penny

noun PEH-nee Rare

Origin: English 'penny'

Usage Note

Penny is a direct English borrowing in French, used to refer to the British or American one-cent coin. The seed gender is feminine (which is unusual); in practice French speakers often treat it as masculine (un penny). The plural can be either des pennies or des pence depending on context (British). It appears mainly in translations, discussions of anglophone cultures, or idiomatic phrases borrowed from English.

Examples

"Il n'avait pas un penny en poche."

Natural Translation

He didn't have a penny in his pocket.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

French Noun Gender: Rules to Guess Right 80%

Guess French noun gender right 80% of the time using word endings: -age, -ment, -eau are masculine; -tion, -té, -ette are feminine. A high-yield system.

June 3, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Greetings: Bonjour, Salut, Coucou Explained

Bonjour, salut, or coucou? Pick the right French greeting every time with a simple two-axis guide to formality and time of day, plus how to say goodbye.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Café Culture: How to Order Like a Local

In a French café, un café means espresso, one drink rents the table for an hour, and you must ask for the bill. Order coffee like a local with these phrases.

June 4, 2026 7 min read

FrenchNow

Aller + Infinitive: The Easy French Future

Form the French near future in seconds: conjugate aller in the present and add an infinitive. Learn futur proche rules, negation, pronouns, and when to use it.

June 4, 2026 6 min read