When you’re shopping in China or chatting with Chinese speakers, asking about prices and using numbers is just super useful. The most common way for how to say how much in Chinese is 多少钱 (duō shǎo qián), which literally means “how much money.” It works in almost every situation.
You can use this phrase at markets, restaurants, stores, pretty much anywhere you want to know the price.
Table of Contents
While 多少钱 is the main go-to, Chinese actually has a handful of ways to ask about prices depending on the situation. If you use 这个多少钱 (zhè ge duō shǎo qián) to ask about a specific thing, or 总共多少钱 (zǒng gòng duō shǎo qián) for the total, you sound a bit more natural.
The word 多少 (duō shao) means both “how many” and “how much” in Chinese, which sets it apart from words like 几 (jǐ). If you get the hang of these little differences, talking about money or amounts just gets easier.
Key Takeaways
- The phrase 多少钱 (duō shǎo qián) is the standard way to ask how much something costs in Chinese
- Different variations exist for specific contexts like asking about unit prices or total amounts
- Understanding the differences between 多少 and 几 helps learners use the correct question word for different situations
Core Phrases for How Much in Chinese
Chinese gives you a few dead-simple ways to ask about prices and amounts. 多少 (duō shao) and 多少钱 (duō shao qián) are the backbone for most price questions.
They work in both formal and informal settings. You’ll use them for daily shopping, eating out, or just asking about stuff in general.
The Meaning of 多少 (duō shao)
多少 (duō shao) means “how many” or “how much.” You’ll see it everywhere, not just for prices.
It’s made up of two characters: 多 (duō) means “many,” and 少 (shǎo) means “few.” Put together, they ask about an amount or number.
People use 多少 to ask about numbers, measurements, or counts in all sorts of situations. The fundamental meaning of 多少 makes it super flexible.
You might use it to ask about a phone number, age, or even distance. It works for big and small numbers, which isn’t always true for every Chinese question word.
Using 多少钱 (duō shao qián) to Ask Prices
多少钱 (duō shao qián) is the most common way to ask prices in Chinese. By adding 钱 (qián), which means “money,” you turn a quantity question into a price question.
This phrase works anywhere you want to know a price. Walk into a shop, point at something, and just say “多少钱?”… that’s it.
You’ll hear it in supermarkets, stadiums, hotels, and even high-end stores. The pronunciation is: duō (first tone), shǎo (third tone), qián (second tone).
Honestly, native speakers use this phrase all the time. It’s quick, easy, and perfect for travelers who want to keep things simple.
Specific Item Inquiries: 这个多少钱 (zhè ge duō shao qián)
这个多少钱 (zhè ge duō shao qián) makes things specific by adding 这个 (zhè ge), which means “this one.” This is what you say when you want to ask about a particular item.
Just point at what you’re interested in and use this phrase. It clears up any confusion if there are several things with different prices.
For example, “这个苹果多少钱?” (zhè ge píng guǒ duō shao qián) asks about the price of a specific apple. If you want the price per unit, you can add a measure word, like “这个多少钱一个?” (zhè ge duō shao qián yí gè).
The measure word depends on the item: 条 (tiáo) for fish, 杯 (bēi) for drinks, or 斤 (jīn) for things sold by weight.
Politeness and Formality in Asking How Much
The phrase 价钱是多少 (jià qián shì duō shao) is a more formal way to ask about price. 价钱 (jià qián) is a formal word for “price,” so you’ll hear it in business or when something is expensive.
Real estate agents, car salespeople, and professionals use this version. The full sentence with 是 (shì), meaning “is,” makes it a bit more proper.
If you’re asking about the total, use “总共多少钱?” (zǒng gòng duō shao qián). You’ll hear this at checkouts or when getting a restaurant bill.
Want to be extra polite? Add 请问 (qǐng wèn), which is like saying “excuse me” or “may I ask,” before your question. It softens the tone but doesn’t change the meaning.
Grammatical Usage and Sentence Structures
多少 (duō shǎo) follows certain patterns in Chinese sentences. You’ll need to know where to put measure words and currency terms.
Getting these structures right helps you ask about prices, quantities, or amounts in everyday life. It’s not as scary as it sounds, honestly.
Sentence Patterns with 多 and 多少
The basic pattern puts 多少钱 (duō shǎo qián) after the subject and sometimes a verb. For example, “这个多少钱？” (zhè ge duō shǎo qián?) literally, “this how much money?”
You can add 要 (yào), which means “want” or “cost,” before 多少钱. Like, “这瓶水要多少钱？” (zhè píng shuǐ yào duō shǎo qián?) asks the price of a bottle of water.
