German · Emotions & Descriptions
"Expensive" in German: teuer
teuer
Expensive in German is teuer. Say Das ist teuer or Mir ist das zu teuer. Comparative is teurer; opposite ideas are billig or günstig.
Clothes shop
Die Jacke ist schön, aber teuer.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce teuer
Say it
TOY-er
/ˈtɔʏ̯ɐ/
TOY-er. Soft eu like oy. Soft final -er.
"Expensive" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| teuer | expensive Default adjective. | Default adjective. |
| zu teuer | too expensive Polite refusal. | Polite refusal. |
| teurer | more expensive Comparative. | Comparative. |
| teure Wohnung | expensive apartment Attributed form with ending. | Attributed form with ending. |
How to use teuer in real life
- 1Clothes shop
Die Jacke ist schön, aber teuer.
The jacket is nice, but expensive.
Teuer predicative.
- 2Rent talk
Wohnen in der Innenstadt ist teuer.
Living downtown is expensive.
Teuer predicative.
- 3Splitting costs
Das Restaurant war uns zu teuer.
The restaurant was too expensive for us.
Zu teuer.
Mistakes English speakers make with teuer
Incorrect: Das ist expensive.
Correct: Das ist teuer.
Use teuer, not English expensive.
Incorrect: Das ist teuerer als gestern.
Correct: Das ist teuer. / Das wird teurer.
Predicative form is teuer; comparative spelling is teurer, not teuerer.
Good to know
Germans complain about teuer openly in shops and cafés. Saying zu teuer is normal and not rude if your tone stays calm.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Looking at concert tickets
ChatPal
Findest du die Tickets teuer?
Do you find the tickets expensive?
You
Ja. Für den Rang ist das teuer.
Yes. For that section that's expensive.
ChatPal
Vielleicht warten wir. Morgen ist es noch teuer.
Maybe we'll wait. Tomorrow it will still be expensive.
You
Hoffentlich. Sonst ist mir das zu teuer.
Hopefully. Otherwise it's too expensive for me.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Expensive" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Expensive" in German
How do you say expensive?
Teuer.
Too expensive?
Zu teuer.
More expensive?
Teurer.
Opposite?
Billig or günstig.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
