The prices in this fictional ticket-counter dialogue are practice examples. In this practice page you will use a short, useful exchange: asking the price of a ticket and understanding the answer. You will hear a general question, a question with a destination, and a small dialogue between a customer and a staff member. Each native example is played from the recording, so you can copy the rhythm and the linking between words. You do not need to invent new sentences. You only need to use the lines you hear, in the right order, and to recognise the price when someone answers you. Work through the three tasks in order: first a guided exchange, then a listening choice, then a recall task where you take the other role. Speak out loud each time, even quietly. If a line feels long, say it slowly first, then at normal speed.
Asking the price: two useful patterns
The simplest way to ask the price of a ticket is a short question with the verb for cost. Listen to «Combien coûte un billet ?». This means: how much does a ticket cost? The word for ticket is a standard masculine noun, so you can use it in many situations. When you want to name a destination, add the word for 'for' before the place. Listen to «Combien coûte un billet pour Paris ?». This means: how much does a ticket to Paris cost? Notice that the destination comes after the word for 'for'. In everyday speech, many people use a shorter, informal pattern. Listen to «C'est combien, un billet pour le musée ?». This means: how much is a ticket for the museum? This pattern is common in shops and stations and is polite enough for daily use. Choose one pattern and keep it. You can ask the general question first, then repeat with a destination.
Understanding the answer
When someone answers, you will usually hear the ticket, the verb for cost, and a number with the word for euros. Listen to «Le billet coûte dix euros.». This means: the ticket costs ten euros. The number and the word for euros link together in speech, so it sounds like one block. Do not try to translate every sound separately; listen for the number. In a real exchange, the staff member may repeat the destination before the price. Listen to «Un billet pour Lyon coûte vingt-cinq euros.». This means: a ticket to Lyon costs twenty-five euros. The destination comes first, then the price. Sometimes the answer starts with the words for 'for the museum'. Listen to «Pour le musée, c'est douze euros.». This means: for the museum, it is twelve euros. Here the price is given with the verb 'to be', not the verb for cost. Both answers are normal. Your goal is to catch the number and the word for euros.
A short customer and staff exchange
Now put the question and the answer together. In this scene, one person is a customer and the other is a staff member. The customer asks about a ticket to Lyon. Listen to «Excusez-moi, combien coûte un billet pour Lyon ?». This means: excuse me, how much does a ticket to Lyon cost? The staff member answers with the destination and the price. Listen to «Un billet pour Lyon coûte vingt-cinq euros.». This means: a ticket to Lyon costs twenty-five euros. The customer thanks the staff member and asks a second question about the museum. Listen to «Merci. Et c'est combien, un billet pour le musée ?». This means: thank you. And how much is a ticket for the museum? The staff member answers with the museum and the price. Listen to «Pour le musée, c'est douze euros.». This means: for the museum, it is twelve euros. Notice the order: greeting or excuse, question, answer, thanks, new question, new answer. You can play both roles with the audio, and the answer key in each task will help you check your work.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Combien coûte un billet ?
How much does a ticket cost?
kohn-BYEN koot uhn bee-YEH
Combien coûte un billet pour Paris ?
How much does a ticket to Paris cost?
kohn-BYEN koot uhn bee-YEH poor pa-REE
C'est combien, un billet pour le musée ?
How much is a ticket for the museum?
say kohn-BYEN uhn bee-YEH poor luh mew-ZAY
Le billet coûte dix euros.
The ticket costs ten euros.
luh bee-YEH koot deez uh-ROH
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Excusez-moi, combien coûte un billet pour Lyon ?
Excuse me, how much does a ticket to Lyon cost?Un billet pour Lyon coûte vingt-cinq euros.
A ticket to Lyon costs twenty-five euros.Merci. Et c'est combien, un billet pour le musée ?
Thank you. And how much is a ticket for the museum?Pour le musée, c'est douze euros.
For the museum, it's twelve euros.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: ask and answer about Lyon
You will play the customer first, then the staff member. Use only the lines from the recordings. The scene is a ticket counter. The destination is Lyon.
Your task: Step 1: As the customer, say the line from «Excusez-moi, combien coûte un billet pour Lyon ?» out loud. Step 2: As the staff member, answer with the line from «Un billet pour Lyon coûte vingt-cinq euros.». Step 3: As the customer, say the line from «Merci. Et c'est combien, un billet pour le musée ?». Step 4: As the staff member, answer with the line from «Pour le musée, c'est douze euros.». Repeat the whole exchange twice, then swap roles and repeat again.
Reply comprehension: choose the correct price
You will hear two staff answers. Your job is to match each answer to the correct price. The two prices are twenty-five euros and twelve euros.
Your task: Listen to «Un billet pour Lyon coûte vingt-cinq euros.» and «Pour le musée, c'est douze euros.» again. For each line, decide: is this the price for Lyon or the price for the museum? Write L for Lyon or M for the museum next to each price. Then say the full answer line out loud for each one.
Recall with correct roles: customer and staff
Now cover the text. You will rebuild the short exchange from memory, using the correct role for each line. The scene is the same ticket counter.
Your task: Say the four lines of the exchange in order: customer question about Lyon, staff answer about Lyon, customer thanks and asks about the museum, staff answer about the museum. Use the lines from «Excusez-moi, combien coûte un billet pour Lyon ?», «Un billet pour Lyon coûte vingt-cinq euros.», «Merci. Et c'est combien, un billet pour le musée ?» and «Pour le musée, c'est douze euros.». Then swap roles and say the same four lines again, with the other person's part.
Common questions
Do I need to learn both question patterns?
No. You can start with one pattern and use it everywhere. The general question from «Combien coûte un billet ?» works on its own. When you want to name a place, add the word for 'for' and the destination, as in «Combien coûte un billet pour Paris ?». The shorter pattern in «C'est combien, un billet pour le musée ?» is also common in daily speech. Choose the one that feels easier for you, and practise it until it is automatic.
What if I do not catch the price the first time?
That is normal. Listen for the number and the word for euros, which link together in speech, as in «Le billet coûte dix euros.». In this practice page, replay the recording as many times as you need. The goal is to recognise the price, not to understand every sound at once.
Sources and further reading
- french: ask for the price of a ticketChecked September 2026
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