Money talk! In this lesson you'll learn how to ask prices, understand answers, and handle a simple transaction in French. Whether you're at a market stall, a bakery, or a café, knowing how to ask *combien ça coûte ?* is an essential life skill. You'll also master French numbers from 100 to 1,000 — which will come in very handy when prices are mentioned. Camille and Lucas are at the market negotiating the best deal, so let's join them!
Learning tips
- There are three natural ways to ask 'how much?' in French: *Combien coûte...?* (formal, singular), *Combien coûtent...?* (formal, plural), and the more casual *C'est combien ?* or *Ça coûte combien ?*. All are correct — learn all of them so you can recognise them when shopping.
- For numbers 200–900, *cents* takes a final s when it ends the number (*deux cents*, *trois cents*) but loses the s when another number follows (*deux cent un*, *trois cent cinquante*). Think of the s as a 'closing bracket' that disappears when more digits come.
- *Mille* (1,000) never takes an s in French — even *deux mille* stays as *mille*. This is different from *cent* and will catch you out if you're not watching for it.
- The phrase *payer en espèces* (to pay in cash) is the standard way to say you're paying with notes and coins rather than by card (*par carte*). Both expressions are extremely useful for daily transactions.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| la viande | the meat |
| le poulet | the chicken |
| le pain | the bread |
| le lait | the milk |
| l'œuf | the egg |
| le fromage | the cheese |
| le riz | the rice |
| le beurre | the butter |
| la farine | the flour |
| la crème | the cream |
Dialog
Camille and Lucas are checking prices at the market and then paying at the checkout. Notice the different ways they ask about cost and how the vendor describes the total. The scene also shows a real cash transaction with change (la monnaie) — a common real-life scenario.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| coûter | /ku.te/ | to cost | Regular -er verb; conjugates as *coûte* (sing.) and *coûtent* (pl.) — both are silent at the end |
| payer | /pe.je/ | to pay | Regular -er verb with a y/i spelling change: *je paie* or *je paye* (both accepted) |
| l' l'argent | /laʁ.ʒɑ̃/ | the money | Also means 'silver' — *l'argent liquide* specifically means cash |
| le prix | /lə pʁi/ | the price | Masculine noun; *quel est le prix ?* is a natural way to ask for a price |
| cher | /ʃɛʁ/ | expensive | Adjective; feminine form is *chère* — *c'est cher* (it's expensive) is extremely common |
| bon marché | /bɔ̃ maʁ.ʃe/ | cheap / inexpensive | Literally 'good market' — invariable expression, does not change for gender or number |
| l' l'euro | /lø.ʁo/ | the euro | Masculine noun; plural *des euros* — France has used the euro since 2002 |
| en espèces | /ɑ̃.n‿ɛs.pɛs/ | in cash | Fixed expression; contrast with *par carte* (by card) — both are useful |
| le centime | /lə sɑ̃.tim/ | the centime | One hundredth of a euro; used mainly in prices — *cinquante centimes* = 0,50 € |
| combien | /kɔ̃.bjɛ̃/ | how much / how many | Interrogative word used for quantity and price — very high frequency |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la monnaie | /la mɔ.nɛ/ | ||
| le reçu | /lə ʁə.sy/ | ||
| la caisse | /la kɛs/ | ||
| gratuit | /ɡʁa.tɥi/ | ||
| la réduction | /la ʁe.dyk.sjɔ̃/ | ||
| le total | /lə tɔ.tal/ |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| ça coûte combien | how much does it cost? |
| c'est combien | how much is it? |
| payer en espèces | to pay in cash |
Grammar: Asking prices + numbers 100–1000
| Question | Exemple |
|---|---|
| Combien coûte... ? | Combien coûte le pain ? |
| Combien coûtent... ? | Combien coûtent les tomates ? |
| C'est combien ? | C'est combien, les fraises ? |
| Ça coûte combien ? | Ça coûte combien, un kilo ? |
| Ça fait combien ? | Ça fait combien en tout ? |
| Nombre | Français |
|---|---|
| 100 | cent |
| 200 | deux cents |
| 201 | deux cent un |
| 300 | trois cents |
| 500 | cinq cents |
| 1000 | mille |
This lesson covers two related topics: asking about prices and French numbers from 100 to 1,000. For price questions, French offers a choice of structures. The formal question Combien coûte le pain ? uses subject-verb inversion with a singular verb, while Combien coûtent les tomates ? uses the plural form because there are multiple tomatoes. The more conversational equivalents — C'est combien ? and Ça coûte combien ? — place combien at the end and are perfectly natural in markets and everyday shopping. For numbers, cent (100) is straightforward. When you multiply it — deux cents, trois cents — it takes a final s. However, if another digit follows, the s disappears: deux cent un, trois cent cinquante. The number mille (1,000) is invariable — it never takes an s. When expressing prices you will often hear the shorthand trois euros cinquante without saying centimes — the listener understands that fifty means fifty centimes. Learning these number patterns will help you not only with prices but also with addresses, telephone numbers, and dates.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct French word from this lesson.
- coûtent les tomates ? (How much)(the interrogative word for quantity/price — starts the question)
- Le est de cinq euros. (price)(the noun meaning 'price')
- Ce n'est pas cher, c'est . (cheap)(the adjective meaning 'cheap / inexpensive')
- Je paie espèces. (in)(the preposition in the phrase 'pay in cash')
- Voilà l' , dix euros. (money)(the word for 'money')
Grammar Application
Write the French number in full (as words) or complete the question with the correct verb form.
- Écrivez en lettres : 200 → (200 — *cent* takes an s when nothing follows it)
- Écrivez en lettres : 350 → (350 — *cent* loses its s when followed by another digit)
- Écrivez en lettres : 500 → (500 — same rule as 200)
- Écrivez en lettres : 1000 → (1000 — this number never takes an s in French)
- Complétez : Combien le fromage ? (coûte / coûtent)(*fromage* is singular — which form of *coûter*?)
Translate into French
Translate each English sentence into French.
- How much does the bread cost?
- That's expensive — ten euros!
- I'm paying in cash.
- The price is cheap.
- It costs three euros and fifty centimes.
Build Your Own Sentence
Write a short exchange at a market stall. Ask the price of something, then react to whether it is cheap or expensive.
Takeaway
*Combien coûte...?* for a single item, *Combien coûtent...?* for multiple — and always remember that after a negative, *du/de la/des* all become *de*.