gardez la monnaie
In French, "keep the change" is said as gardez la monnaie.
This phrase is an instruction used when you want a person to keep the leftover coins or small bills from a transaction as a tip.
Meaning: instruction to keep the change (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the imperative verb gardez (keep/guard), the definite article la (the) and the noun monnaie (change/coins).
Which one should you use?
While gardez la monnaie is the standard version for service interactions, garde la monnaie is an informal singular version used if you are speaking to someone you know well or a peer.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Gardez la monnaie is the polite and standard register, making it the most appropriate way to speak to taxi drivers, waiters or shopkeepers. Garde la monnaie is an informal option, and Tiens, c'est pour toi is an informal way to convey the same idea.
When do people say it?
When you want to give a tip to a taxi driver, you can hand them more money than the fare requires and say Gardez la monnaie.
Did you know?
- The word monnaie shares its roots with the Latin word moneta, which was the epithet of the goddess Juno. She was the protector of the Roman mint, which is why the word eventually came to mean 'money' or 'change'.
- In many French-speaking cultures, telling a waiter gardez la monnaie can actually be seen as slightly awkward or even insulting if the amount is too small. Instead of a formal phrase, people often just leave the coins on the table without saying a word.
- In some parts of the French-speaking world, particularly in certain African contexts, the phrase might be used more broadly to mean 'it is for you' or 'it is a gift' rather than just a mathematical instruction about change.
Examples in context
- Je vous en prie, gardez la monnaie.Keep the change, please.This example shows how to add a polite expression to the phrase.Tatoeba #14621 by sacredceltic, translation #278438 by frpzzd
- Si vous souhaitez donner un pourboire au chauffeur de taxi, donnez-lui plus qu'il ne faut et dites-lui : « Gardez la monnaie. »If you want the taxi driver to have a tip, hand him too much money and say, "Keep the change."This example explains how to use the phrase when tipping a taxi driver.Tatoeba #3529799 by jmdesp, translation #40956 by papabear
- Gardez la monnaie !Keep the change!This is a direct way to say the phrase.Tatoeba #450624 by Clavain, translation #39748 by CK
- Vous pouvez garder la monnaie.You can keep the change.
- Je vous laisse la monnaie. Merci beaucoup !Keep the change. Thank you very much!
- Garde la monnaie, c'est pour toi !Keep the change, it's for you!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma is paying for a coffee at a small cafe.
- EmmaVoici dix euros pour mon café.Here is ten euros for my coffee.
- GabrielMerci beaucoup, Emma.Thank you very much, Emma.
- EmmaGardez la monnaie, Gabriel.Keep the change, Gabriel.
- GabrielC'est très gentil de votre part.That is very kind of you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “keep the change” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, monnaie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
