¿es gratis?
The English phrase "is it free?" is translated into Spanish as ¿es gratis?
This phrase is used to ask if something can be obtained without paying money.
Which one should you use?
Do not confuse gratis (free of charge) with libre (free as in liberty or unoccupied).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb es is the third-person singular form of ser, used here to ask about the inherent quality of the object.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿es gratis? too bluntly can be seen as impolite. People often use the phrase ¿es cortesía de la casa? to ask if something is 'on the house'.
- The adjective gratis is an invariable word, meaning it does not change its ending to match masculine or feminine nouns, unlike most other Spanish adjectives.
- The Spanish word gratis is a direct relative of the English word 'grace'. Both originate from the Latin root meaning something given out of favor or kindness rather than for payment.
Examples in context
- Hola, ¿podría decirme si el acceso a la piscina es gratuito?Hello, could you tell me if the pool access is free?
- Oye, ¿esto no cuesta nada?Hey, does this not cost anything?
- Che, ¿es gratis entrar a la exposición de arte?Hey, is it free to enter the art exhibition?
- ¿Este libro es gratuito?Is this book free?
- ¿Es gratis el Wi-Fi?Is the Wi-Fi free?
- No lo sé, ¿es gratis?I don't know, is it free?
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are at a street festival.
- MateoMira estas muestras de queso. ¿Es gratis?Look at these cheese samples. Is it free?
- SofíaSí, Mateo, son muestras gratuitas.Yes, Mateo, they are free samples.
- MateoGenial, voy a probar un poco.Great, I am going to try some.
- SofíaYo también quiero probarlo, Sofía.I want to try it too, Sofía.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, gratis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