When you want the total, put 总共 (zǒng gòng) before 多少钱. “总共多少钱？” (zǒng gòng duō shǎo qián?) asks for the total price if you’re buying several things.
Plural and Uncountable Nouns
Mandarin Chinese doesn’t change nouns for plurals. 东西 (dōng xi) can mean “thing” or “things” context tells you which.
Uncountable nouns like water, rice, or money always use 多少 (duō shǎo), no matter the amount. If you want to know the price of water, just ask “水多少钱？” (shuǐ duō shǎo qián?).
Context usually makes it clear if you mean one thing or many. For example, “我们这些东西” (wǒ men zhè xiē dōng xi) uses 这些 (zhè xiē, “these”) to show you mean multiple items.
Use of Measure Words like 斤 (jīn)
Measure words come into play when you ask about unit prices. The pattern is “(多少钱一) + (measure word.)” For example, “这种鱼多少钱一条？” (zhè zhǒng yú duō shǎo qián yī tiáo?) asks the price per fish.
斤 (jīn) is the measure word for weight at markets. One 斤 equals 500 grams, or about 1.1 pounds.
If you want to know the price per 斤 of apples, ask “苹果多少钱一斤？” (píng guǒ duō shǎo qián yī jīn?).
Here are some common measure words:
- 个 (gè) – general things, apples, people
- 条 (tiáo) – long, thin things like fish or pants
- 杯 (bēi) – cups or glasses for drinks
- 瓶 (píng) – bottles
Price Expressions and Currency Units
The Chinese currency is RMB (Renminbi) or 人民币 (rén mín bì). The basic unit is 元 (yuán), but most people say 块 (kuài) in everyday talk.
Written prices use the format: number + 元. “五十元” (wǔshí yuán) means 50 yuan. In conversation, “五十块” (wǔ shí kuài) is what you’ll hear most.
The formal question “价钱是多少？” (jià qián shì duō shao?) means “What is the price?” This is good for big purchases like houses or cars.
The structure uses 是 (shì) to link 价钱 (jià qián, “price”) with the question word. That’s pretty much it, simple and useful!
Differences Between 多少 (duō shao), 几 (jǐ), and Related Terms
Chinese uses 两个不同的词来询问数量: 几 (jǐ) for smaller numbers and 多少 (duō shao) for any quantity.
Which one you pick depends on how big a number you expect, and whether you need a measure word.
When to Use 多少 vs. 几
The word 几 (jǐ) works best for numbers under ten. People usually use it for time, age, or other small amounts that probably won’t go over single digits.
多少 (duō shao) covers basically any number. You can use it whether you’re asking about five things or five thousand.
There’s a structural difference too. 几 (jǐ) needs a measure word before the noun, so it goes: 几 + measure word + noun.
多少 (duō shao) doesn’t require a measure word. It’s fine with or without one: 多少 + (measure word) + noun. That makes 多少 a bit easier to use on the fly.
Asking How Many vs. How Much
Both 几 and 多少 can mean “how many” or “how much” in English. The real difference is what kind of answer you expect.
If you ask 你几岁？(nǐ jǐ suì?), you’re expecting a small number for age. But if you ask 你有多少本书？(nǐ yǒu duō shao běn shū?), the answer could be any amount of books, really.
几 sometimes gets used for numbers above ten by combining with tens: 十几 (more than 10), 五十几 (more than 50).
Common Mistakes and Nuances
Lots of beginners use 几 when they really should use 多少, especially for big numbers. If you ask about a city’s population or how much money’s in a bank account with 几, it just sounds off because those numbers are way above ten.
Another slip-up is forgetting the measure word after 几. For example, 你有几书？isn’t right. You have to say 你有几本书？and include 本 (běn).
多少 can stand alone, no noun or classifier needed. You can just say 多少？(duō shao?) and people know you mean “how much?” or “how many?” That’s pretty handy if you’re not sure about grammar.
Context really shapes which word feels natural. For questions about phone numbers, prices, or distances, 多少 is almost always the go-to since those answers are usually bigger.
Essential Vocabulary and Practical Examples
If you’re shopping in a Chinese-speaking place, you’ll need some key words for items, amounts, and prices. Stuff like common nouns, measure words, and numbers come up all the time in daily transactions.
Shopping Scenarios and Dialogues
A typical shopping dialogue in Chinese might start with “你们去哪儿？” (nǐ men qù nǎ er?), which just means “Where are you going?”
Usually, someone answers with 买 (mǎi), or “buy.”
If you want to ask about what someone wants to buy, you’d say “你们想买什么？” (nǐ men xiǎng mǎi shén me?), or “What do you want to buy?”
