Coût vs. frais vs. dépense
The French words coût, frais, and dépense all translate to "cost" or "expense" in English, but they refer to slightly different financial concepts. The choice between them depends on whether you are discussing the overall value of something, specific administrative fees, or the physical act of spending money from a budget.
Coût
B1The word coût refers to the overall, total, or abstract cost of an item, project, or action. It represents the value, money, or resources required to produce, acquire, or maintain something. It is frequently used to discuss general economic concepts, such as the coût of living, or even figurative sacrifices.
Le coût de la vie a beaucoup augmenté cette année.
(The cost of living has increased a lot this year.)
Nous devons évaluer le coût total du projet avant de commencer les travaux.
(We must evaluate the total cost of the project before starting the construction.)
Le coût de fabrication de cet ordinateur est étrangement élevé.
(The manufacturing cost of this computer is surprisingly high.)
Il a peut-être gagné la compétition politique, mais à quel coût ?
(He might have won the political competition, but at what cost?)
Frais
B1The word frais is almost always used in the plural and translates directly to "fees", "charges", or "running costs". You will typically use frais to describe specific operational or administrative costs tied to a service, process, or event, such as bank charges, legal fees, shipping costs, or travel expenses.
Les frais de livraison sont offerts pour toute commande de plus de cinquante euros.
(Shipping fees are free for any order over fifty euros.)
Mon entreprise remboursera tous mes frais de déplacement à la fin du mois.
(My company will reimburse all my travel expenses at the end of the month.)
Il y a des frais de dossier cachés lors de la signature de ce prêt immobilier.
(There are hidden administrative fees when signing this mortgage.)
Elle doit payer ses frais de scolarité avant le début du mois de septembre.
(She must pay her tuition fees before the beginning of the month of September.)
Dépense
B1The word dépense relates to an actual expenditure, an out-of-pocket expense, or the outward flow of money. It focuses on the act of spending money or the specific item on which money has been spent, mostly functioning as the direct opposite of an income in personal, corporate, or state accounting.
L'achat de cette nouvelle télévision est une grosse dépense pour notre famille.
(Buying this new television is a big expense for our family.)
Le comptable de la société vous demande de justifier chaque dépense professionnelle.
(The company accountant is asking you to justify every professional expense.)
Le nouveau gouvernement a annoncé une réduction immédiate de la dépense publique.
(The new government announced an immediate reduction in public expenditure.)
Acheter un autre téléphone portable maintenant serait une dépense inutile.
(Buying another mobile phone right now would be an unnecessary expense.)
Summary
In short, use coût for the overall or conceptual value of something, frais for specific service-related fees or running charges, and dépense for the physical disbursement or expenditure of money from a budget.