Reading and saying prices
What you'll be able to do
- France uses €, Quebec uses $CAD; both write the decimal as a comma (2,50).
- Say the whole number first, then the unit, then the cents: deux euros cinquante.
- Carte ou espèces? = card or cash? Card is the everyday default.
France and most of Europe use the euro (€). Quebec uses the Canadian dollar ($CAD). Prices are written with a comma as the decimal separator in French: 2,50 € (two euros fifty), not 2.50.
To say the price out loud: deux euros cinquante (2,50 €), trois euros (3 €), quinze euros quatre-vingt-dix (15,90 €). In Quebec: trois dollars cinquante or just trois cinquante in casual speech.
Common register lines you'll hear at a till:
• Ça fait [X] euros. — That'll be [X] euros.
• Vous payez comment? — How are you paying?
• Carte ou espèces? — Card or cash?
• Avez-vous la monnaie? — Do you have exact change?
Card is universal in France and Quebec; contactless is the default. Cash (espèces, or argent comptant in Quebec) still useful for markets and very small purchases.
Key points
- France uses €, Quebec uses $CAD; both write the decimal as a comma (2,50).
- Say the whole number first, then the unit, then the cents: deux euros cinquante.
- Carte ou espèces? = card or cash? Card is the everyday default.
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