Prix or coût? Ask the price and compare the total cost

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Ask a price in French, compare an order’s total cost and recognise prix as a prize. Clothes pictures, a clear calculation and four questions at A2.

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In short

Le prix is the price asked or paid; le coût is the cost of an item or activity. They can refer to the same amount. To ask what something costs, Combien ça coûte ? is a natural everyday question.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A customer asks a shop assistant about a terracotta dress.
The customer asks quel est le prix de cette robe. Illustration: Atelier

What is the difference between prix and coût?

Name the item before asking its price

Une commande de vêtements
  1. Cliente

    Bonjour. Quel est le prix de cette robe ?

    Hello. What is the price of this dress?

  2. Vendeur

    Elle coûte quarante euros.

    It costs forty euros.

  3. Cliente

    La livraison est comprise ?

    Is delivery included?

  4. Vendeur

    Non, elle coûte cinq euros de plus.

    No, it costs another five euros.

  5. Cliente

    Donc, le coût total est de quarante-cinq euros.

    So the total cost is forty-five euros.

What is included in this order?
ItemAmount
Dress price40 €
Delivery5 €
Total cost of this order45 €

The label gives the dress’s prix. Here the coût total includes the dress and delivery. If delivery were free, both amounts would be forty euros. For a journey, le coût du voyage can bring together transport, accommodation and other expenses.

Singular, plural and the verb

Study first: match the subject
FrenchEnglish
Ce prix est élevé.This price is high.
Ces prix sont élevés.These prices are high.
Le coût total est élevé.The total cost is high.
Les coûts de transport sont élevés.Transport costs are high.
Combien coûte ce billet ?How much does this ticket cost?
Combien coûtent ces billets ?How much do these tickets cost?

Prix keeps its final -x in the singular and plural. Coût takes a plural -s: des coûts. The spelling cout also exists; this page uses coût. With coûter, the item is the subject: one ticket coûte, several tickets coûtent.

Cette robe coûte plus cher que l’autre.

This dress costs more than the other one.

After coûter, cher works as an adverb and stays unchanged. Compare the adjective in cette robe est chère.

What else does prix mean in French?

Ce roman a reçu un prix.

This novel won an award.

A competition or award changes the meaning of prix. Gagner un prix means winning a prize; le prix d’un livre usually means the price of a book.

Question 1No account needed
In the dialogue, what is the total including delivery?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Quarante-cinq euros.. The dress is forty euros and delivery adds five euros: forty-five altogether.

Question 2No account needed
Complete the question.Combien ___ ces chaussures ?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

coûtent. The subject ces chaussures is plural, so the verb is coûtent.

Question 3No account needed
Which sentence concerns an award?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Elle a gagné un prix.. Gagner un prix means winning a prize in an award or competition context.

Question 4No account needed
Choose the correct spelling after coûte.Cette robe coûte plus ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

cher. In coûter plus cher, cher is an adverb and stays unchanged.

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