How to Ask How Much Something Is

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Lesson Transcript

Welcome to Can-Do Portuguese by PortuguesePod101.com.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to ask how much something is in Portuguese.

For example, "How much does this cost?" is

Quanto custa isto?

Sergio Santos is at a small grocery store.

He sees a snack with no visible price tag, and asks for the price.

Before you hear the conversation, let's preview some of its key components.

Isto.

"this"

Isto.

Dois.

"two"

Dois.

Listen to the conversation.

Quanto custa isto?

Custa dois reais.

Once more with the English translation.

Quanto custa isto?

"How much does this cost?"

Custa dois reais.

"It costs two reais."

Let's break down the conversation.

Do you remember how Sergio asks,

"How much does this cost?"

Quanto custa isto?

Let’s start with the word, isto, "this." Isto. Isto.

You can use this word while pointing at something near you. It’s useful when you want to refer to something you don't know the word for in Portuguese.

Isto is singular - a fact which will determine the form of other words in the sentence. Isto is also an invariable demonstrative pronoun, therefore you can use it when referring to any item.

Next is custa, "costs" as in "this costs." Custa.Custa.

Custa is from the verb custar, "to cost." Custar.

Last is quanto, "how much," in this context. Quanto. Quanto.

All together, it's Quanto custa isto? This literally translates as, "How much costs this?" But means "How much does this cost?"

Quanto custa isto?

Let’s take a closer look at the response.

Do you remember how the shop clerk says,

"It costs two reais."

Custa dois reais.

First is custa, "it costs." Custa.

Note, the word "it" is omitted as it is understood from context.

Next is dois reais, "two reais." Dois reais.

Let’s start with reais. "Reais," the name of the Brazilian currency in the plural form. Reais. Reais.

The singular form is real, "real," as in um real, "one real." Real. Real.

In Portuguese, all nouns have grammatical gender and are either singular or plural. Reais is masculine and plural — a fact which will determine the form of other words in the sentence.

Before this is dois, "two." Dois. Dois.

Dois is in the masculine form to agree with reais.

All together, it's Custa dois reais. Literally, this means "Costs two reais," but it translates as "It costs two reais."

Custa dois reais.

The pattern is

Quanto custa ITEM?

"How much does ITEM cost?"

Quanto custa ITEM?

To use this pattern, simply replace the {ITEM} placeholder with the thing you’d like to know the price of.

Note: This pattern requires a noun phrase.

For example, imagine you’d like to know the price of a coffee, um café.

Café, "coffee." Café. Café.

Café is masculine and singular.

The corresponding article, um, is also masculine and singular to agree with café.

Um, think of this like "a," or "an" in English. Um. Um.

Ask, "How much does a coffee cost?"

Ready?

Quanto custa um café?

"How much does a coffee cost?"

Quanto custa um café?

In Portuguese, there are two sets of articles. Definite articles are like "the" in English, and indefinite articles are like "a" or "an."

While the pattern in this lesson works with both kinds of articles, this lesson will focus on indefinite articles like the English "a" or "an."

When introducing a general item, such as when asking for the price of "a coffee," use an indefinite article. In Portuguese, the indefinite article will depend on the gender of the item.

The indefinite article for singular masculine nouns is um, and for singular feminine nouns is uma.

For example:

um café, "a coffee," um café;

uma garrafa d'água, "a bottle of water," uma garrafa d'água.

Again, the key pattern is

Quanto custa ITEM ?

"How much does ITEM cost?"

Quanto custa ITEM?

Let's look at some examples.

Listen and repeat or speak along with the native speakers.

Quanto custa isto?

"How much does this cost?"

Quanto custa isto?

Quanto custa um café?

"How much does a coffee cost?"

Quanto custa um café?

Quanto custa uma garrafa d'água?

"How much does a bottle of water cost?"

Quanto custa uma garrafa d'água?

Quanto custa aquilo?

"How much does that cost?"

Quanto custa aquilo?

Quanto custa?

"How much does it cost?"

Quanto custa?

Did you notice how the native speaker omitted the word isto?

Quanto custa?

"How much does this cost?"

First is quanto, "how much," in this context. Quanto.

Next is custa, "costs" as in "this costs." Custa.

Custa is from the verb custar, "to cost." Custar.

Quanto custa? literally means "how much this costs," but translates as "How much does it cost?"

When asking the price of something, and it’s understood what you’re speaking about, for example, when asking by pointing at something, you can omit the subject.

This pattern is

Quanto custa?

"How much cost?"

You should be aware of this pattern, but you won’t need it for this lesson.

Let's review the new words.

Café.

"coffee"

Café.

Garrafa d'água.

"bottle of water"

Garrafa d'água.

Aquilo.

"that"

Aquilo.

Let's review.

Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then repeat after the native speaker, focusing on pronunciation.

Ready?

When you don’t know the word for something, do you remember how to say "this?"

Isto.

And how to say "how much?"

Quanto.

Do you remember how Sergio Santos asks,

"How much does this cost?"

Quanto custa isto?

Do you remember the plural of real?

Reais.

And how to say "two?"

Dois.

Do you remember how the clerk says,

"It costs two reais."

Custa dois reais.

Do you remember how to say "coffee?"

Café.

And how to say "a coffee?"

Um café.

Do you remember how to say "bottle of water?"

Garrafa d'água.

And how to say "a bottle of water?"

Uma garrafa d'água.

Do you remember how to say "that?"

Aquilo.

Let's practice.

Imagine you’re Sergio , and you’re at a farmers’ market. You'd like to try a snack with no price tag and located out of reach. Ask for the price of "that.", or aquilo in Portuguese.

Ready?

Quanto custa aquilo?

Custa três reais.

Listen again and repeat.

Quanto custa aquilo?

Let’s try another.

Imagine they’re also selling artisan coffee. Ask for the price of a coffee, or um café in Portuguese.

Don’t forget the article.

Ready?

Quanto custa um café?

Três reais.

Listen again and repeat.

Quanto custa um café?

Let’s try one more.

They’re also selling bottles of water. Ask for a bottle of water, or uma garrafa d’água in Portuguese.

Ready?

Quanto custa uma garrafa d'água?

Custa quatro reais.

Listen again and repeat.

Quanto custa uma garrafa d'água?

In this lesson, you learned how to ask how much something costs. This plays an essential role in the larger skill of shopping at a grocery store. Let’s review.

Do you remember how to say "please?"

Por favor.

Do you remember how to say,

"This, please."

Isto, por favor.

Do you remember how to say "salt?"

Sal.

Do you remember how to ask,

"Excuse me, do you have salt?"

Com licença, você tem sal?

Imagine you're Jack Jones , and you're at a grocery store, and you'd like to buy something located close to the clerk.

Do you remember how to say "that" in Portuguese?

Aquilo.

Ask the clerk for "that."

Aquilo, por favor.

Aqui está.

Listen again and repeat.

Aquilo, por favor.

You remembered that you also wanted to buy milk

Do you remember how to say "milk" in Portuguese?

Leite.

Now ask the clerk if the store has milk.

Ready?

Com licença, você tem leite?

Tenho sim, fica aqui.

Listen again and repeat.

Com licença, você tem leite?

You'd also like to know the price of coffee.

Do you remember how to say "a coffee" in Portuguese?

Um café.

Now ask for the price of a coffee.

Quanto custa um café?

dois reais.

Listen again and repeat.

Quanto custa um café?

Well done! This is the end of the lesson and the Can Shop at a Grocery Store unit of this course.

Remember, these Can Do lessons are about learning practical language skills.

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