Asking about prices is a common part of everyday conversation, whether you’re shopping, dining out, or just curious. This topic helps you learn the key questions and phrases to find out how much something costs, as well as vocabulary for different types of goods and services.
Common Questions
These are the most common questions you’ll hear (or use) when asking about prices.
- “How much is…?” is the most direct and versatile question.
- “How much does … cost?” is another way to ask the same thing.
- “What’s the price of …?” is more formal.
- “Is this on sale?” and “Do you have a discount?” help you find lower prices.
| English Question | Example: Buying Shoes | Example: Ordering Coffee |
|---|---|---|
| How much is …? | How much is this pair of shoes? | How much is a cup of coffee? |
| How much does … cost? | How much does the leather jacket cost? | How much does the latte cost? |
| What’s the price of …? | What’s the price of the running shoes? | What’s the price of the espresso? |
| Is this on sale? | Is this on sale today? | Is this coffee on sale? |
| Do you have a discount? | Do you have a discount for students? | Do you have a discount on large orders? |
Useful Phrases
These are polite and natural ways to ask about prices and clarify payment.
- Use “Could you tell me …” or “Would you mind …” to be extra polite.
- “I’d like to know …” is a nice way to sound curious without being pushy.
- “Is that the total?” helps you confirm the final amount.
- “Do you accept credit cards?” and “Can I pay by …?” are practical questions for payment.
| Phrase Type | English Phrase | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Question | Could you tell me the price? | Could you tell me the price of this jacket? |
| Polite Inquiry | Would you mind telling me how much it is? | Would you mind telling me how much the book costs? |
| Curious Statement | I’d like to know the price of … | I’d like to know the price of the laptop. |
| Confirmation | Is that the total? | Is that the total for both items? |
| Payment | Do you accept credit cards? | Do you accept credit cards at this store? |
| Payment | Can I pay by cash? | Can I pay by cash or card? |
Vocabulary for Goods
Here are common categories and examples of items you might ask about, along with the words you’ll need to understand and use prices.
- Use “item” or “product” as general words for things.
- Categories like “clothing,” “electronics,” and “groceries” cover most shopping situations.
- You can say “How much for the shoes?” or “What’s the price of the shoes?” to be clear.
| Category | Example Item | Example Question |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing | sneakers | How much are these sneakers? |
| Electronics | smartphone | How much does this smartphone cost? |
| Groceries | apples | What’s the price of these apples? |
| Furniture | office chair | How much is the office chair? |
| Books | novel | How much does this novel cost? |
| Accessories | watch | How much is that watch? |
Vocabulary for Services
You may also need to ask about prices for services, not just products.
- Use “service” as a general word for things people do for you.
- Common services include “haircut,” “cleaning,” and “repair.”
- You can ask “How much do you charge for …?” when talking about services.
| Service Type | Example Service | Example Question |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Care | haircut | How much do you charge for a haircut? |
| Cleaning | house cleaning | What’s the price for house cleaning? |
| Repair | phone repair | How much does phone repair cost? |
| Transportation | taxi ride | How much is a taxi ride to the airport? |
| Dining | buffet | What’s the price of the buffet dinner? |
Numbers and Money
These are key words and phrases for talking about prices and payments.
- “Cost” and “price” both mean the amount of money, but “cost” can also mean effort.
- “Change” is the money you get back after paying.
- “Receipt” is the paper you get after a purchase.
| Concept | English Term | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Number | dollar | The shoes cost fifty dollars. |
| Number | cents | The coffee is two dollars fifty cents. |
| Payment | cash | I’ll pay in cash. |
| Payment | credit card | Can I pay by credit card? |
| Transaction | receipt | Can I have a receipt, please? |
| Transaction | change | I paid ten dollars and got two dollars change. |
What do you call money you give to the cashier instead of using a card?
cash
Cash is physical money, like bills and coins.
Which term refers to the card you use to pay money electronically?
credit card
Credit card is the general term for a card used to pay electronically.
Summary
- Use “How much …?” or “What’s the price …?” to ask about prices.
- Be polite with “Could you tell me …?” or “Would you mind …?”
- Use “charge” when asking about services: “How much do you charge for …?”
- Know category words like “clothing,” “electronics,” “groceries,” and “haircut.”
- Use numbers and money words like “dollars,” “cents,” “cash,” “credit card,” “receipt,” and “change.”
Which question forms are commonly used to ask about prices?
- How much …?
- What’s the price …?
How much …? and What’s the price …? are standard ways to ask about prices.
Flashcards (1 of 17)
- Example: Buying Shoes: How much is this pair of shoes?
- Example: Ordering Coffee: How much is a cup of coffee?
- English Question: How much is …?
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
