Learning French: How to write a cheque in France

French numbers are notoriously tricky for learners of the language - especially when compound words start appearing for figures between 70 and 99.

It is important to persevere and learn how to say and understand these numbers, as they pop up in a range of day-to-day situations: when giving your phone number, providing a postcode, sharing your age, or placing an order. 

You should also know how to spell-out the numbers in case you ever find yourself writing a cheque in France. If you have never done this before, fear not!

We take a sneak peak at some practical number-themed exercises featured in the Little Language School’s online course.

How to write a cheque in French

Using the example image, match the numbers to each of their explanations. 

1. The amount in numbers - remember a comma rather than a decimal point!

2. The amount in words goes on the first line(s) – you don’t need to write ‘only’ it is enough to draw a line.

3. à (sometimes à l’ordre de…) means who is the cheque being written to.

4. À - under the amount, the à means ‘at’ - you write here where you are when you are writing the cheque.

LE - this is the date that you are writing the cheque.

5. Your signature goes here!

Read also: Cash, cheque, bank cards: what payment types can a shop legally refuse in France?

Give it a go

Practise filling in this blank cheque using the examples below.

Remember to pay attention to which numbers you are hyphenating. 

1. This one is for: €135.00 to Bob Dylan

2. €275.50 to Kylie Minogue

3. €999.99 to Julia Roberts

4. €8672.00 to Jo Brand

This lesson is an extract from Module 3 of the Little Language School online French course. These exercises are intended for use alongside a selection of explanatory videos. 

Learn simple practical French with this digital course for beginners. Connexion readers can save €60 with this partner offer.