“How much is this” in Chinese: how to say it and how to write it
How much is this?
“How much is this?” in Chinese is 这个多少钱？, zhège duōshao qián — roughly “juh-guh dwoh-shaow chyen”. Word for word it is “this how much money?”: there is no verb “cost” in the phrase at all.
What the phrase is made of
- 这个zhègethis, this one
- 多少duōshaohow much, how many
- 钱qiánmoney
这个 is “this one here”: at a market, pointing at the thing is enough. 多少 is built from “much” and “little” — together they make “how much”. You don’t need the question particle 吗: the phrase already has a question word. Instead of 这个 you can name the thing itself, or leave it out altogether:
- 多少钱？duōshaoqiánhow much is it?
- 一杯茶多少钱？yìbēicháduōshaoqiánhow much is a cup of tea?
- 一共多少钱？yígòngduōshaoqiánhow much altogether? what do I owe you?
Understanding the answer: 块, 元 and 毛
- 块kuàiyuan, as it is saidspoken
- 元yuányuan, as it is writtenon price tags
- 毛máomao, a tenth of a yuanspoken
The price tag says 元, but out loud the seller will almost always say 块. It isn’t slang — it is simply how people talk, a bit like “bucks” but perfectly neutral. A price is just a number plus 块. Often 钱 is added at the end: “three kuai of money”.
- 一百块。yìbǎikuàia hundred yuan
- 这个三块五毛。zhègesānkuàiwǔmáothis one is three yuan fifty
- 一个苹果三块钱。yígepíngguǒsānkuàiqiánone apple is three yuan
To catch the price you need the numbers — they are in the article “Chinese numbers”: from one to a million, with recordings.
How to say “too expensive” and ask for a discount
- 太贵了！tàiguìletoo expensive!
- 便宜一点儿吧。piányiyìdiǎnrbamake it a bit cheaper
- 我要这个。wǒyàozhègeI’ll take this one
and are a pair that will get you through any market. The pattern 太…了 means “too”: 太贵了. The particle 吧 at the end softens the request: not “cheaper!” but “come on, a little cheaper”. In shops with price tags and in chain cafés nobody haggles; at markets and souvenir stalls you can.
A dialogue in a shop
- 这个多少钱？zhègeduōshaoqián— How much is this?
- 一百块。yìbǎikuài— A hundred yuan.
- 太贵了，便宜一点儿吧。tàiguìle,piányiyìdiǎnrba— That’s too expensive, make it a bit cheaper.
- 我要这个。wǒyàozhège— I’ll take this one.
Common mistakes
The character 便 is read biàn in the word for “convenient”, but in 便宜 it is pián. Say “biànyi” and the seller won’t understand. In 多少 the second syllable is light and unstressed: not “dwoh-SHAOW” but “DWOH-shaow”. And qián is the second tone — the voice rises, as in a surprised “what?”. The q is not the English “k” it looks like: it sounds like “ch” said with the tongue tip behind the lower teeth, so qián comes out close to “chyen”.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “how much is this” in Chinese?
“How much is this” in Chinese is 这个多少钱, in pinyin zhège duōshao qián.
How do you pronounce 这个多少钱?
这个多少钱 is read zhège duōshao qián. The marks over the vowels are the tones: each syllable has its own melody, so listen to the recording on this page and repeat it.
How do you write “how much is this” in Chinese characters?
这个多少钱 is 5 characters. What each one means and how the phrase is put together is explained on this page.
What does 这个多少钱 mean?
这个多少钱 (zhège duōshao qián) means “how much is this”.
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