A shop or market is where Russian number grammar stops being theory and starts costing you money. Asking "how much does it cost?" forces you to choose between сто́ит (singular) and сто́ят (plural). Hearing the price back means decoding why two hundred is рубле́й but twenty-two is рубля́. And paying "by card" or "in cash" drops you straight into the instrumental case, because card and cash are the instruments of payment. This page gives you the phrases you actually need at a till, and ties each one to the grammar it rests on — so every transaction is also a free grammar drill.
Asking the price: сто́ит vs сто́ят
The verb стоить ("to cost") agrees with the thing being priced, not with you. One item → Ско́лько сто́ит…? ("How much does … cost?"); two or more items → Ско́лько сто́ят…? This is the single most common slip English speakers make, because English uses "cost" identically for one and many ("how much do they cost").
| Russian | English |
|---|---|
| Ско́лько э́то сто́ит? | How much is this? (one thing) |
| Ско́лько сто́ит биле́т? | How much is a ticket? (singular) |
| Ско́лько сто́ят э́ти ту́фли? | How much are these shoes? (plural) |
| Ско́лько с меня́? | How much do I owe? (lit. "how much from me") |
Извини́те, ско́лько сто́ит э́тот шарф?
Excuse me, how much is this scarf? — singular thing → сто́ит.
А ско́лько сто́ят вот э́ти перча́тки?
And how much are these gloves here? — перча́тки is plural → сто́ят.
Сейча́с посмотрю́… Ско́лько с меня́?
Let me check… how much do I owe? — Ско́лько с меня́, the natural phrase at a till; с меня́ = 'from me' (genitive).
Reading the price: рубль, рубля́, рубле́й
When the shopkeeper says the number, the word for "rouble" changes shape, and it is the last digit of the number that decides which form — pure numeral government (see the number government rule). This trips up every learner, so lock the three buckets in:
| Last digit | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (but not 11) | рубль (nominative sg) | оди́н рубль, два́дцать оди́н рубль |
| 2, 3, 4 (not 12–14) | рубля́ (genitive sg) | два рубля́, два́дцать два рубля́ |
| 0, 5–9, and 11–14 | рубле́й (genitive pl) | пять рубле́й, сто рубле́й, оди́ннадцать рубле́й |
The same three-way split governs копе́йка ("kopeck"): одна́ копе́йка, две копе́йки, пять копе́ек. It is not optional — saying два рубле́й marks you instantly as a beginner.
Э́тот журна́л сто́ит сто два́дцать оди́н рубль.
This magazine costs 121 roubles. — last digit 1 → рубль (nominative singular).
С вас два́дцать два рубля́.
That'll be 22 roubles. — last digit 2 → рубля́ (genitive singular).
Хлеб сто́ит со́рок пять рубле́й.
The bread costs 45 roubles. — last digit 5 → рубле́й (genitive plural).
Wanting and asking to see: купи́ть, показа́ть, взять
To say what you want, the everyday frame is Я хочу́ купи́ть… ("I want to buy…") with the goods in the accusative (the direct object of buying). To ask the assistant to show you something, use the polite imperative Покажи́те, пожа́луйста… ("Show me, please…"), again with the accusative. And when you've decided, you "take" it: Я возьму́ э́то ("I'll take this") — Russian buys with взять ("take"), exactly as at a restaurant.
| Russian | English |
|---|---|
| Я хочу́ купи́ть пода́рок. | I want to buy a present. |
| У вас есть э́то в друго́м цве́те? | Do you have this in another colour? |
| Покажи́те, пожа́луйста, вон ту су́мку. | Please show me that bag over there. |
| Я возьму́ э́то. | I'll take this. |
| Мо́жно приме́рить? | Can I try it on? |
Я хочу́ купи́ть пода́рок для ма́мы.
I want to buy a present for my mum. — купи́ть + accusative пода́рок; для + genitive ма́мы.
У вас есть э́та руба́шка побо́льше?
Do you have this shirt in a bigger size? — У вас есть…? = 'do you have…?', the standard shop question.
Покажи́те, пожа́луйста, э́ти часы́.
Please show me this watch. — Покажи́те (polite imperative) + accusative; часы́ is plural-only.
Всё, я возьму́ э́то. Где ка́сса?
Right, I'll take this. Where's the checkout? — возьму́ (perfective future of взять), how Russians say 'I'll take it'.
