Spanish · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 22
PreciosPrices
How much is it? Price vocabulary: cuánto, costar, caro, barato, mucho, poco, más, menos, gratis, la cuenta. Key point: the verb "costar" agrees with the item: one → cuesta, several → cuestan. "¿Cuánto CUESTA el pan?" but "¿Cuánto CUESTAN los zapatos?". English speakers always use the singular ("¿Cuánto cuesta los zapatos?" ✗). "Caro/barato" agree in gender and number (cara, caros).
Dialogue
i
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cuesta / cuestan
- CarlosMike, ¿quieres estas frutas?Mike, do you want this fruit?
- MikeSí. ¿Cuánto cuesta las frutas?Yes. How much is the fruit? (slip: plural subject needs "cuestan")
- Carlos"¿Cuánto cuestan?" — con plural, cuestan."¿Cuánto cuestan?" — with a plural, cuestan.
- MikeAh, ¿cuánto cuestan las frutas?Ah, how much is the fruit?
Dialogue
i
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En la tienda— At the Shop
- VendedoraBuenos días. ¿Qué desea?Good morning. What would you like?
- Lucía¿Cuánto cuesta esta fruta?How much is this fruit?
- VendedoraCuesta tres euros. Es muy buena.It costs three euros. It is very good.
- LucíaEs barata. Muy bien, gracias.It's cheap. Very good, thank you.
Vocabulary
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- cuánto
interrog.how much / how many
- costar
verbto cost (cuesta/cuestan)
- caro
adjectiveexpensive
- barato
adjectivecheap
- mucho
adj./adv.much, a lot
- poco
adj./adv.little, few
- más
adverbmore
- menos
adverbless
- gratis
adjectivefree (no cost)
- cuenta
n.f.bill, check (f)
Grammar
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¿Cuánto cuesta / cuestan?
Explanation
To ask the price: "¿Cuánto cuesta?" (one thing) or "¿Cuánto cuestan?" (several). The verb "costar" agrees with the THING, not the person: el pan CUESTA, los zapatos CUESTAN. "Costar" is stem-changing o→ue (used only in the 3rd person: cuesta, cuestan). English speakers always use the singular: "¿Cuánto cuesta los zapatos?" ✗ → "¿Cuánto cuestan los zapatos?" ✓. Compare: "más caro", "más barato", "menos caro". "Caro/barato" agree: caro, cara, caros, caras. When paying: "La cuenta, por favor".
Examples
- ¿Cuánto cuesta el pan? — Cuesta dos euros.How much is the bread? — It costs two euros.
- ¿Cuánto cuestan las frutas? — Cuestan tres euros.How much is the fruit? — It costs three euros.
- Es muy caro. Quiero algo más barato.It's very expensive. I want something cheaper.
- La cuenta, por favor.The bill, please.
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