c'est combien ?
In French, "how much is it?" is said as c'est combien ?
This phrase is used to ask about the price of an item. You can also say Combien ça coûte, s'il vous plaît? to mean "How much does it cost, please?" or use C'est combien pour ça ? to ask "How much is it for this?" by adding pour ça to the end to specify the item you are pointing at.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase c'est combien ? literally translates to "it is how much?"
How does it change in a sentence?
The word combien is the interrogative adverb used to ask about quantity or price.
Did you know?
- While c'est combien ? is common, French speakers often use a rising intonation on a simple statement of the item's name to ask the price without using any of the words in this phrase.
- The word combien originates from the combination of comme meaning 'how' and bien meaning 'well', essentially asking 'how well' or 'in what measure'.
- The word combien can be used in an exclamation like combien je t'aime ! to mean 'how much' in an emotional sense, which is far more formal and poetic than asking for a price.
Examples in context
- Combien coûtent les chaussures?How much do the shoes cost?
- Combien coûte cette bouteille de vin?How much does this bottle of wine cost?
- Combien coûte ce livre?How much does this book cost?
- Pour ce livre, c'est combien ?For this book, how much is it?
- Le petit sac, c'est combien ?The small bag, how much is it?
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are at a street market.
- ChloéRegarde ces pommes, c'est combien ?Look at these apples, how much is it?
- HugoJe ne sais pas, demandons au vendeur.I don't know, let's ask the vendor.
- ChloéBonjour, pour un kilo, c'est combien ?Hello, for one kilo, how much is it?
- HugoC'est trois euros, Chloé.It is three euros, Chloé.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries c'est, combien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
