Wie viel kostet das? (vee feel KOS-tet das) means how much is it in German; point at the item and it works anywhere. Was kostet das? is just as common. For several items, use the plural: Was kosten die? To ask for the total at the till, say Was macht das? Prices sound like "drei Euro fünfzig" for €3.50.
- How much is it?
- Wie viel kostet das?
- How much are they?
- Was kosten die?
- What's the total?
- Was macht das?
- €3.50 said aloud
- drei Euro fünfzig
- Level
- A1
Wie viel kostet das or was kostet das?
Both are standard and nobody notices the difference. The verb is kosten (to cost), and it agrees with the thing, not with you: das kostet, die Äpfel kosten. There is no du or Sie in the question, so it is polite with everyone.
| German | English | When you'd say it |
|---|---|---|
| Wie viel kostet das? | How much is this? | Pointing at one thing |
| Was kostet der Kaffee? | How much is the coffee? | Naming the item |
| Was kosten die Tomaten? | How much are the tomatoes? | Plural: kosten |
| Was macht das? | What does that come to? | At the till, for the total |
| Was macht das zusammen? | What's that altogether? | Several items at a bakery or market stall |
| Was bekommen Sie? | What do I owe you? | Customer to seller; from the seller it means what can I get you? |
Viel means much, and in a Contos A1 story it does the opposite job: a family hires a robot to tidy the flat, and the price seems too good to be true.
Der Roboter kostet nicht viel.How do Germans say prices?
German writes a comma where English writes a decimal point, and usually puts the euro sign after the number: 3,50 €. Say the euros, then the cents, without the word Cent: drei Euro fünfzig. Prices with no euros take Cent: neunzig Cent.
- Euro has no plural in prices: zehn Euro, never zehn Euros.
- Units before tens: 2,99 € is zwei Euro neunundneunzig, literally two euros nine-and-ninety.
- At a market you may hear just the numbers: Zwei neunzig, bitte (2.90, please).
What do you say after you hear the price?
Teuer is expensive. For cheap, günstig is the safe word; billig is fine for prices but can suggest poor quality. In a Contos A1 story, Marcus finds his new Berlin flat suspiciously affordable, and his friend asks the obvious question:
Leila antwortet: "Warum ist die Miete so billig?"When you ask a price indirectly, the verb jumps to the end of the sentence. That is where du and Sie come in:
Können Sie mir sagen, was das kostet?
Can you tell me what this costs?
Sie, to staff.
Weißt du, was die Tickets kosten?
Do you know how much the tickets are?
du, to a friend.
Das ist mir zu teuer.
That's too expensive for me.
Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?
Can I pay by card?
Worth asking: some small bakeries and market stalls take cash only.
If the number goes past you, ask again with the phrases on how to say "I don't understand" in German. In a restaurant, the question becomes asking for the bill.
Learn German numbers and shopping words in context: read a free A1 story and tap any word.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
Is it wie viel or wieviel?
Wie viel, two words. The one-word spelling wieviel is old and no longer standard, though you still see it on signs and menus.
How do you pronounce Wie viel kostet das?
Roughly "vee feel KOS-tet das". W sounds like English v, v sounds like f, and the stress in kostet is on the first syllable.
Can you haggle in Germany?
Not in shops or supermarkets, where prices are fixed. At a Flohmarkt (flea market) haggling is normal: Geht da noch was am Preis? asks if there is any room on the price.
How do you ask for a receipt?
Say Kann ich bitte eine Quittung haben? for a proper receipt, for example for expenses. The till slip is der Kassenbon or der Beleg, and shops often ask if you want it.