French - Prices & Quantities

Lesson 17 of 159

Learner at a French market practicing asking prices and quantities in French.

Goal: Short, useful phrases for shopping and paying

Free French lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Ready for a quick market run? This lesson gives you phrases to ask prices, request amounts, and talk about paying. Keep it light — shopping can be fun!

Level A1: In this lesson you will practice common French phrases for asking prices, totals, quantities and payment. You'll hear and repeat lines like "___, c'est combien ?", "Ça fait combien en tout ?", and "En espèces ou par carte ?" — helpful in shops, cafés and markets. This CEFR-aligned set is great for short real-world interactions (Lesson 17: market edition).

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Ask how much something costs and ask the total.
  • Request a quantity politely and say a price is too expensive.
  • Use simple phrases to ask about unit price and payment method.
  • Feel confident at the shop counter (Level A1).
Close-up of a friendly shop counter with price tags — useful for learning shopping phrases in French.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

___, c'est combien ?

How much is ___?

Meaning: How much is ___?

When to use: Use this to ask the price of a specific item in shops or cafés.

Ce pain, c'est combien ?
How much is this bread?
La bouteille d'eau, c'est combien ?
How much is the bottle of water?

C'est ___.

It's ___.

Meaning: It's ___.

When to use: State a price or amount when someone asks.

C'est 10 euros.
It's 10 euros.
C'est 2 euros l'unité.
It's 2 euros each.

Ça fait combien en tout ?

How much is the total?

Meaning: How much is the total?

When to use: Ask for the total when you want to know the full bill.

Ça fait combien en tout ?
How much is it in total?
J'ai deux croissants et un café — ça fait combien en tout ?
I have two croissants and a coffee — how much altogether?

Combien ?

How many?

Meaning: How many?

When to use: Ask about quantity; context tells if you mean items or price.

Combien voulez-vous ?
How many do you want?
Combien pour une douzaine ?
How much for a dozen?

C'est combien ?

How much?

Meaning: How much is it?

When to use: Very common to ask the price of something.

C'est combien ?
How much is it?
Excusez-moi, c'est combien pour ce sandwich ?
Excuse me, how much for this sandwich?

___, s'il vous plaît.

___, please.

Meaning: ___, please.

When to use: Polite request for a specific quantity or item in shops or cafés.

Une baguette, s'il vous plaît.
A baguette, please.
Deux cafés, s'il vous plaît.
Two coffees, please.

Juste ___, s'il vous plaît.

Just ___, please.

Meaning: Just ___, please.

When to use: Ask for only a small or limited amount politely.

Juste un morceau de fromage, s'il vous plaît.
Just a piece of cheese, please.
Juste une part, s'il vous plaît.
Just one slice, please.

C'est trop cher.

That's too expensive.

Meaning: That's too expensive.

When to use: Say this to comment that a price is too high for you.

Tip: Beginners sometimes say "C'est très cher" — correct but "C'est trop cher" is more common to refuse.

Non merci, c'est trop cher.
No thanks, that's too expensive.
Pour ce prix-là, c'est trop cher.
For that price, it's too expensive.

Vous avez moins cher ?

Do you have a cheaper one?

Meaning: Do you have a cheaper one?

When to use: Ask in a shop if there is a lower-priced option.

Vous avez moins cher ?
Do you have a cheaper one?
Ce modèle est cher — vous avez moins cher ?
This model is expensive — do you have a cheaper one?

J'ai pas assez d'argent.

I don't have enough money.

Meaning: I don't have enough money.

When to use: Explain that you don't have sufficient cash to pay.

J'ai pas assez d'argent.
I don't have enough money.
Désolé, j'ai pas assez d'argent pour ça.
Sorry, I don't have enough money for that.

En espèces ou par carte ?

Cash or card?

Meaning: Cash or card?

When to use: Ask or offer a payment choice at the end of a purchase.

En espèces ou par carte ?
Cash or card?
Vous payez en espèces ou par carte ?
Are you paying cash or card?

C'est le prix à l'unité ?

Is that each?

Meaning: Is that each?

When to use: Ask if the stated price applies per item.

C'est le prix à l'unité ?
Is that the unit price?
Le prix est pour une bouteille — c'est le prix à l'unité ?
The price is for one bottle — is that the price each?

___ l'unité.

___ each.

Meaning: ___ each.

When to use: State a unit price, for example '2 euros each.'

2 euros l'unité.
2 euros each.
0,50 € l'unité.
€0.50 each.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna at a market buying apples from David

Two people at a market stall using simple French phrases to ask about price and payment.

What does Anna ask about after she hears the price?

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Trois pommes, s'il vous plaît.

Three apples, please.

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Ça fait 3 euros l'unité.

That's 3 euros each.

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Ça fait combien en tout ?

How much is it in total?

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Ça fait 9 euros.

That's 9 euros.

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

C'est trop cher. Vous avez moins cher ?

That's too expensive. Do you have a cheaper one?

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

En espèces ou par carte ?

Cash or card?

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase asks for the total bill?

How do you say 'That's too expensive'?

Which is the polite way to request a specific item?

You want to know if the displayed price is for one item. Which phrase do you use?

At the counter: 'I have two sandwiches and a drink — How much is it in total?'

At the counter: 'I have two sandwiches and a drink — ___'

You want only one piece: 'Just a piece, please.'

You want only one piece: '___'

You see a price and want to ask: 'Is that the price for each item?' — 'Is that the unit price?'

You see a price and want to ask: 'Is that the price for each item?' — '___'

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

___, c'est combien ?

How much is ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

C'est ___.

It's ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ça fait combien en tout ?

How much is the total?

Say this phrase out loud:

Combien ?

How many?

Say this phrase out loud:

C'est combien ?

How much is it?

Say this phrase out loud:

___, s'il vous plaît.

___, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

Juste ___, s'il vous plaît.

Just ___, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

C'est trop cher.

That's too expensive.

Say this phrase out loud:

Vous avez moins cher ?

Do you have a cheaper one?

Say this phrase out loud:

J'ai pas assez d'argent.

I don't have enough money.

Say this phrase out loud:

En espèces ou par carte ?

Cash or card?

Say this phrase out loud:

C'est le prix à l'unité ?

Is that each?

Say this phrase out loud:

___ l'unité.

___ each.