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How to Say ‘I have no cash.’ in French

J'ai pas de thune.

zhem ay pah duh TOON

[zhem ay pah duh TOON]

💬 Usage Tip: In casual speech the ne of je n'ai pas disappears, and pas alone makes the sentence negative. After pas, la changes to de.

Phrase Breakdown

J'ai pas

zhem ay pah

I don't have

Spoken French often drops the 'ne' ('je n'ai pas' becomes 'j'ai pas'). Pronounced 'zhay pa'.

Example

J'ai pas le temps.

I don't have time.

Words in this phrase

J'

[zhem]

I (contracted form of « je »)

« Je » becomes « J’ » before a vowel: « J’aime » = “I like/I love”. Very frequent for opinions about anime.

Example

J' aime ce studio d’animation.

I like this animation studio.

ai

[ay]

have (1st person singular)

« ai » is « avoir » conjugated for « je ». It’s the auxiliary used in the passé composé: « j’ai commencé » = “I started / I have started”.

Example

J’ ai regardé la bande-annonce.

I watched the trailer.

pas

[pah]

not

Used with 'ne' to form a negative.

Example

Je ne comprends pas.

I do not understand.

de thune.

duh TOON

any money.

'Thune' is slang for money. The 'th' sounds like a plain 't': 'duh tune'.

Example

Il me reste pas de thune.

I have no money left.

Words in this phrase

de

[duh]

of

Expressing the relationship between part and a whole.

Example

Un verre de lait.

A glass of milk.

thune

[TOON]

money, cash

Slang for money.

Example

Il a plein de thune.

He has loads of cash.

Related guides

Common French Phrases You'll Use Every Day (with Native Audio)The common French phrases and expressions people actually use every day: greetings, polite essentials, reactions and casual slang, with meanings and native audio.Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.

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