Quick answer
“How much” in Chinese is 多少钱 (duōshǎo qián)
How to Say “How Much” in Chinese
“How much” in Chinese is 多少钱 (duōshǎo qián) — the standard phrase for asking the price of something. For quantities, drop 钱 and say 多少 (duōshǎo); in street markets you’ll often hear 怎么卖 (zěnme mài) instead.
Common phrases
一共多少钱？多少钱一斤？多少钱一个？多少水？要多少？
How to use it
- 多少钱 (duōshǎo qián) is specifically about price. For amounts in general, use 多少 plus a measure word or noun: 多少水 (duōshǎo shuǐ, how much water), 多少人 (duōshǎo rén, how many people).
- 怎么卖 (zěnme mài) is a relaxed, everyday price question in markets and street stalls. It literally means “how do you sell it?” and you’ll hear it all the time from both sides of the stall.
- Be careful with 吗: question words like 多少 already make the sentence a question, so adding 吗 is a grammar mistake. Politely introduce the question with 请问 (qǐngwèn) instead.
- The tone of 少 in 多少 is third tone (shǎo), and the 一 in 一共 (yígòng) shifts to second tone before 共. Saying duōsháo instead of duōshǎo is a common learner slip.
Example sentences
这个多少钱？
zhège duōshǎo qián
How much is this?
The everyday way to ask a price. No 是 and no 吗 needed.
请问，这个多少钱？
qǐngwèn zhège duōshǎo qián
Excuse me, how much is this?
Add 请问 (qǐngwèn) at the start to make the question polite and natural in shops.
苹果怎么卖？
píngguǒ zěnme mài
How much are the apples? (How do you sell the apples?)
怎么卖 literally asks the selling method, but in context it means “what’s your price?” — very common with vendors.
一共多少钱？
yígòng duōshǎo qián
How much is it altogether?
Use 一共 (yígòng) when buying several items and asking for the total. Note the tone change: yì + gòng = yígòng.
你要多少？
nǐ yào duōshǎo
How much do you want?
No 钱 here — this asks about quantity, not price.
Common mistakes
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 这个多少钱 |
这个多少钱？ | English speakers often add 吗 because “How much is it?” feels like a question, but 多少钱 already forms the question. 吗 turns it into an ungrammatical yes/no pattern. |
| 多少 |
多少水？ | 多少钱 means “what price” — asking about cost, not quantity. To ask “how much water?”, use 多少 + noun and leave out 钱. |
| Unnatural | Natural | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 这个东西 |
这个东西多少钱？ | A literal translation of “How much does this cost?” with 花费 (huāfèi, to spend) sounds stiff. In everyday Chinese, just name the item and follow it with 多少钱. |
FAQ
- How do you say “how much” in Chinese?Say 多少钱 (duōshǎo qián) to ask for a price. For example, 这个多少钱？(Zhège duōshǎo qián?) means “How much is this?” For quantity, say just 多少 (duōshǎo), like 多少水？(duōshǎo shuǐ, how much water?).
- What is the difference between 多少 and 多少钱?多少 (duōshǎo) means “how much” or “how many” in general. Add 钱 (qián, money) and it becomes a question about price. Ask 多少钱 for cost, but use 多少 + noun or measure word for amounts.
- Can I use 怎么卖 to ask a price?Yes — 怎么卖 (zěnme mài) literally means “how do you sell it?” and is a natural way to ask prices in markets and street stalls. Example: 这个怎么卖？(Zhège zěnme mài?)
- Do I need to add 吗 when asking “how much” in Chinese?No. 多少钱 is already a complete question, so adding 吗 sounds unnatural. Say 这个多少钱？(Zhège duōshǎo qián?) — never 这个多少钱吗？