinq balles ?" is a great way to test the waters.
If you’re joking with a friend about being broke, drop a "J’ai plus de thune." It shows you’re paying attention to how people actually speak, rather than just what’s on page 42 of your textbook.
France is a country of layers. The language is the same. There’s the language of the Republic, the language of the street, and the language of the dinner table. Money—or l’argent, le fric, la thune—is the thread that runs through all of them.
Actionable Next Steps for Mastering French Currency Talk
- Stop saying "money" in your head. Start mentally labeling your wallet as your portefeuille and the contents as l'argent.
- Learn your "Balles". Next time you see a price tag in euros, say the number followed by balles under your breath. "Vingt balles." "Cent balles."
- Watch French Cinema. Specifically modern comedies like Intouchables or shows like Call My Agent (Dix pour cent). Listen for how the characters switch between formal and informal terms based on who is in the room.
- Use "La Monnaie" correctly. Next time you’re at a checkout, use it only when you have the exact change. "Attendez, j'ai la monnaie."
- Audit your textbooks. Look at the vocabulary lists. If they don't mention thune or fric, write them in the margins. Those are the words that will actually help you understand a conversation at a bus stop in Paris.
Mastering how do you say money in French isn't about memorizing a list; it's about understanding the social hierarchy of the words. Pick your "level" of French and choose the word that fits. If in doubt, l'argent is your best friend, but la thune is the one that gets you invited to the after-party.