How to Say ‘I'll stop the meter, we'll leave it at twenty-three euros.’ in French
Je coupe le compteur, on reste à vingt-trois euros.
zhuh KOOP luh kohn-TUR on rest ah vant-TRWAH uh-roh
[zhuh KOOP luh kohn-TUR on rest ah vant-TRWAH uh-roh]
💬 Usage Tip: Couper usually means "to cut", but with machines it means switching off, as in couper le moteur "turn off the engine". On here means "we", which is how people normally say it in everyday speech instead of nous.
🇫🇷 In France: Paris taxis run on the meter, apart from fixed fares to and from the airports. A driver who stops the meter and settles on a figure is usually smoothing over a disputed or overlong route. Once the price is agreed, it's done.
Phrase Breakdown
Je coupe le compteur,
zhuh KOOP luh kohn-TUR
I'm switching off the meter,
A taxi driver says this when stopping the fare. The 'p' in 'compteur' is silent. Pause briefly at the comma.
Nous sommes arrivés, je coupe le compteur.
We've arrived, I'm switching off the meter.
Words in this phrase
Je
[zhuh]
I
Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.
Je suis content.
I am happy.
coupe
[KOOP]
switch off / cut
Present of 'couper': to cut, or to turn off a device.
Je coupe le moteur.
I'm switching off the engine.
le
[luh]
the
Used as a function word to indicate a noun and to mark the noun as definite.
Le chat noir.
The black cat.
compteur
[kohn-TUR]
meter
Masculine noun: the taxi's fare-counting device.
Le compteur indique quinze euros.
The meter shows fifteen euros.
on reste à vingt-trois euros.
on rest ah vant-TRWAH uh-roh
we'll stay at twenty-three euros.
This means the price stays at 23 euros. Link 'trois euros' with a z sound: 'trwa-zeuro'.
Pas de supplément, on reste à vingt-trois euros.
No extra charge, it stays at twenty-three euros.
Words in this phrase
on
[on]
We
Used by a speaker to refer to themself and one or more other people considered together.
On y va maintenant.
We are going now.
reste
[rest]
stays / remains
From 'rester,' meaning to remain in the same state.
L'eau reste froide toute la journée.
The water stays cold all day.
à
[ah]
at
A preposition indicating position or direction.
À la maison.
At the house.
vingt-trois
[vant-TRWAH]
twenty-three
The number 23, written with a hyphen.
J'ai vingt-trois ans.
I am twenty-three years old.
euros
[uh-roh]
euros
The currency used in France and much of Europe.
Dans « Nous facturons 20 euros », « euros » précise la devise.
In "We charge 20 euros", "euros" specifies the currency.
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