chèque
/ʃɛk/masculine
The English phrase 'cheque' is translated into French as chèque.
The term chèque refers to a note promising to pay money to a named person or entity. Note that the word includes an accent grave on the è.
Meaning: a note promising to pay money to a named person or entity (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, the colloquial expression le chèque en bois is used to refer to a bounced cheque.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun chèque is masculine and takes the indefinite article un. When expressing the method of payment, use the preposition par with chèque, as in par chèque.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃɛk/
Did you know?
- The French word chèque is actually a loanword from English, specifically from the word 'check'.
- While English uses 'check' for both a bill at a restaurant and a bank note, French uses addition for the bill and chèque only for the payment note.
- In France, the chèque remained a common method of payment long after other developed nations switched to cards and digital transfers.
Examples in context
- J'ai signé le chèque.I signed the cheque.Tatoeba #3260199 by nimfeo, translation #7713343 by deniko
- Je paierai par chèque.I'll pay by cheque.Tatoeba #4299 by TRANG, translation #2422 by RJH
- Tu paieras par chèque.You're going to pay by cheque.Tatoeba #2284114 by Amastan, translation #9480065 by sundown
- Pouvez-vous me donner un chèque pour ce montant, s'il vous plaît?Can you give me a cheque for this amount, please?
- Le paiement peut être effectué par chèque ou virement bancaire.Payment can be made by cheque or bank transfer.
- J'ai reçu un chèque-cadeau pour mon anniversaire!I received a gift voucher for my birthday!
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are at a store paying for an item.
- HugoEst-ce que vous acceptez le chèque ?Do you accept checks?
- LéaOui, mais j'ai besoin d'une pièce d'identité.Yes, but I need an ID.
- HugoVoici mon chèque et ma carte.Here is my check and my card.
- LéaMerci Hugo, c'est parfait.Thank you Hugo, that's perfect.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheque” translations and entries chèque, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chèque, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
