Italian Phrase
Quanto costano le mele?
Meaning
A direct question asking for the price of apples. It is the standard way to inquire about the cost of a plural, countable item in a shop or market.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are at a fruit stall, supermarket, or any place where apples are sold and you want to know the current price, usually expressed per kilogram or per piece.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quantocostanolemele
Quanto (interrogative adverb)
Used to ask 'how much' and agrees with the verb, not with the noun.
costano (verb costare, 3rd person plural)
Present tense of 'costare' meaning 'to cost'; the -ano ending matches a plural subject.
le (definite article, plural feminine)
Introduces a plural feminine noun; it must agree in gender and number.
mele (plural of mela)
Feminine plural noun meaning 'apples'.
🗨In Conversation
Quanto costano le mele?
How much do the apples cost?
Le mele costano due euro al chilo.
The apples cost two euros per kilo.
✕Common Mistakes
Quanto costa le mele?
Use the plural form 'costano' because the subject 'le mele' is plural.
Quanto costano le mela?
The noun must agree with the article; 'mela' is singular, so you need 'la mela' or keep the plural 'le mele'.
Quanto costano le mele??
Do not add a question mark after the verb when speaking; the intonation alone signals a question.
↔Alternatives
Quanto valgono le mele?
How much are the apples worth?
Che prezzo hanno le mele?
What price do the apples have?
Le mele costano quanto?
The apples cost how much?
Cultural Tip
In Italy, fruit is typically priced per kilogram rather than per piece. When you ask the price, the seller will usually reply with a figure like 'due euro al chilo'. Bargaining is uncommon in regular supermarkets, but in open‑air markets you might hear a friendly 'un po' più basso?' (a little lower?). Also, remember that regional dialects can affect pronunciation – in the north you may hear a shorter 'e' in 'mele'.