Money :)

Status
Not open for further replies.

dervast

Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Greek
Home Country
Greece
Current Location
Germany
Hello again!
This is something I want to ask that I do not know how.
There are times that I want to ask from a person to take my 50 euro (paper money?) and take back coins and other paper money of smaller value(value is correct here?) that if you add their value they make the 50 euro value back again.

Actually I couldn't find in my dictionary the verb.
The only words I know related to money are
money: How much money do you earn?
change: The amount of money you get back when you pay using an amount of bigger value than its cost.

I would like to thank you in advance
Best Regards
Alex.
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Hello again!
This is something I want to ask that I do not know how.
There are times that I want to ask from a person to take my 50 euro (paper money?) and take back coins and other paper money of smaller value(value is correct here?) that if you add their value they make the 50 euro value back again.

Actually I couldn't find in my dictionary the verb.
The only words I know related to money are
money: How much money do you earn?
change: The amount of money you get back when you pay using an amount of bigger value than its cost.

I would like to thank you in advance
Best Regards
Alex.

I don't think there's just one word for this. I would say "Can you change this for smaller notes, please?" or something similar. In the UK, at least, if you walked into a bank or a shop and simply proffered the note and said "Can you change this, please?" they would know what you meant. They would probably then ask you what denomination notes and coins you would like in exchange.
 

skype2teach

Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Hello Alex

You could also say; "Can you change a 50?" or "Can you break a 50?"

a 50 = refers to the denomination of note you have, you can also use, 20, 100 etc

change - refers to making it into something else, rather than the noun change.

break - would refer to turning the 50 into more than 1 unit. say,2 twenties and a 10 euro note.
 

dervast

Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Greek
Home Country
Greece
Current Location
Germany
Hello Alex

You could also say; "Can you change a 50?" or "Can you break a 50?"

a 50 = refers to the denomination of note you have, you can also use, 20, 100 etc

change - refers to making it into something else, rather than the noun change.

break - would refer to turning the 50 into more than 1 unit. say,2 twenties and a 10 euro note.

Thanks for the reply. I am not sure I got the difference between change and break. For me there are simila If you ask someone to change a 50 note is like asking him to break it in smaller notes (ex. two-20 euro notes + one-10 euro note)
Is that right?
 

emsr2d2

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
Thanks for the reply. I am not sure I got the difference between change and break. For me there are simila If you ask someone to change a 50 note is like asking him to break it in smaller notes (ex. two-20 euro notes + one-10 euro note)
Is that right?

From a purely personal point of view, this is how I see the difference:

1) If I want to "change" a 50, I would be asking someone to give me a total of 50 back but in smaller notes.

2) If I need to "break" a 50, it usually means that I am buying something and the only note I have is a 50, so I have to pay with it. For instance, I am at a bar with friends and we have had one beer each, at a cost of 2.50 each. We get the bill and everyone gets out their money. I would say to my friends "If you have the correct money (2.50 each), can you give it to me and I'll pay because I have to break a 50 anyway?"
 

Barb_D

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Member Type
Other
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
I use "break" the way you use "change."

If I were at the bar needed to leave a tip but only had a twenty, I'd ask the bartender if he could "break" it for me. I'd probably get back 3 fives and 5 ones, although a ten, 2 fives, and 5 ones are also possible.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top