French Phrase
Ça va coûter combien ?
Meaning
Literally, ‘It’s going to cost how much?’ – a casual way to ask the price of something you’re about to buy or that someone just mentioned. It’s the spoken equivalent of the more formal ‘Combien cela coûtera‑t‑il ?’.
When to use
Use this phrase in everyday situations: at a market stall, in a café when you’re unsure of the bill, or when a friend mentions a future expense. It’s informal, so reserve it for friends, acquaintances, or any setting where a relaxed tone is appropriate.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Çavacoûtercombien?
Ça (demonstrative pronoun)
‘Ça’ is the informal form of ‘cela’, meaning ‘that/it’; it is often used in spoken French to refer to a situation or object already mentioned.
Near‑future construction (aller + infinitive)
‘Va’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘aller’. When followed by an infinitive (coûter), it expresses a near‑future action: ‘is going to cost’.
Coûter (verb)
‘Coûter’ means ‘to cost’. In the infinitive after ‘aller’, it keeps its regular –er ending.
Combien (interrogative adverb)
‘Combien’ asks for a quantity or price. It is placed at the end of the sentence in informal spoken French.
Punctuation
The question mark is essential; the sentence is not inverted, which keeps the tone casual.
🗨In Conversation
Je veux prendre le cours de cuisine ce week‑end.
I want to take the cooking class this weekend.
Ça va coûter combien ?
How much will it cost?
✕Common Mistakes
C’est va coûter combien ?
‘C’est’ means ‘it is’; the correct pronoun for this construction is ‘ça’.
Combien va coûter ça ?
The order ‘combien va coûter’ sounds unnatural; keep ‘ça va coûter combien’ or move ‘combien’ to the front.
Ça va couter combien ?
Don’t drop the circumflex; ‘couter’ changes the meaning to ‘to count’.
↔Alternatives
Combien ça va coûter ?
How much will it cost?
Ça coûtera combien ?
How much will it cost?
Quel sera le prix ?
What will the price be?
Combien cela coûtera‑t‑il ?
How much will that cost? (formal)
Cultural Tip
In French, the level of formality matters. While ‘Ça va coûter combien ?’ is perfectly natural among peers, in a formal shop or with a stranger you might prefer ‘Quel sera le prix ?’ or ‘Combien cela coûtera‑t‑il ?’. Also, French speakers often add a polite ‘s’il vous plaît’ after the question if they’re asking a vendor directly.