多少钱
The English phrase "how much money" is translated into Chinese as 多少钱.
In a shopping context, 多少钱 is the standard way to ask for the price of an item. You can also use the polite form Qǐngwèn, zhègè duōshǎo qián? to say "Excuse me, how much is this?"
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 多少 (how much/how many) and 钱 (money).
Which one should you use?
Avoid using 几钱 to mean "how much money". While 几 (jǐ) means "how many", it is used for small numbers (usually under 10) and is not used with 钱 in standard Mandarin.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 多少 can be used for both countable and uncountable nouns, unlike the English distinction between 'how much' and 'how many'.
Did you know?
- In ancient China, the concept of money was tied to 'shells' rather than metal. This is why some historical written forms of the word for 'money' or 'value' still contain the radical for 'shell' (贝).
- When asking for prices in China, people often use the word 块 (kuài) instead of the formal unit 元 (yuán) in spoken conversation. If you ask 多少钱? and receive an answer like 五块, they are using a colloquial measure for money similar to 'bucks' in English.
- While 多少钱 asks for the price, some speakers use the phrase 怎么卖 (how is it sold) to ask for the price of items sold by weight or length.
Examples in context
- 你有多少钱？How much money do you have?This sentence is useful for asking how much money someone possesses with 多少钱.Tatoeba #771082 by GlossaMatik, translation #64597 by CK
- 你每年捐多少钱？How much money do you donate every year?This sentence is useful for asking about an annual donation amount with 多少钱.Tatoeba #771056 by GlossaMatik, translation #7807338 by sharris123
- 翻译那本书要多少钱？How much money will it cost to get that book translated?This sentence is useful for inquiring about the cost of a translation service with 多少钱.Tatoeba #9965521 by GlossaMatik, translation #6431631 by CK
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a fruit stall, Yuting is asking Haoran about the price of fruit.
- 雨婷 Yuting浩然，这些西瓜多少钱？Hàorán, zhèxiē xīguā duōshǎo qián?Haoran, how much money are these watermelons?
- 浩然 Haoran一个西瓜二十块钱。yí gè xīguā èrshí kuài qián.One watermelon is twenty yuan.
- 雨婷 Yuting太贵了，能不能便宜点？tài guì le, néng bù néng piányi diǎn?That's too expensive, can it be a bit cheaper?
- 浩然 Haoran不行，这是最低价了。bù xíng, zhè shì zuìdī jià le.No, this is the lowest price.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