Common answers include “我想买水果” (wǒ xiǎng mǎi shuǐ guǒ), which is “I want to buy fruits.”
At the market, a shopper might ask, “这些苹果多少钱？” (zhè xiē píng guǒ duō shao qián?), meaning “How much are these apples?”
The seller could reply, “八块钱一斤” (bā kuài qián yī jīn), or “Eight yuan per jin.”
When buying gifts, you’d use “你买给谁的？” (nǐ mǎi gěi shéi de?), which is “Who are you buying it for?”
A simple answer: “我买给爸爸的” (wǒ mǎi gěi bà ba de), or “I’m buying it for my dad.”
Popular Nouns and Measure Words
Chinese shopping vocabulary has some must-know nouns and their measure words:
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 东西 | dōng xi | things/items |
| 杯子 | bēi zi | cup |
| 水果 | shuǐ guǒ | fruit |
| 苹果 | píng guǒ | apple |
The measure word 斤 (jīn) means 500 grams. You’ll see it a lot when buying produce.
For fruit like 苹果 (píng guǒ), sellers price by the jin instead of by each apple.
Color words like 红色 (hóng sè) for “red” help you describe things. The adjective 好看 (hǎo kàn) means “good-looking.”
You might ask, “这个杯子好看吗？” (zhè ge bēi zi hǎo kàn ma?), or “Is this cup good-looking?”
Special Numeric Expressions: 两 (liǎng)
The number 两 (liǎng) also means “two,” but it’s not the same as 二 (èr).
Liǎng goes before measure words, like in “我买两斤” (wǒ mǎi liǎng jīn), which means “I’ll buy two jin.”
You can’t use it for counting or phone numbers, only with measure words. So for “two cups,” you’d say “两个杯子” (liǎng gè bēi zi), not “二个杯子.”
Liǎng also pops up in bigger numbers, like 二十两 (èrshí liǎng), when two comes after tens, hundreds, or thousands.
Expressing Cost Per Unit
The structure “[Price] 钱 [quantity]” tells you the cost per unit. For example, “八块钱一斤” (bā kuài qián yī jīn) means “Eight yuan per jin.”
For single items, you might hear “六十二块钱一个” (liùshí èr kuài qián yī gè), which is “Sixty-two yuan each.”
The measure word 个 (gè) is super common for lots of objects. The character 给 (gěi) means “give” or “to” and connects the buyer with the recipient.
When talking about prices, 给 helps clarify who’s getting the item.
Frequently Asked Questions
The phrase “多少钱” (duō shǎo qián) is the standard way to ask prices in Mandarin. Cantonese speakers use other expressions, though.
Regional dialects and different situations can change how Chinese speakers ask about prices or quantities.
Advanced ways for how to say How Much in Chinese sentences:
- Chinese: 这本新出版的书多少钱？我在网上找了好久，想对比一下价格。
Pinyin: Zhè běn xīn chūbǎn de shū duōshao qián? Wǒ zài wǎngshang zhǎo le hǎojǐu, xiǎng duì bǐ yīxià jiàgé.
English: How much is this newly published book? I’ve been searching online for a while to compare prices. - Chinese: 超市里的有机蔬菜多少钱一公斤？标牌上写得不太清楚。
Pinyin: Chāoshì lǐ de yǒujī shūcài duōshao qián yī kēng? Biāo pái shàng xiě de bù tài qīngchu.
English: How much are the organic vegetables at the supermarket per kilogram? The price tag isn’t very clear. - Chinese: 他问售货员这个进口水果多少钱，却被告知是论个卖的。
Pinyin: Tā wèn shòu huò yuán zhège jǐnkǒu shuǐguǒ duōshao qián, què bèi gào zhī shì lùn gè mài de.
English: He asked the clerk how much the imported fruit was, only to be told it was sold individually. - Chinese: 在国外旅游时，我总是先问“这个多少钱？”以免出现尴尬的误会。
Pinyin: Zài wàiguó lǚyóu shí, wǒ zǒngshì xiān wèn “zhège duōshao qián?” yǐmiǎn chūxiàn gān gà de wùhuì.
English: When traveling abroad, I always ask, “How much is this?” first to avoid embarrassing misunderstandings. - Chinese: 孩子对售票员说：“请问我可以用多少钱买这张票？”
Pinyin: Háizi duì shòupiào yuán shuō: “Qǐng wèn wǒ kěyǐ yòng duōshao qián mǎi zhèzhāng piào?”
English: The child said to the ticket seller, “May I know how much this ticket costs?”
