Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| teuer | /tɔʏ̯ɐ/ |
| kostspielig | /ˈkɔstˌʃpiːlɪç/ /ˈkɔstˌʃpiːlɪk/ |
Both words mean 'expensive'. You can use teuer to describe the price of items like ein teures Auto (a costly car) or die teure Uhr (the costly watch). The term hochpreisig can also be used to express that something is in the higher price range.
Which one should you use?
teuer is the standard, everyday word for 'expensive' used for both prices and general value. In contrast, kostspielig is more formal and often refers to something that incurs high costs or resources, such as a project or a mistake.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective teuer changes its ending depending on the noun it describes. When used before a neuter noun without an article, it takes the ending -es, as in ein teures Auto. When used before a masculine or plural noun with a definite article, it takes the ending -en, such as der teuren Wagen.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɔʏ̯ɐ/
Did you know?
- If a German says something is teuer erkauft, they do not mean it was 'expensively bought', but rather that a victory or result came at a very high, often painful, price.
- The German word teuer shares a common ancestor with the English word 'dear', which is why 'my dear' and 'expensive' both relate to things held in high regard.
- The adjective hochpreisig is often used in marketing to sound more prestigious, whereas calling a product teuer can sometimes sound slightly negative or blunt to a consumer.
Examples in context
- Tom hat einen kostspieligen Fehler gemacht.Tom made a costly mistake.This sentence demonstrates the use of kostspielig to describe a mistake.Tatoeba #11825693 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3938753 by Hybrid
- Dan begann eine kostspielige Krebstherapie.Dan began costly cancer therapy.This sentence shows kostspielig used in the context of a medical therapy.Tatoeba #12358356 by Naina, translation #4025149 by Amastan
- Die Reparaturarbeiten sind teurer als erwartet.The repair work is more costly than expected.
- Die Luxusmarken sind bekannt für hochpreisige Produkte.Luxury brands are known for their costly products.
- Wir bieten eine Auswahl an hochpreisigen Optionen an.We offer a range of costly options.
- Das Restaurant gestern Abend war echt teuer!The restaurant last night was really costly!
- Die Eintrittskarten für das Konzert sind mir zu teuer.The concert tickets are too costly for me.
- Das war eine kostspielige Entscheidung.That was a costly decision.
- Die Reparatur des Autos ist ganz schön kostspielig.The car repair is quite costly.
- Das neue Auto ist sehr teuer.The new car is very expensive.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Maximilian are shopping for a new sofa.
- HannahWie findest du dieses blaue Sofa, Maximilian?What do you think of this blue sofa, Maximilian?
- MaximilianEs ist sehr schön, aber leider zu teuer.It is very beautiful, but unfortunately too expensive.
- HannahHast du eine günstigere Alternative gesehen?Have you seen a cheaper alternative?
- MaximilianJa, das graue Modell dort drüben.Yes, the grey model over there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “costly” translations and entries teuer, kostspielig, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries teuer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
