ко́лко е
kólko e
The English phrase 'how much' (when asking for a price) is translated into Bulgarian as ко́лко е (kólko e). Wiktionary also lists ко́лко стру́ва (kólko strúva).
Meaning: what is the cost/price? (det)
Ways to say it
| Bulgarian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| ко́лко е | kólko e |
| ко́лко стру́ва | kólko strúva |
Both forms are used to ask for the cost or price of something.
What does it mean word for word?
The word ко́лко literally means 'how much' or 'how many'.
Which one should you use?
ко́лко е is a more common, conversational way to ask for a price, whereas ко́лко стру́ва is more specific to the act of costing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase ко́лко е uses the verb е, which is the third-person singular of 'to be'.
How do you pronounce it?
kólko e
When do people say it?
If you are looking to negotiate a price, you can use the phrase Може ли отстъпка? to mean 'Can I have a discount?'
Did you know?
- Bulgarian uses the same word ко́лко to ask about time and distance, not just money and quantity.
- The word ко́лко is used for both 'how much' and 'how many', meaning Bulgarian does not distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns when asking about quantity.
- The verb е in the phrase ко́лко е is inherited from the Proto-Slavic form *estь.
Examples in context
- Здравейте, колко струва този плетен пуловер?Hello, how much does this knitted sweater cost?
- Здравейте, колко струват тези книги?Hello, how much do these books cost?
- Тези ботуши изглеждат страхотни. Колко са?These boots look great. How much are they?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how much” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries е, CC BY-SA 4.0.
