Prices and money

Prices and Money: Essential French Vocabulary and Expressions

This lesson introduces you to practical language needed for shopping and handling money in French, ideal for A1 beginners. You will learn common vocabulary and phrases used when asking about prices, making payments, and discussing money-related matters in everyday situations such as markets, stores, and cafés.

Key Vocabulary and Phrases

• Asking about price: "Combien ça coûte ?" (How much does it cost?)
• Payment methods: "Je paie avec ma carte bancaire." (I pay with my bank card.) or "Je paie en espèces." (I pay in cash.)
• Describing cost: "C'est un prix assez cher." (It’s a rather expensive price.)
• Money units and coins: "la pièce" (coin), "le billet" (bill), "la monnaie" (change or coins), "l'euro" (euro)
• Expressions of quantity and intensity: Words like "bien" and "beaucoup" to describe amounts or degrees, e.g., "J’ai beaucoup de pièces dans ma poche." (I have many coins in my pocket.)

Practical Sentence Examples

Try these useful sentences to communicate about shopping:

• "Je veux acheter ce billet, il coûte vingt euros." – I want to buy this ticket; it costs twenty euros.
• "Avez-vous de la monnaie en espèces ?" – Do you have cash change?

French Verb Conjugations Related to Prices and Payments

The lesson focuses on present tense conjugations of important verbs:

• Payer (to pay): je paie, tu paies, il/elle paie, nous payons, vous payez, ils/elles paient
• Coûter (to cost): je coûte, tu coûtes, il/elle coûte, nous coûtons, vous coûtez, ils/elles coûtent
• Vendre (to sell): je vends, tu vends, il/elle vend, nous vendons, vous vendez, ils/elles vendent

Dialogue Scenarios for Practice

You will find varied dialogues such as:

• At the market: asking prices and paying for fruits
• In a clothing boutique: asking about the price of a garment and paying
• At a café: asking the price of coffee or tea and paying the bill

Words Groupings to Learn

Learn to classify words into two categories for easier memorization:

• Means of payment: l'argent, l’euro, la carte bancaire, la monnaie, la pièce, le billet, en espèces, par carte
• Price-related words and expressions: le prix, coûter, cher, c’est cher !

Notable Differences and Useful Phrases

In French, asking "Combien ça coûte ?" literally translates as "How much does it cost?" This is similar to English. However, the verb "payer" (to pay) has two correct present tense forms for first person singular: "je paie" and "je paye." Both are used, but "je paie" is slightly more common in formal contexts. Note also the plural usage in verbs like "ils/elles coûtent" (they cost) and "ils/elles paient" (they pay), which is important when talking about multiple items.

Useful phrases include:

• "Je préfère payer par carte, c'est plus sûr et rapide." (I prefer to pay by card, it’s safer and faster.)
• "Ce livre coûte beaucoup plus cher qu'hier." (This book costs much more than yesterday.)
• "Tu as assez d'argent pour acheter ce billet ?" (Do you have enough money to buy this ticket?)