How to Say "Cents" in French - How To Say Guide

centimes

The English phrase "cents" is translated into French as centimes.

The term refers to the fractional units of a currency, such as the dollar.

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Belgium, cents may be referred to as sous, while in some Swiss regions, people may use rappen instead of centimes.

English speakers often mistakenly use the English word "cents" instead of the French centimes when referring to Euro or Franc denominations.

While centimes is the official term, French people often use the slang word balles to count units of money, though it specifically refers to whole units rather than fractions.
In Belgium, the word sous is used for cents, which can lead to confusion because in France, sous is considered archaic or very informal. A Belgian might sound more 'old-fashioned' to a Parisian than they actually are.
When shopping in France, you might see the term centimes used in pricing, but you will rarely hear people say the word aloud while paying. Instead, they often simply state the total amount, such as deux euros cinquante.

Tu m'as donné seulement cinquante centimes.
You gave me only fifty cents.
Tatoeba #805563 by U2FS, translation #72549 by CK
« Combien coûte ce mouchoir ? » « C'est 95 centimes. »
"How much is this handkerchief?" "It is ninety-five cents."
Tatoeba #138915 by Aiji, translation #73906 by CK
Tu as 5 centimes ?
Do you have 5 cents?
Tatoeba #13010928 by menaud, translation #8860268 by moxy
Vingt-cinq centimes
Twenty-five cents
Quatre-vingt-dix-neuf centimes
Ninety-nine cents
9 more sentences on Tatoeba

Léa and Gabriel are at a bakery.

Léa

Le pain coûte deux euros et vingt centimes.
The bread costs two euros and twenty cents.
Gabriel

Je n'ai pas de centimes sur moi.
I don't have any cents on me.
Léa

Ce n'est pas grave, Gabriel.
It's not a problem, Gabriel.
Gabriel

Merci, je te rendrai ça demain.
Thanks, I'll pay you back tomorrow.

Sources

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