多少钱 Asking How Much It Costs in Chinese

今天jīntiān下午xiàwǔ，我wǒ和hé妈妈māma去qù商店shāngdiàn买mǎi东西dōngxi。

This afternoon, my mom and I go to the store to buy things.

我wǒ看见kànjiàn一些yìxiē漂亮piàoliang的de衣服yīfu，我wǒ说shuō：“这些zhèxiē衣服yīfu多少duōshao钱qián？”

I see some pretty clothes, and I say, "How much are these clothes?"

商店shāngdiàn的de人rén说shuō：“这些zhèxiē衣服yīfu三十sānshí块kuài钱qián。”

The store clerk says, "These clothes are thirty kuai."

妈妈māma看见kànjiàn一yí个gè杯子bēizi，她tā说shuō：“杯子bēizi多少duōshao钱qián一yí个gè？”

Mom sees a cup, and she says, "How much is one cup?"

我们wǒmen买mǎi了le东西dōngxi，坐zuò出租车chūzūchē回huí家jiā，我wǒ说shuō：“多少duōshao钱qián？”

We buy the things, take a taxi home, and I say, "How much?"

出租车chūzūchē的de人rén说shuō：“十五shíwǔ块kuài钱qián。”

The taxi driver says, "Fifteen kuai."

🔊 Audio uses your device's Chinese voice for now — teacher recordings are coming. Tap any word to see its meaning.

Key words 生词

多少duōshaohow much; how many

钱qiánmoney

商店shāngdiànstore

买mǎito buy

块kuàikuai (unit of money)

出租车chūzūchētaxi

X多少钱? — asking the price of something

To ask how much something costs, put the noun before 多少钱: 衣服多少钱? = How much are the clothes?

这些衣服多少钱？ — How much are these clothes?

X多少钱一个? — asking the price per item

Add 一个 (or another measure word) after 多少钱 to ask the price of just one item: 杯子多少钱一个? = How much is one cup?

杯子多少钱一个？ — How much is one cup?

多少钱? alone — a quick, bare question

When it's already clear what you're paying for (like a taxi ride you just took), you can simply ask 多少钱? by itself, meaning "How much (is it)?"

我说：“多少钱？” — I say, "How much?"

1. What do the narrator and mom go to the store to buy?

2. How much are the clothes?

3. How do they go home?