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?

After this reading

I'm Fei, and I teach Mandarin one-on-one on Preply. Bring this text to a trial lesson — we'll fix your tones and turn it into a real conversation.