French word

porte-monnaie

Pronunciation

IPA/pɔʁtəmonɛ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounwallet

Example

J'ai oublié mon porte-monnaie à la maison.

I forgot my wallet at home.

Illustration for porte-monnaie (wallet)

More examples

Elle a laissé son porte-monnaie sur le comptoir.

She left her wallet on the counter.

Core concept

A small pocket case that keeps coins together and can hold a few notes or cards.

Common phrases

  • mon porte-monnaie

    my wallet

  • un porte-monnaie en cuir

    a leather wallet

  • perdre son porte-monnaie

    lose one's wallet

Similar words

portefeuille: A folding wallet for holding banknotes and credit cards together.
porte-cartes: A small, slim case for carrying credit cards and loyalty cards.

Definition in French

Petit accessoire portatif pour garder la monnaie (surtout des pièces) et, au besoin, quelques billets ou cartes.

Word origin

The compound combines porte, related to porter, with monnaie, which comes from Latin moneta, forming a thing that carries money.

Usage tips

  • Porte-monnaie is masculine, so the usual form is un porte-monnaie despite monnaie being feminine.

Other meanings

  • coin pursenoun

Word lists with this word