French Phrase
Le taux pour les livres sterling est de 1,25.
Meaning
This sentence states the exchange rate for the British pound (livres sterling) at 1.25 units of the reference currency (usually euros). It is a typical financial phrase used in news, banking, or travel contexts.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to quote an exchange rate in a conversation about travel, finance, or when comparing currency values. It works both in formal written reports and in casual spoken French.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Letauxpourleslivressterlingestde1,25
Article défini (Le)
Le is the masculine singular definite article used before a masculine noun like taux.
Noun (taux)
Taux means ‘rate’ and is masculine; it often collocates with de/à for expressing a value.
Preposition pour
Pour introduces the object of the rate – here the currency – and translates as ‘for’.
Plural noun (livres sterling)
Livres sterling is a fixed expression for ‘British pounds’; it stays plural even when referring to the currency as a whole.
Verb être + de + number
When stating a value, French uses être de followed by the number (est de 1,25).
🗨In Conversation
Quel est le taux pour les livres sterling aujourd'hui ?
What is the rate for British pounds today?
Le taux pour les livres sterling est de 1,25.
The rate for British pounds is 1.25.
✕Common Mistakes
Le taux pour les livres sterling est 1,25.
In French you must use ‘être de’ before a number when stating a value.
Le taux pour le livre sterling est de 1,25.
The correct expression is the plural ‘livres sterling’ even when referring to the currency as a whole.
Le taux pour les livres sterling est de 1,25.
A more natural phrasing in finance uses ‘du livre sterling’ or ‘des livres sterling’. Both are acceptable, but ‘pour les’ sounds slightly informal.
↔Alternatives
Le cours du livre sterling est de 1,25.
The price of the British pound is 1.25.
Le taux de change des livres sterling s'élève à 1,25.
The exchange rate for British pounds stands at 1.25.
1,25 € pour un livre sterling.
€1.25 for one British pound.
Cultural Tip
In French financial news, the word cours is often preferred over taux when talking about currency values, but both are correct. Remember that the decimal separator in French is a comma, not a point, so write 1,25 instead of 1.25. Also, when speaking, the ‘e’ in ‘est de’ is often elided, sounding like ‘est d’ 1,25’.