When you want to know how much something costs, use these common questions:

• Ça coûte combien ? – How much does it cost?
• C'est combien ? – How much is it?
• Combien coûte ... ? – How much does ... cost?
• Quel est le prix de ... ? – What is the price of ...?

Examples:

• Ça coûte combien ce cahier ? – How much does this notebook cost?
• Combien coûte ce livre ? – How much does this book cost?
• Quel est le prix de cette robe ? – What is the price of this dress?

When you are the seller and someone asks for the price, you can answer like this:

• Ça coûte ... shillings. – It costs ... shillings.
• C'est ... shillings. – It is ... shillings.
• Ça fait ... shillings. – That makes ... shillings.
• Le prix est ... shillings. – The price is ... shillings.

Examples:

• Ça coûte 500 shillings. – It costs 500 shillings.
• C'est trois mille shillings. – It is 3,000 shillings.

Here is a dialogue between a customer and a seller at a market in Tanzania:

Vendeur (Seller): Bonjour ! Tu désires ? Customer: Bonjour ! Je voudrais des pommes de terre, s'il vous plaît. Vendeur: Combien de kilos ? Customer: Trois kilos, s'il vous plaît ! Ça coûte combien ? Vendeur: C'est 3 000 shillings. Customer: D'accord. Je vais aussi prendre deux kilos de sucre. Vendeur: Ça fait cinq mille shillings s'il vous plaît !

When you point to a specific item, use these words:

• ce (before masculine singular starting with consonant): ce cahier
• cet (before masculine singular starting with vowel): cet ordinateur
• cette (before feminine): cette robe
• ces (plural): ces oranges

Practice: Fill in the correct word

1. Quel est le prix de ce livre ?
2. Combien coûte cette montre ?
3. Ces stylos bleus coûtent combien ?

1. Role-play with a friend – Take turns being the customer and the seller.
2. Use real objects – Practice with items in your home or classroom.
3. Listen and repeat – Say the dialogues out loud several times.
4. Remember the numbers – Practice writing numbers 500-1,000 in words.

In Tanzania, you can use these French phrases when you visit a duka or soko to buy goods like chakula, vinywaji, or household items. For example, when buying 2 kg of viazi at the market, you can ask "Ça coûte combien ?" and the seller might answer "C'est mille shillings." This skill helps you compare prices and bargain politely, which is useful for small businesses and everyday shopping.