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Combien coûte une douzaine d'œufs ?

Combien coûte une douzaine d'œufs ?
How much does a dozen eggs cost?
From Lesson 48:Asking how much or how many (combien, combien de)·French

Questions & Answers about Combien coûte une douzaine d'œufs ?

Why do we use combien here instead of combien de?
In this sentence, combien (how much) is linked to the verb coûte (costs). You use combien on its own when asking about actions, verbs, or overall prices. You only use combien de when asking 'how many' followed directly by a noun, like combien d'œufs (how many eggs).
Why is the verb coûte in the singular form when we are talking about multiple eggs?
The verb matches the main subject of the sentence, which is une douzaine (a dozen). Since 'a dozen' is a single group, we use the singular form coûte (costs) rather than the plural coûtent.
Why does it say d'œufs instead of des œufs for 'eggs'?
After a noun that expresses a specific quantity, like une douzaine (a dozen) or un kilo (a kilo), French always uses de (of). Because œufs starts with a vowel sound, de drops the 'e' and becomes d'. You do not use des (some/plural the) right after a quantity word.
How do I pronounce the word œufs? Do I say the 'f'?
No, both the 'f' and the 's' are completely silent in the plural word œufs. It sounds roughly like the 'u' in 'uh'. Be careful though: in the singular word un œuf (one egg), you actually do pronounce the 'f'!

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