How Much in Spanish | How to Ask & Examples
How much in Spanish is most often “cuánto.” This word may change slightly depending on context.
To ask how much is it in Spanish, some phrases you can use are:
- ¿Cuánto es?
- ¿Cuánto cuesta?
- ¿Cuánto vale?
- ¿Cuánto te debo?
- ¿Cuánto sale?
How much in Spanish
How much in Spanish is “cuánto,” “cuánta,” “cuántos,” or “cuántas” depending on how the word is being used in the sentence.
Cuánto or cuánta
When asking about price, always use “cuánto.” “Cuánto” is an adverb here, so it is not necessary to change the ending of the word.
¿Cuánto es este libro? [How much is this book?]
¿Cuánto te debo por estas tapas? [How much do I owe you for these tapas?]
However, if you’re asking about the quantity of something, “cuánto” is an adjective. Therefore, the ending of the word must change to match the gender and number of the noun it modifies.
Using cuánto to say how much in Spanish when asking about quantity
| Word | Pronunciation | Singular or plural | Masculine or feminine | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuánto | kwahn-toh | Singular | Masculine | ¿Cuánto dinero tienes? [How much money do you have?] |
| Cuánta | kwahn-tah | Singular | Feminine | ¿Cuánta agua queda? [How much water is left?] |
| Cuántos | kwahn-tohs | Plural | Masculine | ¿Cuántos libros hay en esta biblioteca? [How many books are there in this library?] |
| Cuántas | kwahn-tahs | Plural | Feminine | ¿Cuántas horas dura el viaje? [How many hours does the trip take?] |
The idea behind countable and uncountable nouns is the same in both languages, but the way to express them is different.
In English you change the quantifier based on if the noun is countable or uncountable. But in Spanish, you change the ending of the adjective to show you’re referring to a plural (and therefore, countable) noun.
How much is it in Spanish
To ask how much is it in Spanish, there are a few phrases you can use. The most common ones are “¿Cuánto es?” and “¿Cuánto cuesta?”
¿Cuánto es?
“¿Cuánto es?” (pronounced kwahn-toh ehs) literally means how much is it in Spanish. It’s one of the most common ways to ask about the price of something. You can use it on its own or with the noun it refers to.
If you use this option to refer to more than one thing, change it to “¿Cuánto son?”
¿Cuánto es por persona? [How much is it per person?]
¿Cuánto son las entradas? [How much are the tickets?]
¿Cuánto cuesta?
“¿Cuánto cuesta?” (pronounced kwahn-toh kwehs-tah) is another very common way to ask how much is it in Spanish. It translates literally as “How much does it cost?”
If using this option to refer to more than one item, change the phrase to “¿Cuánto cuestan?”
¿Cuánto cuestan esas casas? [How much are those houses?]
¿Cuánto cuesta por hora? [How much does it cost per hour?]
¿Cuánto vale?
“¿Cuánto vale?” (pronounced kwahn-toh bah-leh) literally means “How much is it worth?”
It’s another way to ask how much is it in Spanish, but it can also be used to ask about the value of something, in contrast to its price.
When used to ask about value, it’s often used when the object in question has a high or changeable value (e.g., properties, art, stocks, etc.).
If you use this phrase in the plural, change it to “¿Cuánto valen?”
¿Cuánto valen las casas en ese barrio? [How much are the houses in that neighborhood worth?]
Tomamos tres cafés y un té. ¿Cuánto vale? [We had three coffees and a tea. How much is it?]
¿Cuánto te debo?
“¿Cuánto te debo?” (pronounced kwahn-toh teh deh-boh) literally means “How much do I owe you?” However, you can use it to mean how much is it in Spanish.
You’ll hear this phrase casually, like at a café or bar, when someone asks how much they need to pay. You could also hear it in more formal situations related to debts.
In formal situations, use “¿Cuánto le debo?”
Voy a comprar esta bolsa. ¿Cuánto te debo? [I’m going to buy this bag. How much is it?]
