cuánto es por favor
/kwanto es poɾ faboɾ/from spelling rules
The English phrase "how much please" is translated into Spanish as cuánto es por favor.
cuánto es por favor is a polite way to ask for the price of an item or service. The component por favor means "please".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal combination of cuánto (how much), es (is) and por favor (please).
Which one should you use?
While cuánto es por favor is a standard way to ask for a price, you might use ¿Cuánto cuesta, por favor? to ask "How much does it cost, please?" or ¿Cuál es el precio, por favor? to ask "What is the price, please?" For a more casual setting, specifically when asking how much money you owe someone, you can use the informal ¿Cuánto te debo, por favor? which means "How much do I owe you, please?"
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, using cuánto es in a market is not just a request for a price but an invitation to start 'regatear', which is the cultural practice of haggling to lower the price.
- The word cuánto is a distant relative of the Sanskrit word kíyat, showing that these languages branched from a common ancestor thousands of years ago.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, asking ¿A cuánto? is more common than cuánto es when buying goods sold by weight or length, as it asks for the price 'at what rate'.
Example conversation
Alejandro is buying a coffee from Sofia.
- AlejandroHola, quiero un café. ¿Cuánto es por favor?Hello, I want a coffee. How much is it please?
- SofíaHola, Alejandro. Son dos euros.Hello, Alejandro. It is two euros.
- AlejandroAquí tienes el dinero.Here is the money.
- SofíaMuchas gracias.Thank you very much.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cuánto, es, favor, por, CC BY-SA 4.0.
