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Fric or argent: talk about money in casual and neutral French

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Learn du fric and de l’argent through everyday money conversations. Practise saving, being short of money, paying in cash and recognising silver.

In short

Fric is a familiar word for money; argent is the neutral everyday choice. Say du fric and de l’argent. For physical cash, use des espèces; in une bague en argent, argent means silver.

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1

A friend suggests an expensive outing

Use the familiar reply in a casual conversation.

They sayTu viens au concert samedi ?Are you coming to the concert on Saturday?
YouJ’aimerais bien, mais je n’ai pas assez de fric.I’d like to, but I haven’t got enough money.
They sayOn peut faire quelque chose de gratuit.We could do something free.
YouBonne idée. Je préfère garder mon argent pour les vacances.Good idea. I’d rather keep my money for the holidays.
2

Explain a saving goal neutrally

They sayTu économises pour un projet ?Are you saving for something?
YouOui, je mets de l’argent de côté chaque mois.Yes, I put money aside every month.
They sayTu auras bientôt assez ?Will you soon have enough?
YouPas encore. Il me manque cent euros.Not yet. I’m a hundred euros short.
3

Ask about the payment method

Here the question is about cash, so use the precise payment word.

YouJe peux payer par carte ?Can I pay by card?
They sayAujourd’hui, nous acceptons seulement les espèces.Today, we only accept cash.
YouD’accord, j’ai des espèces sur moi.OK, I have cash on me.

What is the difference between fric and argent?

Four concrete words

Keep the meaning; change the tone
FamiliarNeutral
J’ai besoin de fric.J’ai besoin d’argent.
Ça coûte trop de fric.Ça coûte trop d’argent.
Il n’a pas de fric.Il n’a pas d’argent.

After besoin de, trop de and pas de, use de fric or d’argent. Fric tells you the tone, while words such as assez and trop tell you how the money relates to the plan. A bank balance is money too: the familiar noun leaves the payment method open.

Question 1No account needed
Complete the neutral saving phrase.Je mets ___ de côté.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

de l’argent. Use the partitive article with elision before the vowel at the start of the money noun.

Question 2No account needed
Which word specifically means cash in a payment conversation?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

les espèces. The second option specifies physical cash; the other two are broader money words.

Question 3No account needed
What does argent mean in une bague en argent?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

silver. The phrase names the material the ring is made from: silver.

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