soldes
The French phrase for discount sale is soldes.
The term soldes describes a period of time when a store sells goods at lower prices to clear out stock. In France, this specifically refers to the legally regulated seasonal sale periods.
Which one should you use?
While soldes refers to the official seasonal sale periods, une promotion is used for individual special offers or discounts on specific items outside of those periods.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word soldes is almost always used in the plural form when referring to seasonal sales periods, such as in the phrase les soldes (the sales).
Did you know?
- The term soldes originates from the word solde, which historically referred to the final payment or the settlement of an account.
- During the official soldes, French law prohibits shops from selling items at a price that is higher than the average price of the previous thirty days to ensure the discount is genuine.
- While les soldes are regulated in France, the rules are different in other French-speaking regions like Quebec, where sales are not governed by the same national calendar.
Examples in context
- Les soldes débutent demain avec des réductions incroyables!The sales start tomorrow with incredible discounts!
- Ne manquez pas notre super promo du mois!Don't miss our super promotion of the month!
- Profitez de notre super promo de la semaine: jusqu'à 50% de réduction sur une sélection d'articles. Les petits prix sont là pour vous! Offre valable uniquement jusqu'à samedi!Come and discover our exceptional promotion of the week: up to 50% off on a selection of items. The low prices are here for you! Offer only valid until Saturday!
- C'est la période des soldes.It is the sales period.
- Les soldes commencent demain.The discount sales start tomorrow.
- J'ai trouvé cette robe pendant les soldes.I found this dress during the discount sales.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are talking about shopping in a mall.
- ChloéTu sais quand commencent les soldes ?Do you know when the discount sales start?
- NathanJe crois que c'est la semaine prochaine.I think it's next week.
- ChloéSuper, je veux acheter de nouveaux vêtements.Great, I want to buy new clothes.
- NathanOn pourra y aller ensemble, Chloé.We can go there together, Chloé.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry soldes, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
