German for Beginners: Asking "How much is this?" and Understanding the Answer
Learn to ask what something costs in German, understand the price you hear, and handle polite and regional variations in shops and markets.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
Asking the price of something is one of the first real conversations you will have in German. This lesson keeps you focused on cost, not quantity: you will learn how to point at an item and ask what it costs, how to understand the number you hear, and how to react. You will also see the difference between asking about a price and asking how many items there are, because German uses different question words for each. All examples use standard contemporary German, with regional notes where they matter.
By the end, you can…
- ask how much a single item costs in German
- understand a simple price spoken in euros
- ask for the price of several items or of something not present
- react politely when a price is too high or when I want to buy
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Wie viel kostet das?
How much does that cost?
vee feel KOS-tut das
The standard, neutral way to ask about one item you are pointing at. Works everywhere in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Was kostet das?
What does that cost?
vas KOS-tut das
Very common in everyday speech and slightly more casual than wie viel kostet das. The meaning is the same.
Wie viel kostet das Brot?
How much does the bread cost?
vee feel KOS-tut das broht
Use this pattern with a noun when the item is not right in front of you. The noun takes its normal article: das Brot, der Käse, die Milch.
Wie viel kosten die Äpfel?
How much do the apples cost?
vee feel KOS-ten dee EP-fel
For more than one item, the verb becomes kosten and the noun is plural. Use this in markets and greengrocers.
Das ist zu teuer.
That is too expensive.
das ist tsoo TOY-er
A polite, direct reaction. You can soften it with leider: Das ist leider zu teuer.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is Wie viel kostet ... ? for one thing and Wie viel kosten ... ? for more than one. German verbs change form with the subject: kostet with das, die Milch or der Käse, but kosten with die Äpfel or die Schuhe. You can also replace the noun with das: Wie viel kostet das? If you already know the item, you can simply say Was kostet das? Both are correct and common. Note that wie viel is written as two words here, and it asks about cost, not number.
When to use it
Use Wie viel kostet das? when you are standing in front of one item, for example at a bakery counter: Wie viel kostet das Brot? Use Wie viel kosten die Äpfel? in a market when you want a whole pile or a kilo. In a restaurant you normally ask Was kostet die Suppe? or simply Was macht das? in southern Germany and Austria. If you want to buy, say Ich nehme das, bitte after hearing the price. If the price is too high, Das ist zu teuer is direct but not rude.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Entschuldigung, wie viel kostet dieser Käse?
Excuse me, how much does this cheese cost?ent-SHOOL-dee-goong, vee feel KOS-tut DEE-zer KAY-zerDer kostet sechs Euro fünfzig.
It costs six euros fifty.dair KOS-tut zeks OY-roh FÜNF-tsikhUnd wie viel kosten die Äpfel?
And how much do the apples cost?oont vee feel KOS-ten dee EP-felDie kosten zwei Euro neunzig pro Kilo.
They cost two euros ninety per kilo.dee KOS-ten tsvai OY-roh NOYN-tsikh proh KEE-lohA little context goes a long way
Prices are usually spoken in euros and cents, for example drei Euro fünfzig. In Austria and parts of southern Germany you may hear Es macht ... instead of Es kostet ... when a shopkeeper totals your purchase. In Switzerland the currency is the Swiss franc, so you will hear Franken instead of Euro. Tipping is not obligatory; in restaurants rounding up is normal, and you say Stimmt so when you do not want change.
One thing to watch for
Using Wie viele kostet das? because English "how much" sounds like a quantity question.
Try this instead: Use Wie viel kostet das? for price. Wie viele is only for countable quantity, as in Wie viele Äpfel möchten Sie? (How many apples would you like?). The price question always uses the singular form wie viel.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are pointing at one scarf in a shop. Ask how much it costs.
Show a sample answer
Wie viel kostet dieser Schal?
This uses the singular verb kostet with one item. Was kostet dieser Schal? is also correct, and Wie viel kostet das? works if you simply point.
2The seller says: Das macht zwölf Euro. What is the price?
Show a sample answer
Twelve euros.
Das macht is a common way to state a total, especially in Austria and southern Germany. It means the same as Das kostet zwölf Euro.
3You want the price of several bananas. Ask correctly.
Show a sample answer
Wie viel kosten die Bananen?
Because there is more than one banana, the verb is kosten. Was kosten die Bananen? is equally acceptable.
For price, ask Wie viel kostet das? for one item and Wie viel kosten die ...? for several. Listen for the number plus Euro, and use Das ist zu teuer if you do not want to buy.
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