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FRENCH VERB

coûter

to cost

  • #103 most used
  • Regular -er verb
  • Past participle: coûté
  • Present participle: coûtant

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Présent · now, habits and facts

  1. je I cost
  2. tu you cost
  3. il, elle, on he/she costs
  4. nous we cost
  5. vous you cost
  6. ils, elles they cost

Past

Passé composé · finished actions

  1. je I cost
  2. tu you cost
  3. il, elle, on he/she cost
  4. nous we cost
  5. vous you cost
  6. ils, elles they cost

Imperfect

Imparfait · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. je I used to cost
  2. tu you used to cost
  3. il, elle, on he/she used to cost
  4. nous we used to cost
  5. vous you used to cost
  6. ils, elles they used to cost

Future

Futur simple · plans; in speech, “je vais parler” is just as common

  1. je I will cost
  2. tu you will cost
  3. il, elle, on he/she will cost
  4. nous we will cost
  5. vous you will cost
  6. ils, elles they will cost

Conditional

Conditionnel · “would”, polite requests

  1. je I would cost
  2. tu you would cost
  3. il, elle, on he/she would cost
  4. nous we would cost
  5. vous you would cost
  6. ils, elles they would cost

Present subjunctive

Subjonctif présent · wishes, doubts, “il faut que …”

  1. je (that) I cost
  2. tu (that) you cost
  3. il, elle, on (that) he/she cost
  4. nous (that) we cost
  5. vous (that) you cost
  6. ils, elles (that) they cost

Imperative

Impératif · requests and orders

  1. tu cost!
  2. nous cost! (let’s)
  3. vous cost! (plural, or formal)

How to use coûter

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Ça coûte combien, le menu du midi ?

    How much is the lunch menu?

  2. Past

    Le billet m'a coûté soixante euros.

    The ticket cost me sixty euros.

  3. Imperfect

    Avant, le café coûtait un euro ici.

    Coffee used to cost one euro here.

  4. Future

    Les travaux coûteront plus cher que prévu.

    The work will cost more than planned.

  5. Conditional

    Ça coûterait moins cher à deux.

    It would cost less for two.

  6. Present subjunctive

    J'ai peur que ça coûte les yeux de la tête.

    I'm afraid it'll cost an arm and a leg.

  7. Imperative

    Ne coûte pas trop cher, petite voiture, s'il te plaît !

    Don't cost too much, little car, please!

Good to know

  • Ça coûte combien ? is how much is it?; ça coûte cher, it's expensive; coûter les yeux de la tête, to cost an arm and a leg.

Where you hear coûter

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

French · Beginner Level 3

  • Le café coûte deux euros. The coffee costs two euros.
  • Le billet a coûté trente euros. The ticket cost thirty euros.
  • Ça coûtera cher ? Will it cost a lot?
26
A Talk with Nathalie

Beginner Level 3 · ça coûtera

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -er verb.