coût
/ku/masculine
The English phrase "cost" can be translated into French as coût or frais.
Meaning: amount of money spent for a purpose (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| coût | /ku/ /kut/ |
masculine |
| frais | /fʁɛ/ | masculine |
The word refers to the amount of money spent for a purpose. You can also use the related verb coûter (or its variant spelling couter) to express the price of an object or the amount of effort or time required for something.
Which one should you use?
coût refers to the price or the total amount of a single item or project, whereas frais is a plural noun used to refer to specific expenses, fees or running costs, such as shipping fees or administrative costs.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that something costs a certain amount, you use the verb coûter.
How do you pronounce it?
/ku/
Did you know?
- The French word frais shares a surprising linguistic root with the English word 'fresh'. They both stem from the idea of being newly broken or new, from the Latin word for 'broken'.
- When someone says ça me coûte, they are often referring to the psychological difficulty of doing something rather than the monetary price.
- The term frais can also be an adjective meaning 'cool' or 'chilly' in a weather context. This is a homonym that looks identical to the plural noun for 'expenses'.
Examples in context
- Ça ne coûte rien.It doesn't cost anything.This example shows how to say that something costs nothing using coût.Tatoeba #5760396 by Yemana, translation #5759442 by CK
- Ça coûte combien ?How much does this cost?This example shows how to ask for the price of something using coût.Tatoeba #4295 by TRANG, translation #432824 by aliene
- Quel est le coût ?What's the cost?This example shows how to ask what the cost is using coût.Tatoeba #5369705 by Aiji, translation #3424130 by CK
- Le coût total du projet est estimé à 1 million d'euros.The total cost of the project is estimated at 1 million euros.
- Quel est le coût de cette voiture ?What is the cost of this car?
- Le montant de la facture s'élève à 500 euros.The cost/amount of the invoice amounts to 500 euros.
- Quel est le montant des frais de transport ?What is the cost/amount of the transportation fees?
- Quel est le prix de cette robe ?What is the cost/price of this dress?
- Le prix de l'essence a augmenté récemment.The cost/price of gasoline has increased recently.
- Quel est le tarif du billet de train ?What is the cost/rate of the train ticket?
- Les tarifs de l'hôtel sont abordables.The costs/rates of the hotel are affordable.
- 377 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are discussing a renovation project.
- LéaLe coût des travaux est trop élevé.The cost of the work is too high.
- NathanOn peut réduire le coût des matériaux.We can reduce the cost of the materials.
- LéaEst-ce que le coût total inclut la peinture ?Does the total cost include the painting?
- NathanOui, Nathan a déjà tout calculé.Yes, Nathan has already calculated everything.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cost” translations and entries coût, frais, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries coût, frais, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
