Money talks! In this lesson, you'll learn how to ask about prices, handle basic transactions, and navigate the Colombian peso. Whether you're at a market stall or a small shop, knowing how to ask '¿Cuánto cuesta?' is essential. You'll also learn numbers from 100 to 10,000 — the range you'll need most for everyday purchases in Colombia.
Learning tips
- Colombian pesos come in large numbers — a coffee might cost 3,000 pesos. Don't panic at the zeros!
- 'La plata' literally means 'silver' but in Colombia it's the everyday word for 'money.' You'll hear it constantly.
- Many small shops and market stalls in Colombia are cash-only. The phrase 'solo efectivo' (cash only) is very common.
- Practice saying prices out loud — 'tres mil pesos,' 'cinco mil pesos' — until the numbers feel natural.
Warm-up & Active Recall
Recap: In Lesson 5.1, you learned stem-changing verbs (o→ue) like 'poder' (puedo, puedes, puede) and 'costar' (cuesta, cuestan).
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| comprar | to buy |
| la fruta | the fruit |
| la verdura | the vegetable |
| la papa | the potato |
| el plátano | the plantain |
| el tomate | the tomato |
| la cebolla | the onion |
| el arroz | the rice |
| fresco | fresh |
| maduro | ripe |
Dialog
Andrés is buying groceries at a small 'tienda' (shop) in his neighborhood. Notice how he asks about prices using '¿Cuánto cuesta?' (singular) and '¿Cuánto cuestan?' (plural). In Colombia, prices are in pesos — 'mil' means thousand, so 'tres mil pesos' = 3,000 pesos. 'La plata' is the colloquial Colombian word for money. When the vendor says 'solo en efectivo,' it means cash only.
Andrés
Buenos días. ¿Cuánto cuesta el arroz?
(Good days. How-much costs the rice?)
Good morning. How much does the rice cost?
Valentina
El precio del arroz es tres mil pesos. Es barato.
(The price of-the rice is three thousand pesos. It-is cheap.)
The price of the rice is three thousand pesos. It's cheap.
Andrés
¡Qué barato! ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
(How cheap! Can-I pay with card?)
How cheap! Can I pay by card?
Valentina
No, solo en efectivo. ¿Tiene cambio de diez mil pesos?
(No, only in cash. Have-you change of ten thousand pesos?)
No, cash only. Do you have change for ten thousand pesos?
Andrés
Sí, tengo la plata. Los tomates, ¿cuánto cuestan?
(Yes, I-have the money. The tomatoes, how-much cost-they?)
Yes, I have the money. The tomatoes, how much do they cost?
Valentina
Los tomates cuestan cinco mil pesos el kilo. Son un poco caros.
(The tomatoes cost five thousand pesos the kilo. They-are a little expensive.)
The tomatoes cost five thousand pesos per kilo. They're a bit expensive.
Andrés
Está bien. Voy a pagar en efectivo. Aquí tiene el cambio.
(Is fine. I-go to pay in cash. Here have the change.)
That's fine. I'll pay in cash. Here's the change.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿cuánto cuesta? | /ˈkwan.to ˈkwes.ta/ | how much does it cost? | The most important shopping phrase — use for a single item |
| el precio | /el ˈpɾe.sjo/ | the price | Masculine noun — 'el precio es bueno' (the price is good) |
| barato | /baˈɾa.to/ | cheap, inexpensive | Adjective — barato/barata/baratos/baratas |
| caro | /ˈka.ɾo/ | expensive | Adjective — caro/cara/caros/caras |
| pagar | /paˈɣaɾ/ | to pay | Regular -ar verb — pago, pagas, paga... |
| el efectivo | /el e.fekˈti.βo/ | cash | 'Pagar en efectivo' = to pay in cash |
| la tarjeta | /la taɾˈxe.ta/ | the card | 'Pagar con tarjeta' = to pay by card |
| el cambio | /el ˈkam.bjo/ | the change | Also means 'exchange' in other contexts |
| la plata | /la ˈpla.ta/ | the money (colloquial) | Literally 'silver' — the everyday Colombian word for money |
| costar | /kosˈtaɾ/ | to cost | Stem-changing o→ue: cuesta (singular), cuestan (plural) |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| la moneda | /la moˈne.ða/ | the coin | |
| el billete | /el biˈʝe.te/ | the bill (banknote) | |
| el peso | /el ˈpe.so/ | the peso | Colombian currency |
| el descuento | /el desˈkwen.to/ | the discount | |
| la oferta | /la oˈfeɾ.ta/ | the offer, deal | |
| gratis | /ˈɡɾa.tis/ | free (no cost) |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| pagar en efectivo | to pay in cash |
| pagar con tarjeta | to pay by card |
Pronunciation: The word 'precio' has a tricky combination: 'pr' + 'e' + 'cio.' The 'ci' before 'o' is pronounced like 's' in Latin America (not 'th' as in Spain). So it's 'PREH-syo,' not 'PREH-thyo.' Similarly, 'efectivo' is 'eh-fek-TEE-vo' — stress on the third syllable.
