French Vocabulary Not Learned at School: French Slang for Money
Looking for French money vocabulary? Learn some French slang related to money in this short article.
Get the free French Study Guide
Build a clearer plan for learning French. Get the free guide by email.
In English it’s cash, money, dough, moolah, bill, bucks, bread, funds, and so many other words, yet it all means the same thing.
No matter what we do or where we go, money talk can’t escape us (or the other way around). So if you find yourself walking on French soil, you’ll invariably come across talk about money. You might as well arm yourself with this French money vocabulary and slang to help you get your thoughts across and vice versa.
Or you could learn this simply because it’s cool to know this stuff too. It’s all up to you, really.
For Starters…
Here’s a short video to get you started with this lesson. Check out some standard French words related to money, plus some example sentences.
French Money Vocabulary (Slang)
- EnglishFrench
- moneyLe fric
Le pognon
Le pèze
La galette
La braise
L’oseille (f)
Les ronds (m)
Le flouze
La thune - Loose changeLa ferraille (literally, scrap iron)
- Francs/ EurosLes balles (f) (as in “ça coûte quinze balles” = it costs fifteen euros)
- Historically one million old francs (= 10,000 post-1960 francs)Une brique
- To be brokeÊtre fauché(e), être à sec
- To not have a beanNe pas avoir un radis (le radis = radish)
Ne pas avoir un rond - Filthy richRupin(e)
- A spoiled daddy’s boyUn fils à papa
- To be loadedÊtre plein aux as
- cheapskateRadin(e)
- A skinflintUn grippe-sous
- To fork outCasquer
- To blowClaquer (la thune)
- To be hadSe faire avoir
- To be conned, to be ripped offSe faire rouler / couillonner
- It’s a fake, it’s imitationC’est du toc
- Junk, rubbishDe la camelote
- ExpensiveChéro
- FreeÀ l’œil
- profitLe bénef (short for “le bénéfice” = the gain, profit)
