How to Say How Much Is It in French (Combien Ça Coûte)

How much is it in French is combien ça coûte ? — or, more often on the street, the snappier c’est combien ?. Asking a price is one of the first things you’ll actually need to do in France, whether at a market stall, a boutique, or a café. This guide gives you the formal and casual versions, how to understand the number that comes back, and the market etiquette that keeps you from looking like a lost tourist.

The main ways to ask it

Combien ça coûte ? — pronounced kom-byan sah KOOT.

C’est combien ? — pronounced say kom-BYAN.

Pronunciation notes:

• Combien is nasal: kom-BYAN, the -ien humming through the nose, stress on the last syllable.
• Coûte is “KOOT,” a clean long “oo,” final e silent.
• Ça is “sah”; c’est is “say.” Both are tiny but do a lot of work.

Casual vs. formal

• C’est combien ? — the everyday, casual “how much?” You’ll use and hear this constantly.
• Combien ça coûte ? — slightly fuller, still casual-neutral.
• Combien est-ce que ça coûte ? — the complete textbook version.
• Ça fait combien ? (sah fay kom-BYAN) — “how much does that come to?” — very common at the register, totaling up.
• Quel est le prix ? / Quel est le prix de… ? — “what’s the price of…?” More formal, good in a shop.
• Je vous dois combien ? (zhuh voo dwah kom-BYAN) — “how much do I owe you?” Polite, natural when paying.

Asking about a specific item

• Combien coûte ce… + noun: Combien coûte ce sac ? (“How much is this bag?”).
• C’est combien, les fraises ? — “How much are the strawberries?” (casual, market-style).
• Ça coûte combien, le kilo ? — “How much per kilo?”

Understanding the answer

Prices come back fast. Key words:

• euros (uh-ROH) — the currency; often dropped in speech (“trois cinquante” = 3,50 €).
• French writes prices with a comma, not a point: 3,50 € = “trois euros cinquante” or just “trois cinquante.”
• cher / chère (shair) — expensive. C’est trop cher = “it’s too expensive.”
• pas cher — cheap / not expensive.
• gratuit (grah-TWEE) — free.
• la monnaie — change (coins/small money). Vous avez la monnaie ? = “do you have change?”

Hear it in context

At a market stall (casual):

— Bonjour ! C’est combien, les tomates ? — Trois euros le kilo, elles sont excellentes. — Parfait, j’en prends un kilo. Ça fait combien en tout ? — Trois euros tout rond.

Hello! How much are the tomatoes? — Three euros a kilo, they’re excellent. — Perfect, I’ll take a kilo. How much altogether? — Three euros even.

In a boutique (a touch more formal):

— Excusez-moi, combien coûte cette écharpe ? — Elle est à quarante-cinq euros. — D’accord… c’est un peu cher pour moi. Merci quand même !

Excuse me, how much is this scarf? — It’s forty-five euros. — Okay… that’s a bit expensive for me. Thanks anyway!

Common mistakes

• Pronouncing combien flat. The -ien is nasal (kom-BYAN), not “kom-bee-en.” Let it resonate in the nose.
• Reading French prices with a decimal point. 3,50 € uses a comma; it’s “trois euros cinquante,” not “three point fifty.”
• Forgetting to greet first. Bonjour before c’est combien ? is expected, especially in small shops and markets. Price-first, greeting-never reads as rude.
• Confusing cher meanings. Cher means “expensive” and “dear” (as in a letter). Context sorts it out, but c’est cher = “it’s pricey.”
• Trying to haggle in a regular shop. Prices in boutiques and supermarkets are fixed. Bargaining is only (sometimes) okay at flea markets (les puces) or with a street vendor — not at a bakery.

A Parisian note

At Parisian markets (les marchés), there’s a rhythm worth learning: greet the vendor (bonjour !), let them pick and bag the produce (don’t grab the fruit yourself — it’s considered rude to handle it), ask c’est combien ? or ça fait combien ?, and pay with reasonably small notes if you can. Haggling isn’t really a thing in Paris the way it is in some countries — prices at the market are what they are — though a loyal customer might get a “je vous fais un prix” (“I’ll give you a deal”) or a little extra tossed in. In fixed shops, boutiques, and supermarkets, the price on the tag is final. And if something’s out of budget, a gracious “c’est un peu cher pour moi, merci quand même” is the polite exit.

Related phrases

• How to say excuse me in French — the excusez-moi that opens a question to a shopkeeper.
• How to say thank you in French — for closing the transaction the French way.
• Round out your shopping vocabulary with our guide to common French phrases.

FAQ

What’s the difference between “combien ça coûte” and “c’est combien”? They mean the same thing — “how much is it?” C’est combien ? is the shorter, more casual version you’ll hear most on the street; combien ça coûte ? is slightly fuller. Both are perfectly natural in everyday shopping.

How do I ask “how much do I owe you?” Je vous dois combien ? (“how much do I owe you?”) or ça fait combien ? (“how much does that come to?”). Both are polite and natural when it’s time to pay.

How are French prices written and said? With a comma, not a decimal point: 3,50 € is “trois euros cinquante” (often shortened to “trois cinquante”). The euro symbol usually comes after the number.

Can I haggle on prices in France? Generally no. Shops, boutiques, and supermarkets have fixed prices. Some bargaining is acceptable at flea markets (les puces) or with street vendors, but never at a bakery, café, or regular store.

How do I say something is too expensive? C’est trop cher (“it’s too expensive”) or, more softly, c’est un peu cher pour moi (“it’s a bit expensive for me”). Add merci quand même (“thanks anyway”) for a polite exit.