Revenu vs. recette

'Revenu' and 'recette' are French terms often used in financial contexts, relating to money received, but they convey different nuances and are used in different situations. Understanding the distinction between these two can be important for accurate financial reporting and discussion in French.

Revenu

'Revenu' typically refers to income earned by an individual or a household from various sources such as wages, investments, or retirement funds. It is often considered over a period of time, like monthly or annual income.
Il déclare un revenu annuel de 45 000 euros sur sa déclaration d'impôts.
(He declares an annual income of 45,000 euros on his tax return.)
Les revenus locatifs de cet investissement immobilier sont assez élevés.
(The rental income from this real estate investment is quite high.)
Après son départ à la retraite, ses revenus ont diminué considérablement.
(After her retirement, her income decreased significantly.)

Recette

'Recette' often relates to the total amount of money taken in by a business before expenses or taxes, akin to gross revenue or receipts. It can be used for both service and product-oriented businesses and is also used in the context of financial income from events like a bake sale or theater box office.
La recette du jour pour le restaurant était de 3 000 euros.
(The day's takings for the restaurant were 3,000 euros.)
Les recettes générées par le film au box-office ont dépassé les attentes.
(The revenue generated by the film at the box office exceeded expectations.)
L'événement caritatif a eu des recettes de 10 000 euros grâce à la vente de billets et de produits dérivés.
(The charity event had receipts of 10,000 euros from ticket sales and merchandise.)

Summary

In essence, 'revenu' is more personal and regular, associated with what individuals or households earn over time from various sources, while 'recette' is more commercial and event-specific, referring to the total money collected by businesses or from singular events before any deductions. Both terms play crucial roles in financial language but are applied in distinct situations to reflect different types of monetary incoming resources.