quanto custa?
quanto custa? is the Portuguese way to say "how much" when inquiring about a price.
The primary way to ask for the cost of an item is using quanto custa? In very casual settings, people often simply point and say Quanto? (How much?).
Meaning: what is the cost/price? (det)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, quanto custa? translates to "how much costs?", combining quanto (how much) and custa (costs).
Which one should you use?
While quanto custa? is the standard expression, you can use different forms depending on the context. If you are quantifying a noun, you would use quanto (masculine) or quanta (feminine). For an informal way to ask about prices, you can use Quanto que é? or use Quanto fica? specifically to ask for the total price or cost of something.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, the phrase quanto é? is often used instead of quanto custa? In Portugal, both quanto custa? and quanto é? are widely used and understood.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are asking about the price of multiple items, you must change the verb to the plural form: quanto custam?
Did you know?
- The word quanto is a linguistic doublet of the English word 'quantum'. Both descend from the Latin word quantus, meaning 'how much' or 'how many'.
- In some traditional Brazilian street markets, it is common to negotiate the price after asking quanto custa?, a practice known as pechinchar.
- While quanto custa? asks for the price of a single item, quanto fica? is used to ask for the final total after discounts or additions have been applied.
Examples in context
- Você sabe quanto custa?Do you know how much it costs?This sentence shows how to ask if someone knows the price using quanto custa?Tatoeba #6062930 by bill, translation #4081908 by CK
- Tem ideia de quanto custa?Do you have any idea how much it costs?This sentence shows how to ask if someone has an idea of the price using quanto custa?Tatoeba #9119985 by JGEN, translation #9076570 by CK
- Quanto custa?How much is it?This sentence is a direct way to ask for the price using quanto custa?Tatoeba #340430 by tinacalysto, translation #2418 by brauliobezerra
- Quanto custa essa blusa?How much does this shirt cost?
- Qual é o preço do táxi para o aeroporto?What is the price of a taxi to the airport?
- Quanto é o bacalhau à Brás?How much is the Bacalhau à Brás?
- Quanto custa essa pulseira?How much is this bracelet?
- Quanto que é o ingresso para o show?How much is the ticket for the concert?
- Quanto fica tudo?How much is everything?
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “how much” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries quanto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
