muy caro
/mui kaɾo/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'very expensive' is translated into Spanish as muy caro.
Muy caro is used to describe something that costs a lot of money. If you want to emphasize that something is extremely expensive, you can use the phrase sumamente caro or the superlative form carísimo.
Which one should you use?
While muy caro is the standard way to say 'very expensive', it is the antonym of muy barato, which means 'very cheap'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, super caro is a common informal way to express 'very expensive'. In regions like Argentina and parts of Central America, recontra caro is a lively informal way to say the same thing.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. While the default is muy caro, you should use muy cara for feminine singular nouns, muy caros for masculine plural nouns and muy caras for feminine plural nouns.
Did you know?
- The word caro shares its roots with the English words 'caress' and 'cherish'. This is because the original Latin root described something that was 'dear' or 'beloved' before it evolved to describe something that is costly.
- While muy caro is the literal translation, Spanish speakers often use the idiom costar un ojo de la cara to describe something so expensive it costs an eye from your face.
- In some Latin American countries, if a price is carísimo, a customer might jokingly exclaim ¡está robando! to imply the seller is stealing from them.
Examples in context
- El viaje era muy caro.The trip was very expensive.This sentence is useful for describing the cost of a trip using muy caro.Tatoeba #2160454 by Shishir, translation #1227089 by tsayng
- Mi tiempo es muy caro.My time is very expensive.This sentence is useful for describing the value of time using muy caro.Tatoeba #5632540 by arh, translation #5651264 by Mar1L
- Vivir acá es muy caro.Living here is very expensive.This sentence is useful for describing the cost of living in a location using muy caro.Tatoeba #10140638 by hayastan, translation #10140636 by CK
- El producto que estás buscando es muy caro.The product you're looking for is very expensive.
- La reparación del vehículo será muy costosa.The vehicle repair will be very expensive.
- Los servicios de ese hotel son sumamente caros.The services at that hotel are extremely expensive.
- ¡Esa tienda vende ropa carísima!That store sells really expensive clothes!
- Ese reloj es recontra caro.That watch is really expensive.
- El último iPhone es muy caro. Cuesta más de $1000.The latest iPhone is very expensive. It costs over $1000.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are shopping at a boutique.
- Daniel¿Te gusta este vestido, María?Do you like this dress, María?
- MaríaEs bonito, pero es muy caro.It is beautiful, but it is very expensive.
- DanielTienes razón, es demasiado caro para mí.You are right, it is too expensive for me.
- MaríaBusquemos algo más barato, Daniel.Let's look for something cheaper, Daniel.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caro, muy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
