French Phrase
Tu veux retirer combien ?
Meaning
Literally, “You want to withdraw how much?” It is the informal way to ask someone how much money they would like to take out of an ATM or at a bank counter. The phrase is direct and commonly used in everyday conversation.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are helping a friend at an ATM, speaking with a cashier in a small shop, or chatting with a family member about cash needs. It is best reserved for informal contexts; in a formal setting you would use a more polite construction.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tuveuxretirercombien?
Subject pronoun (Tu)
‘Tu’ is the informal second‑person singular pronoun used with friends, family, or in casual settings.
Verb ‘vouloir’ (veux)
‘Veux’ is the present‑tense form of ‘vouloir’ (to want) for ‘tu’. It is followed by an infinitive.
Infinitive verb (retirer)
‘Retirer’ means ‘to withdraw’ (money, a document, etc.) and stays in the infinitive after ‘vouloir’.
Interrogative adverb (combien)
‘Combien’ asks for a quantity or amount. In spoken French it often appears at the end of a clause.
Question intonation
When the question is formed without inversion, the rising intonation at the end signals that it is a question.
🗨In Conversation
Tu veux retirer combien ?
How much do you want to withdraw?
Je vais prendre deux cents euros, s’il te plaît.
I’ll take two hundred euros, please.
✕Common Mistakes
combien tu veux retirer
In spoken informal French the order is fine, but learners often forget the rising intonation that marks it as a question.
Tu veux retirer combien ?
Using ‘tu’ with a stranger can sound too familiar; switch to ‘vous’ in formal contexts.
Tu veux retirer combien euros ?
‘Combien’ already asks for the amount; adding ‘euros’ is redundant unless you need clarification.
↔Alternatives
Combien souhaites‑tu retirer ?
How much would you like to withdraw?
Quel montant veux‑tu retirer ?
What amount do you want to withdraw?
Tu veux retirer quel montant ?
What amount do you want to withdraw?
Cultural Tip
In France, cash is still widely used, but many people prefer card payments. When asking for money in a public place, keep your voice low to respect privacy. If you’re speaking to a bank employee you don’t know well, switch to the more formal ‘vous’ and use a polite form such as ‘Quel montant souhaitez‑vous retirer ?’