¿cuánto cuesta?
/ˈkwanto ˈkwesta/word by word
In Spanish, "how much is it?" is expressed as ¿cuánto cuesta?
The phrase ¿cuánto cuesta? is used to ask how much an object costs. Other ways to inquire about price include ¿Cuál es el precio? (what is the price?), ¿Por cuánto sale? (how much is it for?) and ¿A cómo lo tienen? (at what price do you have it?). If you want to ask how much you owe someone for a specific item or service, you can say ¿Cuánto te/le debo?
Which one should you use?
While ¿cuánto cuesta? focuses specifically on the cost of an object, ¿Cuánto es? is a common alternative used when asking for a final total, such as at a checkout or in a restaurant. Additionally, ¿Cuánto vale? is equivalent to asking "how much is it worth?"
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, both ¿Cuánto cuesta? and ¿Cuánto vale? are widely used. In Argentina and Uruguay, it is common to use the phrase ¿Cuánto sale? to inquire about the price of something.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use ¿cuánto cuestan? if you are asking about the price of multiple items.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkwanto ˈkwesta/
Did you know?
- The verb cuesta comes from the Latin word for 'rib' or 'side'. It originally referred to the effort of climbing a slope or 'coast', which eventually evolved into the idea of the effort or cost required to acquire something.
- In many traditional Spanish-speaking markets, shoppers may forgo the phrase ¿cuánto cuesta? and instead mimic a weighing scale with their hands to ask for the price of produce by weight.
- Asking ¿cuánto cuesta? too directly in a small boutique in some regions can be perceived as impatient. It is often considered more polite to prefix the question with disculpe or perdone.
Examples in context
- Hola, me gustaría saber cuánto cuesta este libro.Hello, I would like to know how much this book costs.
- Disculpe, ¿cuál es el precio de estos zapatos?Excuse me, what is the price of these shoes?
- Buenos días, ¿por cuánto sale una taza de café aquí?Good morning, how much is a cup of coffee here?
- Oye, ¿cuánto vale este collar?Hey, how much is this necklace?
- Carmen, ¿cuánto te debo por los boletos del concierto?Carmen, how much do I owe you for the concert tickets?
- Oiga, ¿a cómo lo tienen el suéter en oferta?Excuse me, at what price do you have the sweater on sale?
- Che, ¿cuánto sale esta bicicleta?Hey, how much does this bicycle cost?
- Perdona, ¿cuánto cuesta esta casa?Excuse me, how much does this house cost?
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (cuánto, cuesta) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuesta, cuánto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
