German · Travel & Getting Around
"How much does it cost?" in German: Wie viel kostet das?
Wie viel kostet das?
How much does it cost? in German is Wie viel kostet das?. Keep the whole phrase at the counter. You can also say Was kostet das?.
Market stall
Wie viel kostet das? Das Brot sieht frisch aus.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce Wie viel kostet das?
Say it
vee feel KOS-tet das
/viː fiːl ˈkɔstət das/
vee feel KOS-tet das. Soft v. Stress on Kos.
"How much does it cost?" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Wie viel kostet das? | How much does it cost? Default full phrase. | Default full phrase. |
| Was kostet das? | What does that cost? Very common short form. | Very common short form. |
| Wie viel kostet…? | How much does … cost? With a named item. | With a named item. |
| Was macht das? | What does that come to? Total at checkout. | Total at checkout. |
How to use Wie viel kostet das? in real life
- 1Market stall
Wie viel kostet das? Das Brot sieht frisch aus.
How much does it cost? The bread looks fresh.
Full phrase.
- 2Souvenir shop
Entschuldigung, wie viel kostet das?
Excuse me, how much does it cost?
Keep Wie viel kostet das?
- 3Comparing two items
Wie viel kostet das, und wie viel das andere?
How much does this cost, and how much the other?
Full phrase first.
Mistakes English speakers make with Wie viel kostet das?
Incorrect: How much kostet das?
Correct: Wie viel kostet das?
Keep the full German phrase.
Incorrect: Wie viele kostet das?
Correct: Wie viel kostet das?
Use wie viel for amount of money, not wie viele.
Good to know
In markets, people ask Wie viel kostet das? or Was kostet das? before touching produce. Prices may be per piece or per kilo — ask per Kilo if unsure.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Buying a travel adapter
ChatPal
Gefällt dir der Adapter? Wie viel kostet das?
Do you like the adapter? How much does it cost?
You
Keine Ahnung. Ich frage: Wie viel kostet das?
No idea. I'll ask: How much does it cost?
ChatPal
Gut. Wenn Wie viel kostet das? zu teuer klingt, lassen wir es.
Good. If how much does it cost? sounds too expensive, we'll leave it.
You
Okay. Wie viel kostet das? — und dann entscheiden wir.
Okay. How much does it cost? — then we decide.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"How much does it cost?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "How much does it cost?" in German
How do you say how much does it cost?
Wie viel kostet das?
Shorter version?
Was kostet das?
Must I keep the whole phrase?
Yes for this headword: Wie viel kostet das?
What does that come to (total)?
Was macht das?
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