Tenemos que resolver nuestras deudas. Según sus cuentas, ¿cuánto le debo? [We need to settle our debts. According to your accounts, how much do I owe you?]
¿Cuánto sale?
“¿Cuánto sale?” (pronounced kwahn-toh sahl-eh) literally means “How much does it come out to?” Sometimes, this phrase is written as “¿A cuánto sale?”
This phrase has slightly different meanings depending on where you are in the Spanish-speaking world. For example, in Spain, “¿Cuánto sale?” refers to how much something costs after calculations (e.g., working out a price per liter) or to something with a fluctuating price (e.g., a pound of potatoes), but not necessarily to a fixed price.
However, in some places in Latin America (namely Argentina, Uruguay, and the Dominican Republic), this phrase is often used as another way to ask how much is it in Spanish across contexts.
Regardless of nuance, if you use this phrase to refer to more than one thing, use “¿Cuánto salen?”
Shopkeeper: El litro sale a €8. [The liter comes out to €8.]
Mateo: ¿Cuánto salen las bebidas? [How much are the drinks?]
Bartender: $20, por favor. [$20, please.]
Juana: ¿A cuánto sale un kilo de fresas? [How much is one kilo of strawberries?]
Farmer: Esta semana, $4. [This week, $4.]
Frequently asked questions about how much in Spanish
- How do you say how much money in Spanish?
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To say “how much money” in Spanish, say “cuánto dinero” (pronounced kwahn-toh dee-neh-roh).
“Cuánto” here is an adjective meaning how much in Spanish. “Dinero” is a noun meaning “money.”
QuillBot’s free Translator can also help you translate phrases like this one.
- How do you say how much does it cost in Spanish?
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To say “how much does it cost” in Spanish, say “¿Cuánto cuesta?” (pronounced kwahn-toh kwehs-tah).
“Cuánto” here is an adverb meaning how much in Spanish. “Cuesta” is the third-person singular conjugation of the verb “costar” [“to cost”].
QuillBot’s free Translator can help you translate phrases like “how much does it cost” to Spanish.
- How do you say how much is this in Spanish?
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To say “how much is this” in Spanish, say “¿Cuánto es esto?” (pronounced kwahn-toh ehs ehs-toh) or “¿Cuánto es esta?” (pronounced kwahn-toh ehs ehs-tah)
In this phrase, “cuánto” is an adverb that means how much in Spanish. “Es” is the third-person singular conjugation of the verb “ser” [“to be”].
“Esto” and “esta” are pronouns that mean “this.” Use “esto” when referring to masculine nouns and “esta” when referring to feminine nouns.
A QuillBot Grammar Check can help you use this phrase correctly.
- How do you say how much does this cost in Spanish?
-
To say “how much does this cost” in Spanish, say “¿Cuánto cuesta esto?” (pronounced kwahn-toh kwehs-tah ehs-toh) or “¿Cuánto cuesta esta?” (pronounced kwahn-toh kwehs-tah ehs-tah)
The adverb “cuánto” means how much in Spanish. “Cuesta” comes from the verb “costar” [“to cost”].
“Esto” and “esta” are pronouns and mean “this.” “Esta” is used to refer to feminine nouns, and “esto” is used to refer to masculine nouns.
A QuillBot Grammar Check can make sure your pronouns, nouns, and adjectives agree as necessary in Spanish.
- What does cuanto mean in Spanish?
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“Cuanto” (pronounced kwahn-toh) in Spanish is an adjective or adverb that means “all the,” “as much as,” “whatever,” “anything,” or “everything.”
For example, “El genio te dará cuanto desees” means “The genie will give you whatever you desire.” Or, “Ella ignoró cuantos consejos que le dio su madre” means “She ignored all the advice her mother gave her.”
When “cuanto” is an adjective, it must be modified to match the noun it describes (e.g., “cuantos consejos”).
“Cuánto” (with an accent mark) means how much in Spanish.
A QuillBot Grammar Check can make sure you use “cuanto” and “cuánto” correctly.
