Table of Contents
Talking About Prices in German
In everyday German, prices are part of very simple but very frequent sentences. In this chapter you learn how to ask for the price of something, how to say how much something costs, and how to understand written and spoken prices in shops.
Euro and Cent in German
In Germany, Austria, and many other European countries, the currency is the Euro.
The basic words are:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Euro | euro |
| der Cent | cent |
In writing, German usually uses a comma to separate euros and cents.
| German writing | English meaning |
|---|---|
| 2,50 € | 2 euros 50 (2.50 €) |
| 0,99 € | 99 cents (0.99 €) |
| 10,00 € | 10 euros (10.00 €) |
In speech, German often leaves out the word “Euro” or “Cent” if it is clear from context. You will often hear short, quick forms.
| Written price | Full spoken form | Very common short form |
|---|---|---|
| 2,50 € | zwei Euro fünfzig | zwei fünfzig |
| 3,20 € | drei Euro zwanzig | drei zwanzig |
| 0,99 € | neunundneunzig Cent | neunundneunzig |
| 15,90 € | fünfzehn Euro neunzig | fünfzehn neunzig |
Important: In German, the comma separates euro and cent in prices: 3,20 €, not 3.20 €.
In English, the dot is used: €3.20.
Asking for the Price
The most common question for price at A1 level is very simple and very useful.
The basic patterns are:
- Wie viel kostet …?
- Was kostet …?
You can use these with a singular or plural noun.
| German question | English |
|---|---|
| Wie viel kostet das? | How much does that cost? |
| Was kostet das? | What does that cost? |
| Wie viel kostet der Apfel? | How much does the apple cost? |
| Was kostet der Apfel? | What does the apple cost? |
| Wie viel kosten die Äpfel? | How much do the apples cost? |
| Was kosten die Äpfel? | What do the apples cost? |
Notice the verb:
Singular: Wie viel kostet der Apfel?
Plural: Wie viel kosten die Äpfel?
The verb kosten agrees with singular or plural.
In a shop, you often point to something and ask:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Wie viel kostet das da? | How much is that there? |
| Was kostet das hier? | What does this here cost? |
| Entschuldigung, wie viel kostet das Brot? | Excuse me, how much is the bread? |
Saying How Much Something Costs
To answer a price question, you can use very short answers. The most common structures are:
- Es kostet …
- Die kosten … (for plural)
- Only the number
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Es kostet zwei Euro. | It costs two euros. |
| Es kostet drei Euro fünfzig. | It costs three euros fifty. |
| Es kostet acht neunundneunzig. | It is eight ninety-eight. |
| Die kosten fünf Euro. | They cost five euros. |
| Fünf Euro. | Five euros. |
| Drei fünfzig. | Three fifty. |
In real life, shop staff often answer simply with the number, especially when the item is on the counter.
Quantities: One, Two, Many
In a shop you often need to say how many items you want. German uses numbers plus the noun. If you are not sure about plural forms, you can still use the number plus the basic word, and most people will understand.
For items you can count:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| ein Apfel | one apple |
| zwei Äpfel | two apples |
| drei Brötchen | three bread rolls |
| vier Flaschen Wasser | four bottles of water |
| fünf Eier | five eggs |
Pattern: number + noun (plural for 2 or more)
Example: ein Apfel, aber zwei Äpfel, drei Äpfel, vier Äpfel.
Weight, Volume, and Other Quantities
In supermarkets, quantities often use standard units. Here you learn the most frequent ones for everyday shopping.
Common quantity words:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Kilo / Kilogramm | kilo / kilogram |
| das Gramm | gram |
| der Liter | liter |
| der Meter | meter |
| die Packung | packet, pack |
| die Flasche | bottle |
| die Dose | can, tin |
| das Glas | glass, jar |
| das Stück | piece, item |
Now you combine a number and a quantity word.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| ein Kilo Äpfel | one kilo of apples |
| zwei Kilo Kartoffeln | two kilos of potatoes |
| zweihundert Gramm Käse | two hundred grams of cheese |
| ein Liter Milch | one liter of milk |
| eine Flasche Wasser | one bottle of water |
| zwei Flaschen Cola | two bottles of cola |
| eine Packung Reis | a packet of rice |
| drei Dosen Bier | three cans of beer |
| ein Glas Marmelade | one jar of jam |
| ein Stück Käse | a piece of cheese |
| zwei Stück Kuchen | two pieces of cake |
In speech, Germans sometimes shorten “Kilogramm” to “Kilo”.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| ein Kilo Tomaten, bitte. | One kilo of tomatoes, please. |
| anderthalb Kilo Äpfel, bitte. | One and a half kilos of apples, please. |
For A1, focus on whole kilos and simple numbers.
Combining Quantity and Price
In a real shopping situation you often say how much you want, then you hear the price.
Example 1:
Customer: Ein Kilo Äpfel, bitte.
Shop assistant: Ein Kilo Äpfel. Zwei Euro fünfzig, bitte.
Example 2:
Customer: Zwei Brötchen und eine Flasche Wasser, bitte.
Shop assistant: Das macht eins dreißig.
“Das macht …” is a very common phrase to give the total price.
| German expression | English |
|---|---|
| Das macht drei Euro fünfzig. | That comes to three euros fifty. |
| Das macht sieben achtundneunzig. | That comes to seven ninety-eight. |
| Zusammen sind das zehn Euro. | Together that is ten euros. |
Reading Price Labels
In shops and supermarkets, prices are usually written in short forms.
Typical patterns:
| Label example | How to read in German | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1,99 € / kg | ein neunundneunzig pro Kilo | 1.99 per kilo |
| 0,79 € / Stück | neunundsiebzig Cent pro Stück | 79 cents per piece |
| 2,50 € | zwei fünfzig | 2.50 |
| 3,10 € / 1 l | drei zehn pro Liter | 3.10 per liter |
The word “pro” means “per”.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| pro Kilo | per kilo |
| pro Stück | per piece |
| pro Liter | per liter |
Often the label uses a slash instead of “pro”.
Important Phrases at the Cash Desk
At the cash desk, you need just a few set expressions to understand and use prices and quantities.
Typical short exchanges:
Cashier: Guten Tag.
Customer: Guten Tag.
Cashier: Das macht sechs Euro zwanzig.
Customer: Hier sind sieben Euro.
Cashier: Achtzig Cent zurück. Auf Wiedersehen.
Customer: Auf Wiedersehen.
Another example:
Cashier: Zusammen sind das neun fünfzig.
Customer: Zehn Euro, bitte.
Cashier: Fünfzig Cent zurück. Schönen Tag noch.
Customer: Danke, gleichfalls.
You do not need to form complex sentences here. Understanding the numbers is the key.
New Vocabulary
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Euro | euro |
| der Cent | cent |
| Wie viel kostet …? | How much does … cost? |
| Was kostet …? | What does … cost? |
| Es kostet … | It costs … |
| Die kosten … | They cost … |
| das Kilo / Kilogramm | kilo / kilogram |
| das Gramm | gram |
| der Liter | liter |
| der Meter | meter |
| die Packung | packet, pack |
| die Flasche | bottle |
| die Dose | can, tin |
| das Glas | glass, jar |
| das Stück | piece, item |
| pro | per |
| das macht … | that comes to … (price) |
| zusammen | together |
| zurück (Geld zurück) | back (money back, change) |
| billig | cheap, inexpensive |
| teuer | expensive |
| der Preis | price |
| die Menge | quantity, amount |
| wie viel | how much |
| genug | enough |