Money and Prices

Money expressions combine ordinary number grammar with several distinct verb frames. Kosti and valori take a measured price or value, commonly marked with accusative -n; a noun phrase with prezo uses de for the item and can take a nominative predicate amount; pagi lets different participants become its object, so its surrounding prepositions matter.

Currency names are count nouns

Esperanto currency names behave like ordinary nouns: eŭro, dolaro, eno, pundo, krono, franko, cendo. They take plural -j after a value greater than one and accusative -n when their grammatical role requires it.

The cardinal particles do not change: ducent dolarojn, never ducentojn dolarojn. Currency names are common nouns and normally lowercase in running text.

Asking and answering with kosti

The thing for sale is the subject of kosti. The price is a measured complement and normally takes -n:

The question word is kiom, literally “how much.” English “What does it cost?” should not be translated mechanically with kio when the requested answer is a quantity.

Price can be separated from the item with a noun phrase:

Here sep eŭroj is a predicate complement identifying la prezo, so it is nominative. Compare the minimal pair:

The value is the same, but the syntax differs. This measured accusative is treated in depth on measures and price.

Valori: monetary and nonmonetary worth

Valori gives the value of its subject. A monetary amount follows the same measurement pattern:

The verb also works without money:

Do not confuse valori “have a value/be worth” with taksi “assess/estimate” or kosti “have a price/cost.” An object may cost little but be personally valuable.

The flexible frames of pagi

With pagi, the object can be the money, the purchase, the price, or even the recipient. Because these roles compete for the single direct-object position, mark the other roles clearly.

Money as the object

The money is the object; por la libroj names what the payment obtains.

The purchase as the object

Now la librojn is the object; per bankkarto names the means of payment. Esperanto does not require a word corresponding to English “for” in this frame.

The recipient

Using al keeps the recipient distinct from the object amount. It is also possible to make the person the object—Mi pagis la librovendiston per banktransigo—but that frame highlights settling with the person, not the amount.

Do not place two unlike objects after pagi with no marker. Mi pagis la vendiston tridek eŭrojn forces two phrases to compete as direct objects. Choose one object and introduce the other role with al, por, or per.

Exact prices with whole units and cents

In speech, a decimal price is often most natural as coordinated currency units:

In printed menus and tables, 3,50 € is compact international notation. Esperanto uses a decimal comma, so 3.50 is not the preferred Esperanto format. Read a general decimal digit by digit after komo; for an actual price, naming whole units and cents is often clearer than saying every digit.

In continuous prose, 48,75 eŭroj leaves no doubt about the currency. A symbol does not receive -j or -n; when grammar matters, the surrounding sentence or spoken currency noun supplies it.

Approximate prices, limits, and ranges

The ordinary quantity modifiers work before a price:

A range can use de … ĝis …:

Here de and ĝis qualify the numerical range; eŭrojn retains the measured accusative required by kostas. In formal pricing, state whether tax, delivery, or service charges are included rather than relying on an ambiguous headline number.

Unit prices and po

Po precedes the amount distributed to each unit. The item or unit is introduced separately, often with por or an adverb:

The repeated quantity is tri eŭroj, so po stands before tri. English puts “per” before the unit and tempts learners to write tri eŭrojn po kilogramo. In standard Esperanto that placement gives po the wrong scope. Alternatives such as tri eŭrojn kilograme or tri eŭrojn por kilogramo are also clear when distribution need not be emphasized.

Case after po has accepted variation. In the traditional preposition-like analysis, one says po tri eŭroj without -n; in the widespread adverb-like analysis, the surrounding verb still licenses po tri eŭrojn. Both patterns are standard. The stable rule is the placement of po immediately before the distributed quantity, not either one of these two case choices.

The contrast separates the price assigned to each cup from the total price.

Discounts, increases, and fractions of a price

A discount is commonly rabato de a percentage; a price can rise or fall je an amount or percentage:

Je kvin eŭroj marks the size of the change. A bare measured accusative is possible in many measurement settings, but je is especially clear when a sentence already contains another object or price.

Fractions use ordinary fraction words:

Duonpreze means “at half price” and is a transparent adverbial compound. For percentage formatting and arithmetic, see decimals, percentages, and mathematical reading.

“Free” is not one financial word

English free can mean “not occupied,” “politically free,” or “without payment.” For price, use senpaga or senkosta:

Libera eniro can mean unrestricted access and may be understood as free admission in context, but senpaga eniro states the financial meaning exactly.

Common Mistakes

Omitting measured accusative after kosti

Adding accusative to a predicate amount

Giving pagi two unmarked objects

Putting po before the unit

Pluralizing the cardinal instead of the currency

Key Takeaways

Decline spelled-out currency names like ordinary nouns. After kosti and valori, a bare price usually takes measured -n; after La prezo estas, the amount is nominative. With pagi, choose one direct object and mark recipient, purchase, or means with al, por, or per. Use a decimal comma, put po before the distributed price, and distinguish a unit price from the total.