How to say "how much is this?" in Modern Standard Arabic
بِكَمْ هَذَا؟
bikam hadha?
- Without tashkeel
- بكم هذا؟
- Franco / chat alphabet
- bekam hatha?
- Literally
- for-how-much this
When to use it
The short, standard way to ask a price while pointing at something. hadha is used for a masculine noun and hadhihi for a feminine one. It is understood everywhere, though in a real market the seller will answer in dialect.
Other ways to say it
for a feminine noun
بِكَمْ هَذِهِ؟
bikam hadhihi?
How much is this?
Use when the item is grammatically feminine, like a bag or a car.
fuller
كَمْ سِعْرُ هَذَا؟
kam si3ru hadha?
What is the price of this?
A complete sentence, good in shops and in writing.
asking the cost
كَمْ الثَّمَنُ؟
kam ath-thamanu?
How much is the cost?
Use when the item is already clear.
short
مَا السِّعْرُ؟
ma as-si3ru?
What is the price?
A neutral alternative with the same meaning.
How people reply
بِعَشَرَةِ دَنَانِيرَ
bi3asharati dananira
Ten dinars.
هَذَا بِخَمْسِينَ دِرْهَماً
hadha bikhamsina dirhaman
This is fifty dirhams.
السِّعْرُ مَكْتُوبٌ هُنَا
as-si3ru maktubun huna
The price is written here.
In a sentence
بِكَمْ هَذَا الْكِتَابُ؟
bikam hadha al-kitabu?
How much is this book?
بِكَمْ هَذِهِ الْحَقِيبَةُ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ؟
bikam hadhihi al-7aqibatu min fadlika?
How much is this bag, please?
هَذَا جَمِيلٌ، بِكَمْ هَذَا؟
hadha jamilun, bikam hadha?
This is lovely, how much is it?