Grammar: Numbers 100-1000 and prices in Colombian pesos
| Number | Spanish | Example Price |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | cien | cien pesos |
| 200 | doscientos | doscientos pesos |
| 300 | trescientos | trescientos pesos |
| 500 | quinientos | quinientos pesos |
| 1,000 | mil | mil pesos |
| 2,000 | dos mil | dos mil pesos |
| 5,000 | cinco mil | cinco mil pesos |
| 10,000 | diez mil | diez mil pesos |
Numbers 100-1,000 follow a pattern that's fairly regular once you know the hundreds:
- 100 = cien (used alone or before a noun: 'cien pesos')
- 101-199 = ciento + number: 'ciento uno,' 'ciento cincuenta'
- 200 = doscientos, 300 = trescientos, 400 = cuatrocientos, 500 = quinientos (irregular!), 600 = seiscientos, 700 = setecientos, 800 = ochocientos, 900 = novecientos
- 1,000 = mil (never 'un mil')
For Colombian pesos, you'll mostly use 'mil' (thousand):
- 1,000 = mil pesos
- 2,000 = dos mil pesos
- 5,000 = cinco mil pesos
- 10,000 = diez mil pesos
- 50,000 = cincuenta mil pesos
Costar with singular and plural:
- '¿Cuánto cuesta el arroz?' (How much does the rice cost?)
- '¿Cuánto cuestan los tomates?' (How much do the tomatoes cost?)
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing word.
- ¿ cuesta el arroz?(question word: how much)
- El del tomate es dos mil pesos.(noun: price)
- Quiero con tarjeta, por favor.(verb: to pay)
- No es caro, es muy .(adjective: cheap)
- No tengo tarjeta. Voy a pagar en .(noun: cash)
Grammar Application
Write the number in Spanish words.
- 3,000 pesos = pesos(three thousand)
- 7,000 pesos = pesos(seven thousand)
- 500 pesos = pesos(five hundred — irregular!)
- 10,000 pesos = pesos(ten thousand)
- Las papas cuatro mil pesos. (costar)(third person plural of 'costar': o→ue)
Translation (English → Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- How much does the plantain cost?
- The price is cheap.
- I want to pay in cash.
- The tomatoes are very expensive.
- Do you have change for five thousand pesos?
Creative Construction
Write a short price negotiation at a market (2-3 sentences) using at least 4 words from this lesson.
Takeaway
Use '¿Cuánto cuesta?' for one item and '¿Cuánto cuestan?' for multiple. Colombian prices are in pesos — remember 'mil' for thousand. 'La plata' is the everyday word for money in Colombia.
Culture note: The Colombian peso (COP) uses large numbers that can be surprising at first. A typical lunch might cost 12,000-15,000 pesos, a coffee 3,000-5,000 pesos. Colombians often abbreviate thousands as 'lucas' in informal speech — 'cinco lucas' means 5,000 pesos. In many small shops ('tiendas de barrio'), you'll see signs saying 'No se fía' (No credit given) — cash is king in neighborhood stores. The colorful Colombian bills feature famous figures like Gabriel García Márquez on the 50,000-peso note.
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