argent
/aʁ.ʒɑ̃/masculine
The English word 'money' is translated into French as argent. If unsure, use argent. Wiktionary also lists liquide.
Meaning: currency (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| argent | /aʁ.ʒɑ̃/ | masculine |
| liquide | /li.kid/ | masculine |
The term argent is the general word for money. Depending on the context, it can also mean 'silver'. Other ways to refer to money include the colloquial term blé, the informal word pognon and the slang term fric, which refers to bucks or cash. In formal contexts, such as referring to capital or funds, you may use fonds.
Which one should you use?
While argent is the general term for money, liquide is used specifically to refer to cash or liquid assets.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The register of your word choice can change based on the situation: use fonds for formal matters involving capital or funds, argent for standard use, pognon for informal settings, blé for colloquial speech and fric as slang for cash or dough.
How do you pronounce it?
/aʁ.ʒɑ̃/
Did you know?
- The term oseille is another slang word for money that literally means 'sorrel', a type of green herb. This plays on the color green associated with value, much like the US dollar.
- French has a specific expression avoir les poches percées, meaning 'to have perforated pockets'. It describes someone who spends their argent as soon as they get it.
- The colloquial term blé literally means 'wheat'. This reflects a common linguistic pattern where money is referred to by a staple crop, similar to how English speakers use 'bread' or 'dough'.
Examples in context
- Tu as l'argent ?Do you have the money?This sentence is useful for asking if someone possesses the money using argent.Tatoeba #7290482 by Aiji, translation #2646626 by CK
- Où est l'argent ?Where's the money?This sentence is useful for asking for the location of the money using argent.Tatoeba #1211215 by sacredceltic, translation #1209941 by Scott
- Il a peu d'argent.He has little money.This sentence is useful for describing someone who possesses a small amount of money using argent.Tatoeba #538945 by sacredceltic, translation #530809 by wma
- J'ai besoin de fric pour aller au cinémaI need cash to go to the movies
- 2842 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are at a bakery.
- EmmaEst-ce que tu as de l'argent ?Do you have some money?
- GabrielNon, je n'ai pas d'argent sur moi.No, I don't have any money on me.
- EmmaJe peux te prêter un peu d'argent.I can lend you a little money.
- GabrielMerci, Emma, c'est très gentil.Thanks, Emma, that is very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “money” translations and entries argent, liquide, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
