A1.19: Prices and money

Precios y dinero

Learn essential Spanish vocabulary for shopping and payments, including key words like 'pagar' (to pay), 'efectivo' (cash), and 'descuento' (discount). Master useful expressions to ask prices and talk about money with adverbs like 'mucho' and 'bastante'.

Listening & reading materials

Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.

A1.19.1 Diálogo

Pagar en el café

Pay at the café


Vocabulary (16)

 El precio: The price (Spanish)

El precio

Show

The price Show

 Comprar (to buy) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Comprar

Show

To buy Show

 El dinero: The money (Spanish)

El dinero

Show

The money Show

 El euro: The euro (Spanish)

El euro

Show

The euro Show

 La factura: The invoice (Spanish)

La factura

Show

The invoice Show

 El descuento: The discount (Spanish)

El descuento

Show

The discount Show

 El cambio: The exchange (Spanish)

El cambio

Show

The exchange Show

 Barato: cheap (Spanish)

Barato

Show

Cheap Show

 Caro: expensive (Spanish)

Caro

Show

Expensive Show

 La tienda: The shop (Spanish)

La tienda

Show

The shop Show

 Pagar (to pay) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Pagar

Show

To pay Show

 Costar (to cost) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Costar

Show

To cost Show

 La tarjeta: The card (Spanish)

La tarjeta

Show

The card Show

 El efectivo: cash (Spanish)

El efectivo

Show

Cash Show

 La cuenta: The bill (Spanish)

La cuenta

Show

The bill Show

 Vender (to sell) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Vender

Show

To sell Show

Exercises

These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.

Exercise 1: Reorder sentences

Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.

Show answers
1.
chaqueta? | ¿Cuánto | esta | cuesta
¿Cuánto cuesta esta chaqueta?
(How much does this jacket cost?)
2.
con efectivo? | o solo | ¿Puedo pagar | con tarjeta
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta o solo con efectivo?
(Can I pay with card or only with cash?)
3.
vestido | es | ¿verdad? | barato, | Este | bastante
Este vestido es bastante barato, ¿verdad?
(This dress is quite cheap, right?)
4.
¿hay | dinero, | poco | descuento? | Tengo | algún
Tengo poco dinero, ¿hay algún descuento?
(I have little money, is there any discount?)
5.
da | el | ¿Me | favor? | por | cambio,
¿Me da el cambio, por favor?
(Can you give me the change, please?)
6.
muchos | de | monedas. | diferentes | Venden | billetes
Venden muchos billetes de diferentes monedas.
(They sell many bills of different currencies.)

Exercise 2: Match a word

Instruction: Match the translations

¿Cuánto cuesta este vestido en la tienda del centro? (How much does this dress cost in the downtown store?)
Prefiero pagar con tarjeta porque no llevo efectivo. (I prefer to pay by card because I don't carry cash.)
Hay un descuento bastante bueno en los billetes de tren hoy. (There is a pretty good discount on train tickets today.)
Esta fruta está barata porque es de temporada. (This fruit is cheap because it is in season.)

Exercise 3: Cluster the words

Instruction: Classify the following words into two categories related to money and payment methods.

Medios de pago

Precios y acciones de compra

Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence

Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.

1

Vender


To sell

2

El descuento


The discount

3

El euro


The euro

4

La tarjeta


The card

5

La factura


The invoice

Ejercicio 5: Conversation exercise

Instrucción:

  1. Imagine you are on the market. What would you like to buy? How do you pay? (Imagine you are on the market. What would you like to buy? How do you pay?)
  2. Name and discuss the prices. Is it cheap or expensive? Ask for a discount. (Name and discuss the prices. Is it cheap or expensive? Ask for a discount.)

Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes

Example phrases:

Quiero comprar pan y manzanas.

I want to buy some bread and apples.

No quiero comprar nada.

I don't want to buy anything.

Las naranjas son bastante caras.

The oranges are quite expensive.

Las cebollas son baratas.

The onions are cheap.

¿Puedo pagar en efectivo o con tarjeta?

Can I pay cash or by card?

¿Hay algún descuento para las verduras?

Is there a discount for the vegetables?

¿Cuánto cuestan las naranjas?

How much do the oranges cost?

Las manzanas cuestan tres euros con cincuenta.

The apples cost three euros fifty.

...

Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards

Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.

Exercise 7: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. ¿Cuánto ____ usted por esta camisa en la tienda?

(How much ____ you pay for this shirt in the store?)

2. Esta camisa ____ veinte euros, pero tiene un descuento.

(This shirt ____ twenty euros, but it has a discount.)

3. Yo siempre ____ con tarjeta en esta tienda porque es más seguro.

(I always ____ by card in this store because it is safer.)

4. Ellos ____ productos locales y el precio es bastante barato.

(They ____ local products and the price is quite cheap.)

Exercise 8: Shopping in the store with different payment methods

Instruction:

Esta mañana, yo (Pagar - Presente) con tarjeta en la tienda porque no llevo efectivo. El precio (Ser - Presente) un poco caro, pero hay un descuento. Mi amiga Ana (Comprar - Presente) dos unidades y dice que le (Costar - Presente) bastante. El dependiente siempre (Vender - Presente) productos de buena calidad. Nosotros siempre (Pagar - Presente) con billetes cuando no tenemos tarjeta.


This morning, I pay with card in the store because I don’t carry cash. The price is a bit expensive, but there is a discount. My friend Ana buys two units and says it costs her quite a lot. The clerk always sells good quality products. We always pay with bills when we don’t have a card.

