¿cuánto cuesta esto?
/ˈkwanto ˈkwesta ˈesto/word by word
The Spanish phrase for "how much is this?" is ¿cuánto cuesta esto?
This phrase is a standard way to ask for the price of an object.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of cuánto (how much), cuesta (costs) and esto (this).
Which one should you use?
While ¿cuánto cuesta esto? uses the verb "to cost", you may also hear ¿cuánto es esto?, which uses the verb "to be" and is very common in casual shopping. Additionally, you can use ¿cuánto vale esto? which uses the verb valer (to be worth), as it can be used interchangeably with costar to ask for a price.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkwanto ˈkwesta ˈesto/
Did you know?
- In some cultures, asking ¿cuánto cuesta? too early or too formally can signal that you are a tourist, which might lead a vendor to increase the price.
- In some Latin American countries, if you ask the price of something and the vendor says es un regalo, they are not saying it is free, but that the price is a very good bargain.
- The word cuesta comes from the Latin word for 'rib' or 'side'. In Old Spanish, this evolved into the idea of a slope or a difficult climb, which eventually linked the effort of a climb to the 'cost' of an item.
Examples in context
- ¿Cuánto vale esto? – Diez dólares.How much is this worth? – It's ten dollars.
- ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? – Cien pesos.How much is this? – It's one hundred pesos.
- Perdone, ¿cuánto cuesta esto?Excuse me, how much does this cost?
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are at a street market.
- LucíaDaniel, mira este libro. ¿Cuánto cuesta esto?Daniel, look at this book. How much is this?
- MateoNo lo sé, Lucía. Pregúntale al vendedor.I don't know, Lucía. Ask the seller.
- LucíaHola. ¿Cuánto cuesta esto?Hello. How much is this?
- MateoCuesta diez euros.It costs ten euros.
