Hallo und herzlich willkommen zurück! I'm Helena, your dedicated German tutor here at SpeakDeutsch.com. Our today's focus in our 'German in Three Minutes' series is 'Wie viel kostet das?', meaning 'How much does this cost?' in English.
This phrase is an essential one to learn for shopping, eating out, or any scenario where you might need to ask about cost. It's simple and straightforward, and with a little practice, you'll have it mastered in no time!
Asking 'How much does this cost?'
The German phrase for 'how much does this cost?' is 'Wie viel kostet das?' But before diving in and asking about the price, it's polite to start with 'Entschuldigung', which means 'Excuse me'. So, if you see something you like in a shop and want to ask the price, you can say:
"Entschuldigung, wie viel kostet das?" (Excuse me, how much does this cost?)
Referring to a Specific Object
In some cases, you might want to be more specific about the object you're asking about. In this case, you need to know the gender of the noun for the object in German (masculine, feminine, or neuter).
If the object is masculine, like 'der Hut' (the hat), you would ask:
"Entschuldigung, wie viel kostet dieser Hut?" (Excuse me, how much does this hat cost?)
For a feminine object, like 'die Hose' (the pants), you'd say:
"Entschuldigung, wie viel kostet diese Hose?" (Excuse me, how much do these pants cost?)
And for a neuter object, like 'das Buch' (the book), the question would be:
"Entschuldigung, wie viel kostet dieses Buch?" (Excuse me, how much does this book cost?)
Understanding the Response
When the shop clerk responds to your question, they might say 'Das kostet', 'Das macht', or 'Das sind', followed by the cost in Euros. All three of these phrases essentially mean 'It costs...' in English.
For example, if the hat you asked about costs 39 euros, the clerk might say:
"Das kostet 39 Euro." or "Das macht 39 Euro." or "Das sind 39 Euro."
Helena's Insights: Quick Version
If you want a quicker way to ask the price, you can simply ask 'Wie viel?', which directly translates to 'How much?' For example, if you're at a bar and want to know the price of a beer, you can ask:
"Ein Bier ist wie viel, bitte?" (How much is a beer, please?)
Keep practicing these phrases, and you'll soon be shopping like a local in Germany. We hope you've found this 'German in Three Minutes' lesson useful. Stay tuned for our next lesson where we'll delve into counting Euros in German!
Bis zum nächsten Mal! Don't forget to comment below on how this lesson has helped you in learning German. If you have questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask. I'm here to make your German language learning journey easier and more fun.
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See you in the following lesson. Bye! Bye!
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