How to Say Money in French: Argent (Not Monnaie)
Money in French is argent - but monnaie means change, not money. Learn cash vs card vocabulary and how to talk about prices and payment.
Money in French is l’argent /ar-ZHAHN/. Careful: la monnaie doesn’t mean money - it means change or coins. To pay, say en espèces or en liquide for cash, and par carte for card.
Quick answer
Money in French is l’argent /ar-ZHAHN/. Careful: la monnaie doesn’t mean money - it means change or coins. To pay, say en espèces or en liquide for cash, and par carte for card.
Learn money vocabulary correctly, with native audio. Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Argent: the standard word
L’argent /ar-ZHAHN/ is the general word for money - masculine, with no plural form when talking about money itself.
The monnaie trap
La monnaie = change/coins, NOT money in general - a genuine false friend. Avoir de la monnaie means “to have change,” not “to have money.” See French words easy to confuse for more traps like this.
Cash vs card
En espèces / en liquide (cash), par carte (by card), payer par carte ou en espèces ? (pay by card or cash?).
| French | English |
|---|---|
| l’argent | money |
| la monnaie | change / coins (NOT money) |
| en espèces / en liquide | cash |
| par carte | by card |
Casual slang
For everyday casual words like fric, thune and oseille, see fric, thune and other casual words for money. For related politeness phrases in a shop or restaurant, see please in French.
Money vocabulary without the trap
LexiFr teaches money and payment vocabulary with native audio and real context.
Free to start - no ads, no streak guilt. Your first 200 words are waiting.
Questions about this note
Does monnaie mean money?
No - it means change/coins; l'argent is the general word for money.
How do you say cash in French?
En espèces or en liquide.
How do you ask if you can pay by card?
Je peux payer par carte ?
Is argent masculine or feminine?
Masculine - l'argent.
What's a casual French word for money?
Fric, thune, oseille - all slang, covered in our French slang guide.