Paying: ка́сса, нали́чными, ка́ртой
The till is the ка́сса, so "Where do I pay?" is Где ка́сса? The method of payment goes in the instrumental case, because cash and card are literally the means by which you pay (see instrumental of means): нали́чными ("in cash"), ка́ртой ("by card"). To say what you're paying for, use плати́ть за + accusative.
| Russian | English |
|---|---|
| Где ка́сса? | Where's the till / checkout? |
| Мо́жно плати́ть ка́ртой? | Can I pay by card? |
| Я заплачу́ нали́чными. | I'll pay in cash. |
| Я плачу́ за два ко́фе. | I'm paying for two coffees. |
| Ва́ша сда́ча — со́рок рубле́й. | Your change is 40 roubles. |
Скажи́те, у вас мо́жно плати́ть ка́ртой?
Tell me, can I pay by card here? — ка́ртой = instrumental, 'by means of a card'.
Нет, то́лько нали́чными.
No, cash only. — нали́чными = instrumental plural ('with cash'); a fixed adverbial form.
Возьми́те сда́чу — три́дцать пять рубле́й.
Here's your change — 35 roubles. — сда́ча = 'change'; рубле́й because the last digit is 5.
Я плачу́ за э́тот зо́нтик ка́ртой.
I'm paying for this umbrella by card. — плати́ть за + accusative (за зо́нтик); ка́ртой instrumental for the method.
Discounts and bargains: ски́дка, дёшево, до́рого
A discount is a ски́дка, and you'll see it advertised as ски́дка 20% ("a 20% discount") or with the preposition phrase со ски́дкой ("at a discount", instrumental after с). The judgments до́рого ("expensive") and дёшево ("cheap") are short neuter adverb forms used impersonally — Э́то до́рого, literally "this [is] expensively", with no verb at all.
На э́ту ку́ртку есть ски́дка?
Is there a discount on this jacket? — ски́дка на + accusative ('a discount on…').
Я купи́л его́ со ски́дкой пятьдеся́т проце́нтов.
I bought it at a 50% discount. — со ски́дкой = с + instrumental; со (not с) before the consonant cluster ск-.
Э́то сли́шком до́рого для меня́.
That's too expensive for me. — до́рого, a verbless impersonal judgment ('it's expensive'); для + genitive меня́.
Common Mistakes
❌ Ско́лько сто́ит э́ти боти́нки?
Agreement error — боти́нки is plural, so the verb must be plural: сто́ят.
✅ Ско́лько сто́ят э́ти боти́нки?
How much are these boots? — plural subject → сто́ят.
❌ Э́то сто́ит два рубле́й.
Numeral error — after 2/3/4 (last digit) the noun is genitive SINGULAR: два рубля́, not the plural рубле́й.
✅ Э́то сто́ит два рубля́.
This costs two roubles. — last digit 2 → рубля́.
❌ Мо́жно плати́ть ка́рту?
Case error — the means of payment is INSTRUMENTAL: ка́ртой (with a card), not the accusative ка́рту.
✅ Мо́жно плати́ть ка́ртой?
Can I pay by card? — instrumental ка́ртой.
❌ Я хочу́ купи́ть э́тот руба́шка.
Gender error — руба́шка is feminine, so the demonstrative must agree: э́ту руба́шку (accusative feminine).
✅ Я хочу́ купи́ть э́ту руба́шку.
I want to buy this shirt. — accusative feminine э́ту руба́шку.
❌ Я плачу́ для ко́фе.
Wrong preposition — 'to pay for X' is плати́ть за + accusative, not для. для means 'for the benefit of someone'.
✅ Я плачу́ за ко́фе.
I'm paying for the coffee. — плати́ть за + accusative.
Key Takeaways
- Ско́лько сто́ит…? for one thing, Ско́лько сто́ят…? for two or more — стоить agrees with what's priced.
- Prices follow numeral government by the last digit: 1 → рубль, 2–4 → рубля́, 0/5–9/11–14 → рубле́й. Same split for копе́йка/копе́йки/копе́ек.
- Buy with купи́ть / взять (Я возьму́ э́то), ask to see with Покажи́те, пожа́луйста, check stock with У вас есть…? — all take the accusative.
- Pay in the instrumental: нали́чными ("in cash"), ка́ртой ("by card"); pay for something with плати́ть за + accusative.
- сда́ча = change, ски́дка = discount (со ски́дкой = at a discount), до́рого / дёшево = verbless "it's expensive / cheap".
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