How to Say ‘How much is it?’ in Japanese
いくらぐらいですか。
ikura gurai desu ka
[ee-koo-rah goo-rah-ee dess kah]
💬 Usage Tip: This asks for an approximate price. Great for taxis, souvenirs, or any moment when your wallet wants a preview.
🇯🇵 In Japan: Because taxi fares are usually metered, the answer is often an estimate rather than a fixed price.
Phrase Breakdown
いくらぐらい
ikura gurai
about how much; around how much
いくら asks “how much,” and ぐらい softens it to mean “about” or “around.”
このかばんはいくらぐらいですか。
About how much is this bag?
Words in this phrase
いくら
ikura
[ee-koo-rah]
how much
Asks for the amount of money.
いくらぐらいですか、と料金を聞きます。
You ask about the fare by saying, “About how much is it?”
ぐらい
gurai
[goo-rah-ee]
about; approximately
Shows you want an estimate, not an exact number.
いくらぐらいですか、と目安を聞きます。
You ask for an estimate by saying, “About how much is it?”
ですか
desu ka
is it?; is it the case?
ですか makes the sentence a polite question.
これは日本語ですか。
Is this Japanese?
Words in this phrase
です
desu
[dess]
is
Polite copula in the question.
いくらぐらいですか、と丁寧に聞きます。
You politely ask, “About how much is it?”
か
ka
[kah]
question marker
Makes the sentence a question.
いくらぐらいですか、と質問します。
You ask, “About how much is it?”
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