centime
/sɑ̃.tim/masculine
The English phrase 'cent' can be translated into French as centime. If unsure, use centime. Wiktionary also lists cent and sou.
Meaning: subunit of currency in US and elsewhere (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| centime | /sɑ̃.tim/ | masculine |
| cent | /sɛnt/ /sɛn/ |
masculine |
| sou | /su/ | Canada, informal, masculine |
In the context of currency, this refers to a subunit of a monetary unit. Note that the word cent in French also means 'hundred' in English. For example, the phrase cent balles is a slang way to say 'a hundred euros' and cent francs refers to a hundred units of the former French currency. To express the number 'a hundred', you would use une centaine and the ordinal number 'hundredth' is centième.
Which one should you use?
While centime is the standard term for a cent, the word cent is used to mean the number 'hundred'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term sou is an informal way to refer to a cent.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Canada, sou is a common term for a cent.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of centime is centimes.
How do you pronounce it?
centime is pronounced /sɑ̃.tim/ and has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- French speakers use the slang word balles to describe currency units, which is why cent balles means 'a hundred euros'.
- The word sou has its roots in the Latin 'solidus', which originally referred to a solid, stable coin.
- While sou now means a cent, it historically referred to a coin worth five centimes during the era of the French franc.
Examples in context
- Je n'ai pas un centime.I don't have a cent.This sentence is useful for expressing that you have no money using cent.Tatoeba #5919812 by Aiji, translation #3451214 by AlanF_US
- Dix, c'est dix pour cent de cent.Ten is ten per cent of a hundred.This sentence is useful for demonstrating a mathematical relationship using cent.Tatoeba #2163947 by sacredceltic, translation #12529505 by sundown
- Je ne vous donnerai pas un centime.I won't give you one red cent.This sentence is useful for emphasizing that you will not give even a single cent using cent.Tatoeba #12426478 by lbdx, translation #1129628 by CM
- La population de la ville s'élève à cent mille habitants.The population of the city is one hundred thousand.
- Il y a une centaine d'étudiants inscrits au cours de français.There are about a hundred students enrolled in the French course.
- Le résultat est égal à un centième.The result is equal to one hundredth.
- Cette robe coûte cent balles !This dress costs a hundred euros!
- J'ai payé cette montre cent francs à l'époque.I paid a hundred francs for this watch back in the day.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are checking their change at a bakery.
- LéaIl manque un centime pour le pain.One cent is missing for the bread.
- LucasJe cherche mon dernier centime.I am looking for my last cent.
- LéaTu l'as trouvé, Lucas ?Did you find it, Lucas?
- LucasOui, il était dans ma poche.Yes, it was in my pocket.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cent” translations and entries centime, cent, sou, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cent, centime, sou, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
