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Spanish Phrase

¿Esta tienda es cara?

/ˈes.ta ˈtjen.da es ˈka.ɾa/
Meaning"Is this store expensive?"
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Meaning

The speaker is asking whether the store they are looking at has high prices. It can be used both literally (the shop’s items are pricey) and figuratively (the shop is considered expensive compared to others).

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When to use

Use this question when you want to know the overall price level of a shop, for example before entering, while comparing malls, or when a friend recommends a place and you’re curious about the cost.

✦Grammar Breakdown

¿Estatiendaescara?

1

Demonstrative adjective (esta)

‘Esta’ is a feminine singular demonstrative adjective meaning ‘this’, placed before the noun it modifies.

2

Verb ‘ser’ (es)

‘Es’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘ser’, used for inherent qualities like price.

3

Adjective agreement (cara)

‘Cara’ is a feminine singular adjective meaning ‘expensive’; it must agree in gender and number with ‘tienda’.

4

Interrogative punctuation

Spanish uses an opening ‘¿’ and a closing ‘?’ for questions; the verb‑subject order can be inverted for emphasis.

🗨In Conversation

A

¿Esta tienda es cara?

Is this store expensive?

Sí, es un poco cara, pero la calidad de sus productos es excelente.

Yes, it’s a bit pricey, but the quality of its products is excellent.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • ¿Esta tienda está cara?

    ‘Estar’ describes temporary states; price is an inherent characteristic, so use ‘ser’ (es) not ‘estar’ (está).

  • ¿Esta tienda es caro?

    Because ‘tienda’ is feminine, the adjective must be feminine ‘cara’, not masculine ‘caro’.

  • ¿Ésta tienda es cara?

    Do not omit the accent; ‘ésta’ used to be written with an accent for clarity, but modern orthography prefers ‘esta’ without an accent when there’s no ambiguity.

↔Alternatives

  • ¿Esta tienda es costosa?

    Is this store costly?

  • ¿Esta tienda tiene precios altos?

    Does this store have high prices?

  • ¿Es cara esta tienda?

    Is this store expensive?

es

Cultural Tip

In many Spanish‑speaking countries, directly calling something ‘caro’ can sound blunt. Native speakers often soften the comment with phrases like ‘un poco caro’ or ‘tiene precios altos’. Also, note that the word order can be flipped to ‘¿Es cara esta tienda?’ which sounds a bit more formal.