At a market stall in Split or a flea market in Zagreb, prices are negotiable, and the negotiation runs on a handful of fixed phrases. The most useful is also the most Croatian: Može li jeftinije? — literally „Can it cheaper?", an all-purpose request that drops the verb entirely. This page gives you the phrases for asking a price, objecting that it is too dear, requesting a discount, and finally paying — plus the one grammar point you cannot skip: paying how uses the instrumental (karticom „by card", gotovinom „in cash"), with no preposition at all.
Asking the price
The base question is Koliko košta? („How much does it cost?") for one item, Koliko koštaju? for several. To ask the total, use Koliko sve skupa? („How much altogether?"). For something sold by weight, add po kili („per kilo").
| Croatian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Koliko košta? | How much does it cost? (one item) |
| Koliko koštaju? | How much do they cost? (plural) |
| Koliko sve skupa? | How much altogether? |
| Koliko košta po kili? | How much per kilo? |
| Pošto je ovo? | How much is this? (informal/regional) |
Koliko košta ovaj sir? A onaj pršut?
How much is this cheese? And that prosciutto? — 'košta' for single items at a deli counter.
Koliko koštaju rajčice po kili?
How much are the tomatoes per kilo? — plural 'koštaju' + 'po kili'.
Objecting: Preskupo je
When the price is too high, the one-word reaction is Preskupo je („It's too expensive") — pre- is a prefix meaning „too / over-", attached to skupo („expensive"). You can also say Malo je skupo („It's a bit pricey") to soften it, or To je previše („That's too much").
| Croatian | Meaning | Force |
|---|---|---|
| Preskupo je. | It's too expensive. | direct |
| Malo je skupo. | It's a bit pricey. | softer |
| To je previše. | That's too much. | direct |
| Nemam toliko. | I don't have that much. | excuse |
Lijepo je, ali preskupo je za mene.
It's nice, but it's too expensive for me. — 'preskupo' = pre- 'too' + 'skupo' expensive.
Malo je skupo, imate li nešto jeftinije?
It's a bit pricey — do you have anything cheaper? — softened objection leading into a request.
Asking for a discount and haggling
The polite opener is Imate li popust? („Do you have a discount?"). The classic haggling line, though, is Može li jeftinije? — literally „Can it [be] cheaper?". Može is the 3rd-person of moći („can"), used impersonally, and jeftinije is the comparative adverb („more cheaply"). The whole Može li…? frame is a Swiss-army request: Može li popust?, Može li za deset eura? („Can we do it for ten euros?").
| Croatian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Imate li popust? | Do you have a discount? |
| Može li jeftinije? | Can it be cheaper? |
| Može li popust? | Can I get a discount? |
| Može li za deset eura? | Can we do it for ten euros? |
| Dat ću Vam petnaest. | I'll give you fifteen. |
Imate li popust ako uzmem dva?
Do you have a discount if I take two? — 'imate li popust' + a conditional clause to sweeten the deal.
Može li jeftinije? Uzet ću tri komada.
Can it be cheaper? I'll take three pieces. — the all-purpose 'Može li…?' haggle.
Može li za dvadeset eura sve skupa?
Can we do twenty euros for everything? — 'Može li za…?' to propose a price.
Round numbers and settling
Round prices are stated plainly: deset eura (10), dvadeset eura (20), sto eura (100). Remember that the number governs the noun: jedan euro (1), dva/tri/četiri eura (2–4, paucal), pet eura and up (genitive plural). To close the deal: Dobro, uzimam („OK, I'll take it") or Vrijedi („Deal / It's a deal").
Dvadeset eura za sve? Dobro, vrijedi!
Twenty euros for everything? OK, deal! — 'dvadeset eura' (gen. pl.); 'vrijedi' closes the haggle.
To je trideset i pet eura ukupno.
That's thirty-five euros in total. — round-ish price with genitive plural 'eura'.
Paying: the instrumental of payment
This is the grammar that separates a beginner from someone who sounds local. To say how you pay, Croatian uses the bare instrumental — no preposition. Kartica („card") → karticom; gotovina („cash") → gotovinom. The case ending -om itself carries the meaning „by means of", so adding s/sa („with") is wrong here.
| Nominative | Instrumental | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| kartica | karticom | by card |
| gotovina | gotovinom | in cash |
| mobitel | mobitelom | by phone (contactless) |
Mogu li platiti karticom ili samo gotovinom?
Can I pay by card or cash only? — bare instrumental 'karticom', 'gotovinom', no preposition.
Plaćam gotovinom, imate li sitno?
I'm paying cash — do you have change? — 'gotovinom' instrumental; 'sitno' = small change.
The full instrumental paradigm and its many uses are on the instrumental forms; for shopping vocabulary beyond haggling, see shopping and money.
Common Mistakes
❌ Može li jeftiniji?
Wrong word class — you want the adverb 'jeftinije' (more cheaply), not the adjective 'jeftiniji'.
✅ Može li jeftinije?
Can it be cheaper? — comparative adverb 'jeftinije'.
❌ Plaćam s karticom.
Wrong — 's/sa' means 'together with'; payment takes the bare instrumental.
✅ Plaćam karticom.
I'm paying by card. — bare instrumental, no preposition.
❌ Koliko košta ove jabuke?
Agreement error — plural subject needs 'koštaju'.
✅ Koliko koštaju ove jabuke?
How much are these apples? — plural verb 'koštaju'.
❌ Pet euro.
Numeral government — '5+' takes the genitive plural 'eura'.
✅ Pet eura.
Five euros. — genitive plural after 5 and up.
Key Takeaways
- Ask with Koliko košta? (one) / Koliko koštaju? (several); at markets you'll also hear Pošto?
- Object with Preskupo je („too expensive", pre-
- skupo) or the softer Malo je skupo.
- Haggle with Imate li popust? and especially Može li jeftinije? — the all-purpose Može li…? frame takes an adverb, noun, or price and needs no conjugation.
- Prices obey numeral government: jedan euro, dva/tri/četiri eura, pet eura and up.
- Pay how with the bare instrumental: karticom („by card"), gotovinom („in cash") — never with s/sa.
Now practice Croatian
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Start learning Croatian→Related Topics
- Shopping and MoneyA2 — Shopping in Croatian — 'koliko košta', 'tražim', paying 'karticom' (instrumental), prices in euros with numeral government (pet eura), and the 'prodaje se' se-passive.
- Numeral Government: 1 / 2-4 / 5+A2 — The master rule for which case a counted noun takes.
- Instrumental: FormsA2 — Instrumental endings across declensions.
- Everyday Number PhrasesA1 — Numbers as you actually use them — giving your age (Imam dvadeset jednu godinu), reading phone numbers, quantities at the shop, and koliko + genitive — with the 1 / 2–4 / 5+ rule rehearsed in real phrases.
- tražiti / potražiti (to look for/seek)A2 — The seeking pair — imperfective 'tražiti' and perfective 'potražiti' — with a bare accusative object (no preposition for English 'look FOR'), the 'demand' sense with 'tražiti od' + genitive, and the contrast with 'naći'.