Quid
KWID /kwɪd/
Informal Neutral
What it really means
A pound (£1). The plural is still "quid" — "five quid", not "five quids". Used constantly in everyday speech instead of "pounds".
Chinese explanation
一英镑的俚语说法。复数也是 quid，比如 five quid（五镑），不能说 quids。日常口语里比 pounds 更常用。
Context, tips & common mistakes
The grammar is the whole trick: quid never takes an s. Five quid, fifty quid, two hundred quid — 'quids' instantly marks a learner, with the single fossilised exception of the phrase 'quids in', meaning you have come out of something better off.
It is informal but universal — heard in every region, every generation, and any workplace conversation that is not a formal document. Write £50 in anything official, say 'fifty quid' everywhere else and you will sound local. Pence go the other way: coins are spoken as 'p' ('fifty pee'), and nobody says 'pence' informally either.
Example conversation
A: How much was the taxi?
B: Twelve quid between us, so six each.
A：打车花了多少钱？
B：我们俩一共12镑，一人6镑。
Official sources
Rules and amounts change — confirm important details with the official source.
All British Slang
Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team
· Last checked 17 August 2026 · Report a mistake