Verb Tables

Pagar - To Pay

Presente

  • yo pago
  • tú pagas
  • él/ella/Ud. paga
  • nosotros pagamos
  • vosotros pagáis
  • ellos/ellas/Uds. pagan

Ser - To Be

Presente

  • yo soy
  • tú eres
  • él/ella/Ud. es
  • nosotros somos
  • vosotros sois
  • ellos/ellas/Uds. son

Comprar - To Buy

Presente

  • yo compro
  • tú compras
  • él/ella/Ud. compra
  • nosotros compramos
  • vosotros compráis
  • ellos/ellas/Uds. compran

Costar - To Cost

Presente

  • yo cuesto
  • tú cuestas
  • él/ella/Ud. cuesta
  • nosotros costamos
  • vosotros costáis
  • ellos/ellas/Uds. cuestan

Vender - To Sell

Presente

  • yo vendo
  • tú vendes
  • él/ella/Ud. vende
  • nosotros vendemos
  • vosotros vendéis
  • ellos/ellas/Uds. venden

Exercise 9: Adverbios de cantidad: "Mucho, poco, bastante,..."

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Grammar: Adverbs of quantity: "Mucho, poco, bastante,..."

Show translation Show answers

poco, muchas, pocos, nada, mucha, mucho, bastante

1.
Tengo ... euros en mi bolsillo.
(I have few euros in my pocket.)
2.
Este precio es ... alto.
(This price is quite high.)
3.
Esto es ... efectivo.
(This is not very effective.)
4.
En esta tienda no hay ... interesante.
(There is nothing interesting in this shop.)
5.
Tengo ... energía.
(I have a lot of energy.)
6.
Pago ... por esta ropa.
(I pay a lot for these clothes.)
7.
Tengo ... amigas.
(I have many friends.)
8.
Esto no cuesta ....
(This costs nothing.)

Grammar

It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!

A1.19.2 Gramática

Adverbios de cantidad: "Mucho, poco, bastante,..."

Adverbs of quantity: "Mucho, poco, bastante,..."


Verb conjugation tables for this lesson

Pagar to pay

Presente

Spanish English
(yo) pago I pay
(tú) pagas You pay
(él/ella) paga he/she pays
(nosotros/nosotras) pagamos we pay
(vosotros/vosotras) pagáis You pay
(ellos/ellas) pagan they pay

Exercises and examples phrases

Costar to cost

Presente

Spanish English
cuesta costs

Exercises and examples phrases

Vender to sell

Presente

Spanish English
(yo) vendo I sell
(tú) vendes you sell
(él/ella) vende he sells/she sells
(nosotros/nosotras) vendemos we sell
(vosotros/vosotras) vendéis You sell
(ellos/ellas) venden they sell

Exercises and examples phrases

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Prices and Money in Spanish

This lesson introduces you to essential vocabulary and expressions related to prices, money, and ways to pay in Spanish. You'll learn how to ask about costs, discuss payment methods, and describe amounts using common adverbs of quantity. The focus is on practical language used in everyday shopping and payment situations.

Key Vocabulary

  • Medios de pago (Payment methods): el efectivo (cash), la tarjeta (card), los billetes (banknotes), la moneda (coin), el euro (euro)
  • Precios y acciones de compra (Prices and shopping actions): barato (cheap), caro (expensive), el descuento (discount), pagar (to pay)

Using Quantity Adverbs

Adverbs such as mucho (a lot), poco (little), and bastante (quite/enough) help you express how much of something there is, which is very useful when talking about money or prices. For example:

  • Este vestido es bastante barato, ¿verdad? (This dress is quite cheap, right?)
  • Tengo poco dinero, ¿hay algún descuento? (I have little money, is there any discount?)
  • Venden muchos billetes de diferentes monedas. (They sell many banknotes of different currencies.)

Common Questions and Phrases

You will learn how to ask and answer common questions like:

  • ¿Cuánto cuesta...?? (How much does ... cost?)
  • ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta o solo con efectivo? (Can I pay by card or only with cash?)
  • ¿Me da el cambio, por favor? (Can you give me the change, please?)

Practical Dialogues

Practice conversations in different settings such as clothes shops, cafés, and outdoor markets. These dialogues help you become comfortable asking prices, choosing payment methods, and understanding sellers' responses.

Verb Conjugations Related to Purchases

The lesson includes present tense conjugations of important verbs like pagar (to pay), costar (to cost), vender (to sell), comprar (to buy), and ser (to be), which are essential for describing actions and prices.

Short Story for Context

A mini story illustrates a shopping experience using different payment methods and applying the verbs and vocabulary learned. It reinforces comprehension and usage in a natural context.

Notes on Language Differences

In Spanish, asking about prices often uses the verb costar (to cost) instead of pagar (to pay), which contrasts with the English emphasis on the act of paying. For example, ¿Cuánto cuesta esta chaqueta? literally means "How much does this jacket cost?" whereas in English you might simply ask "How much is this jacket?"

Also, Spanish frequently uses formal and informal forms depending on the context, like usted (formal you) in payment questions—important to notice in conversations.

Useful Phrases

  • ¿Cuánto cuesta esta prenda? – How much does this garment cost?
  • ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? – Can I pay by card?
  • ¿Hay algún descuento hoy? – Is there any discount today?
  • Me da el cambio, por favor. – Please give me the change.
  • Tengo poco dinero. – I have little money.

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