combien ?
In French, "how much?" is translated as combien ?
The phrase is used to inquire about the price of an item or to ask about a quantity. In casual settings, such as at a market, it is very common to use the elliptical form Combien ? on its own to ask for a price.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some informal contexts, particularly in African French, the phrase Ça coûte quoi? is used to mean "What does it cost?"
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to ask about a specific noun (how many or how much of something), you must add de after combien.
Did you know?
- The word combien is actually a combination of the words comme, meaning 'as' or 'like', and bien, meaning 'well'.
- The phrase combien ça coûte is often replaced by ça revient à combien when discussing the final cost after taxes or hidden fees.
- In French, the word combien is used as an exclamation to express a great intensity or a high quantity, similar to the English 'how much' in 'how much I love you'.
Examples in context
- Excusez-moi, combien cela coûte-t-il?Excuse me, how much does this cost?
- Combien ça coûte?How much does it cost?
- C'est combien?How much is it?
- Combien ?How much?
Example conversation
Chloé is buying a pastry at a bakery.
- ChloéBonjour, je voudrais ce croissant.Hello, I would like this croissant.
- HugoBien sûr, voilà.Of course, here it is.
- ChloéMerci. C'est combien ?Thank you. How much is it?
- HugoÇa fait un euro vingt, Chloé.That is one euro twenty, Chloé.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries combien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
