French Word of the Day: Banco
This French word has nothing to do with visiting the ATM to get money out.
Why do I need to know banco?
Because you might be surprised when someone says this after you made a random guess.
What does it mean?
Banco – roughly pronounced bain-koh – is essentially the French word for “bingo!”
It is an exclamation used in French to indicate success. For example, if you were to guess the answer to a question correctly, your French counterpart might say “banco!” in response, similar to how one might use “bingo!” in English.
While it might be colloquial, the expression is not limited to casual settings. You might even see politicians use it from time to time - most recently, it was included in a tweet by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The French word comes from James Bond’s favourite card game - “baccara,” which is played in casinos. It is defined as a “comparing card game played between two hands: the ‘player’ and the ‘banker.’
During each round, it is possible for either the player or banker to have the higher score, or for it to be a tie. Experts believe the game is Italian in origin, having made its way to France in the 1500s.
The exclamation, sometimes said as “faire banco” (to make banco) was (and still is) said when one holds all the stakes against the bank alone.
Use it like this
J'ai pensé que le moyen le plus rapide d'y arriver serait le vélo, et banco ! J'avais raison. – I thought the fastest way to get there would be by bike, and bingo! I was correct.
Le président a tweeté : "Ce qui guide mon action, c’est de protéger nos concitoyens, de protéger notre jeunesse. Je vous réponds donc : banco, nous allons le faire." En gros, il disait à tout le monde qu'il écoutait leurs conseils. – The President tweeted "Protecting our citizens and protecting our youth are what guide my actions. So I say to you: Yes! We will do it." He was basically telling everyone he listened to their advice.
Comments
See Also
Why do I need to know banco?
Because you might be surprised when someone says this after you made a random guess.
What does it mean?
Banco – roughly pronounced bain-koh – is essentially the French word for “bingo!”
It is an exclamation used in French to indicate success. For example, if you were to guess the answer to a question correctly, your French counterpart might say “banco!” in response, similar to how one might use “bingo!” in English.
While it might be colloquial, the expression is not limited to casual settings. You might even see politicians use it from time to time - most recently, it was included in a tweet by French President Emmanuel Macron.
The French word comes from James Bond’s favourite card game - “baccara,” which is played in casinos. It is defined as a “comparing card game played between two hands: the ‘player’ and the ‘banker.’
During each round, it is possible for either the player or banker to have the higher score, or for it to be a tie. Experts believe the game is Italian in origin, having made its way to France in the 1500s.
The exclamation, sometimes said as “faire banco” (to make banco) was (and still is) said when one holds all the stakes against the bank alone.
Use it like this
J'ai pensé que le moyen le plus rapide d'y arriver serait le vélo, et banco ! J'avais raison. – I thought the fastest way to get there would be by bike, and bingo! I was correct.
Le président a tweeté : "Ce qui guide mon action, c’est de protéger nos concitoyens, de protéger notre jeunesse. Je vous réponds donc : banco, nous allons le faire." En gros, il disait à tout le monde qu'il écoutait leurs conseils. – The President tweeted "Protecting our citizens and protecting our youth are what guide my actions. So I say to you: Yes! We will do it." He was basically telling everyone he listened to their advice.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.