español · A2 · vocabulary · 4 minutes
Shopping and money
Ask the price, judge the offer, and choose how to pay.
Understand the choice
Handle the three moments of a purchase: asking the price, judging whether it is affordable, and choosing how to pay. The useful unit is not precio alone but phrases such as ¿Cuánto cuesta?, estar de oferta, and pagar con tarjeta.
Core rule: Use costar for a price and pagar con for a payment method.
Notice it in context
La chaqueta cuesta cuarenta euros, pero está de oferta.
The jacket costs forty euros, but it is on sale.
Use costar for a price and pagar con for a payment method.
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
Can I pay by card?
Con introduces the payment method.
Busco algo más barato.
I am looking for something cheaper.
Más + adjective makes a comparison.
What to remember
- Costar states a price; caro and barato judge that price from the speaker’s point of view.
- Cambio can mean coins returned after payment or a replacement or exchange, so the shop context matters.
Common trap: Precio is the noun “price”; it cannot replace cuesta in ¿Cuánto cuesta? Say el precio es… or cuesta…, not el precio cuesta es…