Prices and Money in French
Euros, Cents, and Decimals
Updated 17 April 2026
Knowing how to say prices in French is essential for shopping, dining, and navigating daily life in France or any French-speaking country. The main things to master: the formal and informal ways to say decimals, the "de" rule before nouns for millions, and the decimal comma (not point) used in written French.
Price Converter
Common Price Examples
| Amount | French | Note | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| €5 | cinq euros | Simple whole euros. | |
| €12.50 | douze euros et cinquante centimes | Formal. Also: douze euros cinquante. | |
| €0.99 | quatre-vingt-dix-neuf centimes | Just cents - no euros needed. | |
| €100 | cent euros | Cent. No article. | |
| €1,000 | mille euros | Mille. Never pluralises. | |
| €1,000,000 | un million d'euros | "de" before the noun. |
The Decimal Comma (Virgule)
France uses a comma as the decimal separator, not a point. This is the ISO standard used across most of Europe. Written prices: €12,50 (not €12.50). When speaking: "douze virgule cinquante euros" - but in everyday speech, the virgule is often dropped and you just say "douze euros cinquante".
Written: €12,50
Formal: douze euros et cinquante centimes
Informal: douze euros cinquante
Mathematical: douze virgule cinquante euros
Age Expressions (Bonus: Use "avoir", Not "etre")
French uses "avoir" (to have) to express age, not "etre" (to be). "J'ai trente ans" literally means "I have thirty years". Never say "Je suis trente ans". This is one of the most common mistakes English speakers make.
| Age | French | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | J'ai vingt-cinq ans. | |
| 30 | J'ai trente ans. | |
| 40 | J'ai quarante ans. | |
| 75 | J'ai soixante-quinze ans. | |
| 80 | J'ai quatre-vingts ans. |
Time Expressions with Numbers
| Time | French | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 | Il est huit heures. | |
| 8:15 | Il est huit heures et quart. | |
| 8:30 | Il est huit heures et demie. | |
| 8:45 | Il est neuf heures moins le quart. | |
| 12:00 | Il est midi. | |
| 17:30 | Il est dix-sept heures trente. |
FAQ
How do you say 12.50 euros in French?
Douze euros cinquante (informal, most common in shops and everyday speech), or douze euros et cinquante centimes (formal). In mathematical contexts, you might hear douze virgule cinquante euros - using "virgule" (comma) because French uses a decimal comma, not a decimal point.
How do French people say age?
French uses "avoir" (to have) for age, not "etre" (to be). "J'ai trente ans" means "I am 30 years old" - literally "I have 30 years". The equivalent of "I am 30" in the sense of "I am 30 years old" is always "J'ai 30 ans". Never "Je suis 30 ans".
How do you say 8 o'clock in French?
Il est huit heures. Half past: huit heures et demie. Quarter past: huit heures et quart (literally "eight hours and a quarter"). Quarter to: huit heures moins le quart (eight hours minus a quarter). 8:15 can also be huit heures quinze in the 24-hour clock.
What is a virgule in French?
Virgule means comma. French uses a decimal comma, not a decimal point. So 12.50 in English is written 12,50 in French. When speaking, you say "douze virgule cinquante". This is important in finance, science, and any context involving decimal numbers.