Hallo! In our last lesson, you learned how to politely order food and drinks in a German restaurant using phrases like Ich hätte gern.... Now, it's time to complete the transaction.
Today, we will focus on the final and very important step of any purchase: asking for the price and paying. This is a crucial skill that applies not just in restaurants, but also in shops, markets, and cafes. Our goal is to master how to ask about prices and understand amounts using phrases like Was kostet...? and Das macht....
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to confidently inquire about the cost of an item and understand the total when it's time to pay.
1. How to Ask "How much?"
The most fundamental question when shopping is "How much does this cost?". In German, you have a couple of common ways to ask this.
Learn German - German in Three Minutes - How Much?
Let's start with a video from the GermanPod101.com channel that introduces the most basic phrase.
Watch from 00:35 to 01:09. You'll learn the simple question 'Wie viel kostet das?' and how to start the question politely with 'Entschuldigung'.
As you just saw, the basic phrase is:
- Wie viel kostet das? - How much does this cost?
Another very common alternative is:
- Was kostet das? - What does this cost?
Both are used interchangeably.
Singular vs. Plural: kostet or kosten?
The verb kosten (to cost) changes depending on whether you are asking about one item (singular) or multiple items (plural).
- kostet: for a single item (es, er, or sie)
- kosten: for multiple items (sie - they)
To see this in action and hear the pronunciation, let's watch a short video.
GERMAN LESSON 11: "How much is....?" in German "Wie viel kostet...? " 💰💰💰
The 'Learn German with Anja' video explains this singular and plural distinction very clearly.
Watch the first part of the video, from 00:00 to 01:30. Anja explains the difference between 'Wie viel kostet...?' and 'Was kostet...?' and demonstrates the use of 'kostet' vs. 'kosten'.
Asking about a Specific Item
To be more specific than just saying "this" (das), you can replace das with the name of the item. Here, you'll need to use the demonstrative pronouns dieser (masculine), diese (feminine), or dieses (neuter).
- Wie viel kostet dieser Pullover? (der Pullover)
- Wie viel kostet diese Hose? (die Hose)
- Wie viel kostet dieses Buch? (das Buch)
Learn German - German in Three Minutes - How Much?
Let's return to the GermanPod101.com video to see how to ask about specific items using their correct gender.
Watch the section from 01:09 to 02:34. It explains how to use 'dieser', 'diese', and 'dieses' based on the noun's gender.
2. Understanding the Answer
Once you've asked the price, you need to understand the reply. A vendor or waiter will typically use one of these phrases:
- Das kostet... (That costs...)
- Das macht... (That makes... / That comes to...)
- Das sind... (That is...)
For example:
- Das kostet zehn Euro.
- Das macht fünfzehn Euro fünfzig.
- Das sind zusammen zwanzig Euro.
To understand prices, a solid grasp of numbers is essential. You've already learned numbers up to 100 in Module 4, but let's do a quick review.
Beginners' German: Food and drink
This resource from OpenLearn provides a good summary of numbers from 1-100. It's a great refresher.
Find the section titled 'Language: Numbers 1–100' (within section 6). Quickly review the patterns, especially for numbers above 20, like 'einundzwanzig' (one-and-twenty).
Practice with Numbers
To ensure you're comfortable with the numbers, try this practice sheet.
Click for a hint on the answers
- Exercise A: Match the words to the numbers (e.g., elf -> 11).
- Exercise B: Write the numbers as digits (e.g., fünfundvierzig -> 45).
- Exercise C: Write the digits as words (e.g., 33 -> dreiunddreißig).
Check your work carefully. The pattern (unit)und(ten) is key!
3. Paying the Bill in a Restaurant
Now let's apply this knowledge to the restaurant scenario from our last lesson. After you've enjoyed your meal, you need to ask for the bill (die Rechnung).
Key phrases for paying include:
- Zahlen, bitte! - The bill, please! (Literally: "To pay, please!")
- Ich möchte zahlen, bitte. - I would like to pay, please.
- The waiter might ask: Zusammen oder getrennt? - Together or separately?
- When paying, the waiter will state the total: Das macht 15 Euro.
- If you want to leave a tip, you can round up the amount and say: Stimmt so. - Keep the change. (Literally: "It's correct like that.") For example, if the bill is 18 Euro, you can hand over a 20 Euro note and say Stimmt so.
Beginners' German: Food and drink
The 'Paying the bill' section in the OpenLearn resource is perfect for this. It includes audio dialogues that bring these phrases to life.
Read through section '6 Paying the bill'. Pay close attention to the dialogue in 'Activity 20' and the vocabulary provided. Listen to the audio to hear the correct pronunciation.
4. Practice Exercises
Let's test your listening and speaking skills with some practical exercises.
Exercise 1: Listening for Prices
In this exercise, you'll listen to a conversation where a customer queries their bill. Your task is to listen carefully and identify the prices mentioned.
Beginners' German: Food and drink
This audio exercise from OpenLearn will test your ability to pick out numbers and understand costs in a conversation.
Find 'Activity 21' in the 'Paying the bill' section. Listen to the audio clip (Audio 16) and answer the five questions below it. For example, 'What is the price of the salmon steak?' You can check your answers in the resource.
Exercise 2: Role-Play
Now it's your turn to speak. In this role-play, you will be the customer paying your bill.
Beginners' German: Food and drink
This final audio exercise from OpenLearn lets you actively participate in a dialogue.
Go to 'Activity 22' in the 'Paying the bill' section. Listen to the audio (Audio 17) and follow the prompts you hear to respond out loud. You will call the waiter, say you want to pay separately, and then pay your bill with a tip.
Conclusion
Sehr gut! You have now covered the entire process of a transaction in German, from ordering to paying. You've learned how to ask for prices in different ways and how to understand and state amounts.
Key Takeaways:
- To ask the price: Wie viel kostet das? or Was kostet das?
- Remember the verb conjugation: kostet for singular, kosten for plural.
- To understand the total: Listen for Das kostet... or Das macht...
- To pay in a restaurant: Use Zahlen, bitte! and know the difference between zusammen and getrennt.
- A simple way to tip is to round up and say Stimmt so.
Preview of the Next Lesson:
In our next lesson, we will stay in the restaurant setting but shift our focus to reading a simple German menu and identifying dishes and ingredients. This will further build your confidence and vocabulary for dining out.