Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Congo franc

Congo franc

5.6
The money used in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • noun
translation icon : franco congoleño
  • The price of bread doubled when the value of the Congo franc fell.

Examples

  • Tourists are advised to exchange their dollars for Congo francs upon arrival in Kinshasa.

  • I exchanged my dollars for Congo francs.

  • She deposited her savings in an account denominated in Congo francs.

  • The price is 1000 Congo francs.

  • Tourists are advised to exchange their dollars for Congo francs upon arrival in Kinshasa.

  • The price of bread doubled when the value of the Congo franc fell.

  • I exchanged my dollars for Congo francs at the local bank.

Surface Forms

Congo franc singular
Congo francs plural

Morphology

Congo + franc

The meaning 'the currency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo' is directly and compositionally derived from combining the place name 'Congo' with 'franc' (a unit of currency). This is a common, cross-linguistic naming pattern for currencies and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Congo franc comes from the country name Congo and the word franc, which was the name of the coin used by the country's former rulers, the Belgians. That's why Congo franc is the name for the country's basic 'money' today.