argent
/aʁ.ʒɑ̃/masculine
The French word for silver (metal) is argent.
argent is a masculine noun used to refer to the chemical element or metal silver.
Meaning: metal (noun)
Which one should you use?
While argent refers to the metal itself, use the adjective argenté to describe something that has a silvery color. To specify that an object is actually made of silver, use the phrase en argent rather than the adjective argenté.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe an object as being made of silver, use the prepositional phrase en argent.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: /aʁ.ʒɑ̃/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be aware that argent can mean both 'silver' and 'money' depending on the context, which may lead to confusion.
Did you know?
- The word argent is used in the French term argent liquide, which literally translates to 'liquid silver' but actually means 'cash'.
- The chemical symbol for silver is 'Ag', which comes directly from the Latin word argentum, the ancestor of the French argent.
- The French word argent is the root of the English word 'argent', which is a specific term used in heraldry to describe the color silver or white on a coat of arms.
Examples in context
- Est-ce de l'argent fin?Is this sterling silver?This sentence uses argent to ask about the purity of the silver.Tatoeba #5304057 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #3022514 by sharptoothed
- Ce n'est pas de l'argent.This isn't silver.This sentence uses argent to state that something is not silver.Tatoeba #843385 by Micsmithel, translation #1946303 by CM
- Mon frère a poli l'argent.My brother polished the silver.This sentence uses argent to describe an object being polished.Tatoeba #1593674 by Petrus, translation #278558 by CK
- Les bijoux en argent de notre collection sont d'une qualité exceptionnelle.The silver jewelry from our collection is of exceptional quality.
- Les lingots d'argent représentent un investissement sûr.Silver bars represent a safe investment.
- les couverts en argentSilverware
- polir l'argentTo polish silver
- 63 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are looking at jewelry in a store.
- ManonC'est de l'argent ou de l'or ?Is it silver or gold?
- HugoJe pense que c'est de l'argent.I think it is silver.
- ManonL'argent est plus joli ici.The silver is prettier here.
- HugoOui, Hugo préfère l'argent.Yes, Hugo prefers silver.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “silver” translations and entries argent, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries argent, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
