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How to Say ‘How much do I owe you?’ in French

Je vous dois combien ?

zhuh voo DWAH kohm-byan

[zhuh voo DWAH kohm-byan]

🇫🇷 In France: In a sit-down café you usually pay at the end, and this is how you'd ask. You may need to catch the server's eye first, since the bill rarely arrives unprompted.

Phrase Breakdown

Je vous dois

zhuh voo DWAH

I owe you

This comes from 'devoir', meaning 'to owe'. 'Dois' sounds like 'dwa'. Speakers often say 'J'vous dois'.

Example

Je vous dois un service.

I owe you a favor.

Words in this phrase

[zhuh]

Pronoun used by the speaker to identify themselves.

Example

Je suis content.

I am happy.

vous

[voo]

to you

Indirect object pronoun: the person receiving something.

Example

Je vous donne la monnaie.

I give you the change.

dois

[DWAH]

owe

From 'devoir'; here means to owe money.

Example

Je te dois dix euros.

I owe you ten euros.

combien ?

kohm-byan

how much?

Both syllables are nasal: 'kon-byin'. Let the voice rise for the question.

Example

Ça coûte combien ?

How much does it cost?

Words in this phrase

combien

[kohm-byan]

how much

Used to ask about price or quantity.

Example

Au marché, je demande « C'est combien ? » pour connaître le prix.

At the market, I ask “How much is it?” to know the price.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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