Meaning & use
franc
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Meanings
nouncountable
The basic unit of money used in France and several other countries before they adopted the euro or another currency.
Grammar: Countable: one franc, two francs; often used after a number, as in '500 francs'.
Patterns
- pay something in francs
- cost 100 francs
- the franc fell against the dollar
Before 2002, a baguette in Paris cost a few francs.
The old man kept a handful of Swiss francs in a drawer.
nouncountable
The currency of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, still in use today.
Grammar: Usually appears in the fixed phrase 'Swiss franc'; the plural is francs.
Patterns
- the Swiss franc
- exchange dollars for francs
- quoted in francs
The Swiss franc is seen as a safe currency in troubled times.
Hotel prices were listed in Swiss francs, not euros.
Word forms
| plural | francs |
|---|
Common combinations
- the Swiss franc
- The Swiss franc rose sharply against the euro.
- in francs
- She paid for the meal in francs.
- the franc fell
- The franc fell to a record low that week.
- exchange rate for the franc
- Check the exchange rate for the franc before you travel.
Synonyms and how they differ
- currency
- A general word for any country's money; use 'franc' when you mean this specific unit.
- euro
- The currency that replaced the French franc; not a synonym, but often contrasted with it.
Word family
- francophone adjective
- French-speaking; shares the 'franc-' root but is not related to money.
Commonly confused: franc or frank? franc or France?
franc vs frank
'Frank' (with a k) is an adjective meaning honest and direct, or a male name; 'franc' (with a c) is a unit of money.
franc vs France
'France' is the country; 'franc' is the money that the country used.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'franc' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Franc' is a countable noun for a currency, so it fits 'changed my dollars into francs'. The others treat it as a plant, a language, or a verb, which it is not.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “franc”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.